“Still, hitting a girl isn’t right.” Scout retrieved the rope from his backpack as Jolanda rolled on the ground, holding her face and groaning. Before she could recover, he tied her hands and feet with the most elaborate knots Hunter had ever witnessed.
“I would agree to that, most of the time,” Hunter said. “But I think Jolanda would appreciate the equality of the situation.”
“My name is Raven,” Jolanda mumbled angrily. She sounded like she had cotton balls stuffed up her nose.
“Shut up,” the boys said together.
“Let’s take her back to Jimmy and figure a way out of this mess,” Scout said.
“Chase’s going to think they still have us captured.”
“Won’t he be surprised?”
Hunter helped Scout load Jolanda onto the Suzuki. They explained to her what would happen if she jacked around on the ride back to Independents. When she hawked a loogie at them, they decided to tie her more securely to the bike using more rope and duct tape from Scout’s well-stocked supplies, restricting all of her movements and eliminating the danger.
Then Hunter gagged her with a red bandanna from his own bag to keep her quiet. He patted her on the head. “Nice, Jolanda.”
“I don’t like this,” Scout said.
“Yeah, me neither.” Hunter smiled. “Let’s go.”
Jimmy’s hands were still shaking. He shoved them deep into his pockets, not wanting to alarm Ginger. Maybe she’d think he was just cold. The shaking started the moment he saw the fire and thought his brother might be inside, burning to death. Ginger’s arm around his waist gave him a level of comfort he was not used too. It was nice.
Mark shuffled out of the sheriff’s office on Main Street, looking like he might start bawling any second. Locking up your sister will do that.
The smell of the house fire from three streets away permeated the night air. Luckily the houses in Independents were built on such large lots that the fear of the fire spreading throughout the town was nonexistent. Still, the kids in the volunteer fire department cranked up the old fire truck and brought it over for safety and practice. They doused the flames, but the smoldering continued.
In a funny way, the smell of smoke reminded Jimmy of family campouts and his knees rattled with tremors. Everyone in Independents suffered from losses. When the parents died along with all the other grownups, losses became the acceptable norm. But when Jimmy thought he’d lost his little brother, it was all he could do to keep from rushing inside that blazing inferno to make certain Hunter wasn’t in there.
“Did Vanessa go home?” Mark spoke the way people did late at night while telling stories around a campfire, his voice distant and eerie.
“Yeah,” Jimmy said. “She left to give the babysitter a break. Sounds like you two have been tied up all day with the group from Iowa.”
Mark shook his head wearily. “Damn! I forgot about them. Molly picked a great time to lose her freaking mind. I wonder what they’re thinking.”
Jimmy shrugged. “I could care less right now. Hunter and Scout haven’t returned yet. Something’s wrong and I’m betting Chase from Iowa is somehow responsible.”
“You want me to watch the house they’re staying in?”
“No, I’ll have Samuel do it. You go home to Vanessa. She probably needs you right now.” Jimmy didn’t bother to say Mark probably needed her just as much. He shivered as the cold wind picked up, but he felt warmth radiating from Ginger and pulled her closer.
“Did Molly say anything?”
Eyeing Ginger and Jimmy, Mark paused with a slight smile, as though something just occurred to him. “No, she didn’t.” His smile vanished. “She fell on the cot and faced the wall. I tried asking her why she did it, but she ignored me. I don’t know what to do, Jimmy. I mean, I’m the sheriff and all, but she’s my sister.”
“I know it’s tough right now, but we’ll figure something out tomorrow.”
Mark shook his head again. “I don’t understand how Molly could set a house on fire. Something must have happened for her to go off like that; something with your brother.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Jimmy said.
Mark folded his arms over his chest. “I didn’t like it when they started seeing each other. It all happened too quickly.”
“I didn’t encourage it. Hunter doesn’t listen to me anyways.”
“Molly doesn’t listen to me either, but I never expected her to cause trouble like this.”
Jimmy shared a glance with Ginger. He was hardly surprised by Molly’s actions and figured Ginger was even less amazed by what her co-worker had done.
“We’ll help her somehow,” he said. “I’m sure it’ll all work out.”
Ginger nodded. “She can be tough sometimes, but together we’ll figure out the best way to help her.”
“Thanks,” Mark said. “I know Molly can be a serious pain. I’m sure she’s even worse to work with. I haven’t been around for her a lot lately.”
“We do what we can,” Jimmy said.
Mark’s slight smile returned. “So when’s the official announcement?”
“What announcement?”
“You two. I’d ask Jimmy if it was serious, but he’s always serious, isn’t he?”
“Pretty much,” Ginger said. Jimmy mocked wounded pride and pulled away from her, but she held onto him tightly. “That’s why I like him,” she added.
“Just like?” Mark asked.
A smile grew on Ginger’s face, bright as any wheat field on a sunny day. Her transformation mirrored Jimmy’s own.
“Yeah…” Mark said. “I better get home and see how Vanessa’s doing.”
“Do you want somebody to watch over Molly tonight?” Jimmy asked.
Mark glanced toward the sheriff’s office and then at his shoes. “She’s not going anywhere.” He hiked up the collar of his heavy coat against the cold wind, stepped onto the cobbled street and hopped over a pothole. “Come get me if anything else happens. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight,” Jimmy and Ginger said together, and then they giggled.
• • •
Jimmy woke with the night pressing down on him, unsure of where he was, surrounded by the scent of flowers. Muffled whispering behind a closed door tugged at his consciousness. When a loud thud sounded and someone hissed, “Be quiet,” he became fully awake.
He jerked upright, realized he was still dressed, and recalled lying down next to Ginger and falling asleep. In his head, he heard Samuel laughing. Ginger was still dressed too. Her eyes were open with fear shining in their depths.
“Someone’s in the house,” she whispered.
Jimmy pushed his finger to his lips and signaled for her to climb out of bed. He pointed to the closet, but she shook her head in refusal. He frowned until she folded her arms across her chest, convincing him that her hiding wasn’t going to happen.