Fire Angel (21 page)

After Mila was in bed, Jake and Alexis avoided discussing the case until they were sure that she was asleep. Instead, they played chess or Scrabble, or watched television. It was a pleasant time, free from pressure, but it only served to remind her of how much lonelier she would feel when she went home.

Maya had taken to cuddling in Alexis's lap when she sat on the sofa, and she knew that she would miss the little dog as much as she would miss the child. Missing Jake was an entirely different thing; she doubted she would ever be able to fill the void he would leave in her heart.

• • •

Jake divided his daylight hours between his responsibilities to the inn and trying to solve the case. As much as he ached to spend time with Alexis, he moved cautiously. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, he held her close. More often than not, she would move away, so he settled for an arm across the back of the sofa, where she would unconsciously lean into it. He would watch her fingers run through Maya's coat and imagine them in his hair. He knew she was establishing boundaries, and he had to respect them.

He didn't like keeping secrets from her, although he thought she might be keeping a few of her own. He had decided not to tell her that Minette had not been the one to change the outdoor light bulb on Sunday night, nor had she turned down the bed. Alexis had been right. The killer had been in the cabin, and every time he thought of it, his blood ran cold. Jake had disabled the electronic locks on the apartment doors. If someone had a pass key, they would not get in here.

The other thing that ate at him was the fact that Maya had not given any indication that night that a stranger had been around. That meant that the killer was someone whose scent was one the little dog recognized. Jake had made a list of all his employees, but most of them hadn't been old enough when Alexis had lived there, and those who had been just didn't seem to fit the profile. He was down to four names, but he didn't want to say anything. Being suspected of committing something as horrendous as these crimes, could easily ruin a person's life.

He thought of Dr. Shillingham; he had been out to fit Jake for his prosthetic several times in the last few months; would Maya have recognized his scent because of that? He knew that tampering with electronic locks and pass keys was becoming a problem for big city hotels, and the doctor did travel to Ottawa frequently. Alexis's suspicions seemed more than plausible.

Despite the weather, Frank had managed to make it there every day with fresh pastries and wild game. He was friendly and spent time chatting with many of the Temagami elders. At Jake's request, he asked about dissidents on the Reserve who might have a grudge against the community. He gave Jake the names and he added them to his list.

Frank had overcome his shyness around Alexis and always found time to spend a few minutes with her, bringing her brownies or other chocolate desserts he thought she'd enjoy. He talked about her cousin James and the “good old days,” as he called them. Jake wondered if she had asked him about the dead animals; he had, and Frank thought it might have been Jeremiah, but Jeremiah was dead, so that was no help at all.

Because Jake was leaving no stone unturned, Frank's name was on the list of suspects. He had reviewed the police records on the tragedies he'd suffered, but everything seemed to be in order. He lived alone since his mother had gone to live with her sister. Frank's life may have been heartbreaking, but nothing in the investigation pointed to anything else. He had never had so much as a speeding ticket. Frank was a model citizen and Jake had crossed his name off the list.

“The weather is supposed to break tomorrow,” Minette said as she served dinner. “You'll be able to get back into the field. I can't say that I'm happy about the fact that you'll be wandering about seriously damaged buildings, but I do want that maniac caught.”

Jake perked up at the thought that they would be working again.

“Well, if I can get Alexis to let me in on what she's thinking, we might be able to get the guy. My partner seems to think that she's a one woman show.”

“What do you mean? You're the one who's been making sure this place is locked up tighter than Fort Knox,” Alexis answered quickly, her brow puckered in confusion. “There isn't anything I can do until I get into the field and verify my findings. The last time I made a suggestion, you didn't take me seriously.”

“Wrong; I called Everett and asked him to check things out; he hasn't gotten back to me. It takes time to get information from one jurisdiction to another. I've gone through the yearbooks and crossed most of the names off my list. There's an electrician and a plumber I still need to look at; they're the only ones who live around here. By the way, one of them is Temagami. When I get the chance, I'll talk to Frank again. He's the go-to guy for gossip. If there are any skeleton's in anyone's closet, he'll know about them.”

He took a mouthful of coffee and tried to calm himself. He could see from the look on Minette's face that he was acting out of character. Frustration and sexual tension could do that to a person. Calmer, he continued.

“I spoke with the taxidermist who examined the owl. He said it was stuffed by an amateur with some Temagami training. When I get it back, I'll show it to one of the elders. At the moment, I'm checking into the names of the Temagami Frank gave me, young men with a beef against the establishment. Finally, I called Marian in Florida and Jack Willard is exactly where he is supposed to be. He hasn't left the area since he arrived; he's even got himself a girlfriend, so you can cross him off your list.”

She frowned. “I can't help but feel like we're overlooking someone,” she said. “What about Frank? He seems to be a regular around here; he comes and goes as if he owns the place. I must say that he seems to enjoy dredging up old times. He makes me uncomfortable.”

Jake laughed, pleased that her discussions hadn't been the friendly ones he'd imagined.

“Frank's clean; I checked him out already. He makes a lot of people uncomfortable. Back in high school, he was a bit of a loner. I thought he worked a little too hard at trying to be accepted, especially by James. Any memories he's sharing with you will be distorted by his point of view; he didn't always see things the way we did,” Jake said.

He paused as an idea came to him.

“You know, he might have been the one who called your uncle and let him know you were here. He's nosy enough to have asked Allan who you were. He needs to know what's going on around him.”

“I hadn't thought of that,” she said. “I'm glad my uncle didn't call again; it would have been hard to avoid the call. So what else can you tell me about Frank?”

“He was a couple of grades ahead of me in school, but I don't think he ever graduated. His father owned the mobile canteen, and after he died, Frank took over, turned over a new leaf. He knows a lot of people, and he's vital to the community, but other than his four buddies, he doesn't have a lot of friends. Some people think he's a little odd, maybe a little too curious, but that's just the way he is.”

