Zach whistled his way to his car, feeling better than he had in awhile. A chat with a gorgeous blond could do that for him.
Now onto the grim business of a fire at an apartment complex. “This must be the fire Grace was talking about.”
He appreciated his old partner asking for his advice. Knowing Ed, he really needed it and wasn’t trying to cheer up Zach.
The scene had been declared safe by the fire company so Zach, his ex-partner, Ed, and some crime scene techs from the Prosecutor’s Office traversed to the first floor apartment. At least where it had been before fire consumed it.
“Whose apartment is this?” Zach studied the techs as they went to work. Not much evidence to gather. Most had gone up in flames. Still, the team had to search.
“A Grace Harmony,” Ed said. He’d been on the scene prior to Zach’s arrival
His face didn’t reveal that he’d just been with her. “You have a number?”
“Yeah, but you’re just our consultant. We’ll interview her.”
He’d put Zach in his place, reminding him he wasn’t on the team anymore. The jagged pill of reality threatened to choke him. “Fine. Who called in the fire?”
“The landlord. He was coming by to fix something. We can’t locate him right now.”
“That’s odd,” Zach said, the stench of charcoal invading his nostrils. He’d never get over that smell. “You think he started it?”
Ed shrugged. “We’ll have to see.”
“Right. Guess you’ll start with the wife.
Grace’s cell phone rang. “Hello Mark.”
“Hey, Gracie. How’d you know it was me? Are you doing that back in time thing again?”
She sat in her new apartment, lounging in sweatpants and a t-shirt. She didn’t have the energy to unpack. Time travel took a piece out of her. Having done it twice in less than a week, exhaustion attacked her bones. “Yes, I am, but things are odd. The days are not repeating themselves. I don’t know what it means.”
“How so?”
“Well I’m meeting people before I’m supposed to and my apartment burned down early this time. It didn’t the first two times.”
“Back up this truck. You’ve been through this twice? Has that ever happened before?”
“No, never. The first time the person was murdered anyway.”
“But that happened last time, too. That murder victim died also. Gracie, I see a trend.”
She shuddered, thinking about her last town and her last murder victim. Shaking her head she cleared it of the bad reminders of a failed job. “Yes, but the murder victim didn’t talk to me the next time. This one did. I’m scared.”
“I wish could be there, but I’m in California. Got a gig on a commercial. We start shooting tomorrow. Won’t be done for a week.”
Ever the struggling actor, Grace didn’t know how Mark even paid his own rent. Should she ask him if he was on his way here? That could be different, too.
“This will all be over in two days.”
“Two days? Is that when she’d killed? On your birthday?”
“My birthday’s in three days.”
“Check the date, Gracie.”
She grabbed for a newspaper and sure enough, Mark was right. Her eyes drifted closed as her heart thumped in her chest. How could she possibly do this in this short a time?
“Do you usually get that little time?” Mark asked.
“That’s another strange thing. I usually have three weeks. I have some ideas about where to start and who to check off my list, but that’s it.”
“Doesn’t sound like fun.”
“No it isn’t. Gotta go Mark, someone’s knocking on my door.”
Dolores had brought Chinese food and she and Grace had devoured it when the inevitable knock came on the door. For a moment, Grace wanted to tell Dolores everything. How else could she save her?
Zach stood on her doorstep scowling. He was going to be even grumpier than last time. Why did she find this man attractive?
“We meet again. Come in,” Grace said.
Zach strode into the apartment as if he owned it. Technically when he was married to Dolores he had.
“Hey, Zach, what brings you here?” Dolores asked.
“I have a few questions for Miss Harmony.”
“Is this official business?”
“Yes, you’ll have to go Dolores.”
This wasn’t how it had been before. Grace felt the undertow had taken a hold of her foot and she was going to drown. Dolores left and Grace settled on her couch that opened to a bed. Zach stood.
“Sit.”
“No.”
“I’m not answering questions with you towering over me. Do I need a lawyer?”
He sat. “Not unless you did something wrong.”
“I haven’t. What is this about?”
“The fire at your apartment complex. Your landlord is missing and the fire started in your apartment.”
Grace put a hand over her open mouth. “I asked him to look at my stove. I thought it was leaking. Could that have started the fire?”
“We don’t know exactly how the fire started, but it wasn’t an accident. How well did you know your landlord?”
“Not well. I’d only lived there three weeks.”
Zach flipped open a pad. “You didn’t see him socially?”
“Socially? He’s married.”
His stare went through her. Then she understood him.
“Lovers. You think I was his lover? Have you seen his wife?”
“No.”
“She’s a beautiful woman. Why would he have an affair with me when he could go home to that?”
His gaze remained unflinching, but she refused to fill in the silence. So the lack of noise stretched on for a moment, Grace staring into his gray eyes. Faint lines on his granite face hinted at the character they’d show when he was older.
His olive skin was already beginning to sport a tan, which didn’t make sense if he spent the day in an office. “So he was in your apartment to fix the stove?”
“I guess. I was on my way to meet him.”
She relaxed. If this was about the fire then she had nothing to worry about. “Have you eaten?”
His gaze bounced from his notepad then to her. His eyes narrowed. “No.”
“There’s some leftover Chinese I could heat up.”
“Miss this is an official investigation.”
“So you don’t eat when you’re on duty?”
“This isn’t a social call.”
“I didn’t expect it was, but you need to eat.”
His eyes looked tired in that instant as if he’d fought too many battles that day to win this one. “Fine, but where were you earlier today?”
“You mean when the fire would have been set?”
“Yes if it turns out it was set.”
“You’re leaning that way.”
He shrugged. “Instincts.”
“Okay.”
She put the food in a microwave bowl and set it on its course to reheating. Then she wiped her hands on a towel before settling back on the couch. “I got off work about 6 a.m.”
“Did you go home?”
“No, we’d had a tough last call and I was wired. I went to the gym, worked out.”
“Anyone see you there?”
“I had to sign in with an electronic card.”
He cocked his head. “But you could have left?”
“I guess, yes, I could have. But I didn’t.”
“Then what?”
“I called Dolores and she met me at her place. She told me she was taking a half day anyway so she didn’t mind.”
“What time?”
“I’m gonna say ten or so. She may remember.”
“I’ll ask her.”
“No doubt.”
His gaze flicked back to her. She sensed something warm in his look, but he quickly buried it. The microwave dinged.
“Then after Dolores?”
“Shopping. I can show you the receipts.”
He nodded, snapped his book closed then stood. “How about that food?”
She eyed him wondering how he could bounce out of his cop persona so readily. “Food’s done then.”
He smiled. “Good, I’m starved.”
Zach dialed Ed Bauer as soon as he left Grace’s apartment. “She didn’t do it.”
“Who didn’t do what?”
“Grace Harmony didn’t set that fire.”
“What about the stuff I uncovered in Pennsylvania?”
“I don’t care. She didn’t do it.”
“Okay, but I’m not closing the book on her just because you’re dick is twitching.”
Zach disconnected and let out a loud laugh. Yes his dick was twitching