“I tried to forget all of the bad things; I wish he'd stop reminding me of them. I feel like a mouse waiting for the cat to pounce. There's something about those eyes of his; he never looks directly at me — maybe because he ratted me out to my uncle. I can't understand why I don't remember him, but then again, I forgot you, and I liked you … ” She didn't finish the sentence.

“You wound me, but I think Frank might have been sweet on you back then; I seem to remember he watched you all the time. Maybe he's trying to court you now, and these chocolate treats and old memories are his way of doing it.” He laughed at the stunned look on her face. “Frank's harmless. Six years ago, he was forced to bury his wife and daughter on the same day — it was the saddest funeral I've ever attended.”

He got up to help Minette clear the table.

“After the funeral, he went away for a few months, change of scenery and all, and when he came back, he moved in with his mother and went back to catering. He does odd jobs for me; in fact, he should be in later tonight to plow the parking lot, or at least as much of it as he can, considering. I can ask him to lay off on the trips down memory lane, if you like.”

Alexis smiled sadly. “No, it's okay. Like everyone else, he deserves a little happiness, and if remembering what he thinks are the good times makes him happy, then who am I to argue? I'm not that frightened little girl anymore; I don't need a champion, but thanks for the offer.” She refused a second cup of coffee and stood.

“Jake, the new profile is a good one. If Minette is right and the weather breaks, I think we should hold a press conference in the morning. Maybe once we give it out to the public, someone will remember something. Call Everett; see whether or not he can set it up for mid-morning.” She turned to Minette.

“Thanks for the wonderful supper; I've never had rabbit cassoulet before; it was delicious. I'd better get to my room and make sure everything is ready for the morning.” She bid Minette and Jake good night.

• • •

Alexis was finishing her files, the hard copy ones she liked to carry with her to the crime scenes, and noticed that she had run out of paper. She went in search of some. She walked into the living room, but although the television was on, the room was empty.

“Jake?” she called. When she received no answer, she opted to look in his desk for what she needed. The first two drawers yielded nothing, but she found a pad of paper in the third drawer. She reached to pull it out, and a small ring box came out with it. Under the pad was a picture frame.

Unable to restrain herself, Alexis turned over the frame. Just as she had feared, it was a wedding picture. Jake looked stunning dressed as he was in his black military police uniform and red beret. For some reason, she had thought he would have worn khaki. Irena wore a traditional high-necked white gown with a hijab, to which was attached a veil. There were only the two of them in the picture, and while Jake looked happy, the bride smiled, but her eyes were devoid of emotion. It seemed strange for a bride not to be happy on her wedding day, but maybe it was a cultural thing.

She opened the box and looked at a beautiful gold wedding band of traditional Celtic eternity knots; it appeared to be an heirloom.

When she heard the door open, she started guiltily.

“What are you doing at my desk?” asked Jake. He walked over and saw the ring box and photograph.

“Those things are private,” he growled reaching for the ring box and frame. He looked at the picture and his face betrayed his agony.

“I'm sorry, Jake, I was looking for paper.” She held up the pad.

“Well, you've found it,” he said with a catch in his voice. “Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to use my computer.”

“Of course,” she said. She stood, grabbed the pad off the desk. As she reached the hall, she looked back. Jake was staring at the picture of his wedding day, and the sorrow on his face tore her apart. She rushed back to her room, barely shutting the door before the tears started to fall.

She slid to the floor, her back against the door, holding herself for comfort. She let the tears fall unheeded. When her anguish subsided, she rose and, using every ounce of grit and determination she had, she reminded herself of who she was and what she had accomplished.

She was heart sore, it was true, but she would get over it; no more pity parties. She was here to do a job, not fall in love, and certainly not cause the man she loved to suffer any more than he had. There would be only one casualty here, and it would be her. She got ready for bed, and surprised to find that she had tears left, cried herself to sleep.

• • •

Minette's weather prediction proved to be right. Alexis rushed to shower and dress so that she could go out on the veranda.

She went to the foyer where she had left her coat and boots. As she passed the desk, she saw no sign of the photo and ring box; no doubt Jake had moved them to a safer, more private place.

She dressed quickly and opened the door she'd noticed beside the picture window. She stepped out onto a veranda built over the deck which ran the width of the inn. The cedar planks had been shoveled and salted, melting the ice that covered them. The deck overlooked the chasm, and if she walked to the railing, she could look right down into the gorge. It was an awe-inspiring view. There was a ramp that zigzagged down to the ground level.

Across from her, the walls of the chasm rose a good twenty feet straight up. She thought of the arsonist and the gunshots on Tuesday; there was no way anyone could get a vantage point on that side. Feeling relatively safe, she paused to admire the beauty of the scene before her.

From where she stood, the forest around her looked like a magical, crystal kingdom. She could imagine the Snow Queen holding court amidst the shimmering ice and snow. Looking down she watched the rapidly moving water rush around rocks caked in white, sparkling in the sunshine. Pine trees, with their needles encased in rime, glittered like diamonds. Birch, aspen, and cedar trees, their branches encrusted with the weight of nature's frozen beauty, bent low to the ground as if paying homage to their queen. While it was a magnificent sight, Alexis shivered, aware of the destructive power such a storm carried with it. She remembered the devastation that had been caused by thousands of trees and electrical poles snapping from the weight of several days of heavy ice and snow. Good and evil — always together — always vying for supremacy.

After she'd been on the deck snapping pictures for almost an hour, Jake came out with a cup of coffee.

“Morning, did you sleep well?” he asked handing her the steaming mug, the closest thing he could think of to give as a peace offering.

“Smells wonderful,” she said. “Thank you.”