Pecan Pies and Homicides (14 page)

Ella Mae glanced down. The tray of cookies was still in front of her. Aiden hadn't eaten any, so he wasn't responding to their magic. What then, was he talking about? “What fire?” she asked sharply.

Aiden turned to her. “I see smoke. It's about two blocks away. What's over in that direction?”

Joining him at the door, Ella Mae saw a column of smoke twisting upward into the gray sky. She paled. “That's where we're headed. Everything's there. The grandstand, the outdoor games, vendor tents, the start of the bed race. It's the heart of the carnival.”

For just a moment Aiden's eyes were filled with sparks of light. Tiny flames flickering from deep within the black pupils. He pointed at the smoke and said, “Then the heart of the carnival is burning.”

Grabbing the last aluminum tray from the counter, Ella Mae hopped into the Jeep and drove toward the smoke, Jenny and Aiden following close behind in Jenny's Camaro.

Members of the Havenwood Volunteer Fire Department were already on the scene and the engine blocked Ella Mae's view of what was burning, so she parked her car behind the pharmacy and she and Reba ran around the building to get a closer look.

“There!” Ella Mae shouted. She pointed at the beds clustered together behind a starting line made of caution tape. The bed in the very center of the pack was obscured by bright flames. They snapped and crackled in the cold air, chewing hungrily through the mattress and an upholstered headboard. A crescent moon mounted on the center of the headboard was turning from yellow to black while smoke formed a dark halo around the moon's topmost point.

The bed appeared to be the source of the fire, but it wasn't the only thing burning. Half a dozen beds were smoldering and Ella Mae saw sparks jump from one to another. There was a zealous energy to their movement, like children leaping from stone to stone to cross a stream.

“No!” she yelled, seeing multiple wisps of smoke appear on the thin mattress covering the animal shelter bed.

Reba followed her gaze, her mouth tightening into a thin, angry line. “What kind of jackass would try to ruin this race?”

“Someone who wants to win it,” Ella Mae said, frantically searching for Hugh. It was impossible to differentiate between the firemen, however. They were all shouting and hurrying and dragging heavy hoses at the same time.

There was nothing the spectators could do but stand by and watch. Two firemen gripping the end of a hose signaled to the engine. Suddenly, a stream of water burst from the nozzle. The elements clashed, fire and water battling as the flames coughed up a fresh wave of smoke. The acrid air smelled of charred cloth, melted metal, and chemicals.

“The fire on the bed in the center isn't going out,” Aiden said from behind her in a strange, faraway voice. “Something keeps feeding it.”

Jenny grabbed her brother's massive arm. “Can you help the firemen?”

Aiden's eyes were fixed on the dancing flames. “There's gas and oil. It smells like an engine fire.”

“An engine on a bed? That's against the rules,” Reba said. “You're not supposed to use any kind of mechanical propulsion. Just four people runnin' their hearts out and one person on the bed, yellin' incentives. Four people, four wheels.” She spread her arms as if to encompass the chaos surrounding them. “But folks cheat, don't they? Especially when there's money involved.”

Once again, Ella Mae tried to locate Hugh. And then she saw him, edging the hose closer to the bed with the moon on its headboard. Just as he approached, there was a deafening boom. Pieces of metal exploded, ricocheting into the air and skittering across the surface of other beds.

“Hugh!” Ella Mae cried, terrified that he'd been struck, but Hugh hadn't moved an inch. He was holding the heavy hose with one hand while touching the water pouring forth from its nozzle with the other. Because of the dense smoke, Ella Mae couldn't completely trust her eyes, but she thought she saw a glimmer pass from his fingers to the water. Hypnotized, she tried to track the glint in the water. It surged forward, blanketing the cloud of white-hot flames enveloping the area where the metal had erupted so violently.

Ella Mae didn't know much about firefighting, but she was pretty sure that one wasn't supposed to douse a chemical fire using water.

“What's that damned fool doin'?” Reba whispered, staring at Hugh in horror. “He'll get himself killed.”

As if responding to her prediction, the fire surged toward Hugh, momentarily obscuring his body in a wall of flame. Ella Mae screamed, but just as quickly as the fire lashed out, it retreated again. Hugh was still standing there, braced against the weight of the hose. Once again, Ella Mae caught a glimpse of something sparkling in the water. And then, as if it had never been there, the fire abruptly winked out.

“Did you see that?” Ella Mae asked Reba.

“I saw a boy with a death wish, if that's what you mean,” Reba said and put an arm around Ella Mae's waist. “Your man might not have the sense the good Lord gave a gnat, but he's got a lion's share of courage.” She swept her sharp gaze around the damaged beds. “I hope Dee's isn't a total loss, but I can't tell from here. Come on, let's get a little closer.”

Now that the fire was extinguished, leaving only a veil of smoke drifting upward to mingle with the bank of low, gray storm clouds, Aiden's dreamy expression was gone too. He surveyed the scene, looking as distressed as the rest of the bystanders.

He wasn't involved. He was with me when this fire started
, Ella Mae told herself. Besides, what motive would Aiden have for damaging the beds or carnival tents? He and his people needed the carnival to succeed.

Luckily, most of the tents were empty. It was too early and too cold for anyone to be manning them, and the majority of the merchants, Ella Mae included, had rented booth space inside the community center. The tents lining the road were set aside for carnival games and live entertainment.

Reba slowed as she passed the Havenwood School of the Arts tent, and Ella Mae was surprised to see an unfamiliar woman was inside, pressing a wad of glossy brochures to her chest. Ella Mae assumed that the woman was an Oak Knoll transplant because both Suzy and Aunt Sissy had taken in boarders this week, and her theory was proved correct when the woman waved at Jenny and Aiden.

“It is so nice to see some familiar faces!” she called out. “Here I am, my first week in a strange town and
this
happens.” She gestured in the direction of the smoke. “Do you think the carnival will be canceled?”

“Not a chance,” Jenny said with confidence. “The people of Havenwood aren't going to let a little fire ruin the day. Just ask my boss. Cadence, this is Ella Mae LeFaye.”

Seeing the fear in Cadence's eyes, Ella Mae greeted her warmly. “The carnival will go on,” she assured her. “There might be a delay while this mess is cleaned up, but all of the morning's events take place inside the community center, so I imagine the firemen will ask everyone to make their way there.” She checked her watch. “The fashion show will be starting any minute now, and we need to run. Our booth has to be ready by the time the show is over. Stop by when you get a break and we'll serve you some coffee and cookies.”

Cadence shifted the brochures in her grasp. “It's very nice of you to offer, but I'm afraid I only drink herbal tea. Coffee isn't good for my voice and I'm hoping to get a job as the chorus teacher at your aunt's school. To do that, I need to be able to sing at the top of my form.”

You'll need to do more than that
, Ella Mae thought. She doubted this buxom, matronly woman was the Oak Knoll arsonist, but she also knew that Sissy wouldn't take any chances when it came to the safety of her pupils. “I look forward to hearing you sing. And while we don't have tea on hand, try to swing by The Charmed Pie Shoppe booth anyway. I promise that today's special treat will have you singing your sweetest songs. They're free of charge to anyone from Oak Knoll.”

“How delightful. I've been so impressed by the people of Havenwood thus far,” Cadence said, relaxing a bit. “It seems like the town was well named. Perhaps it will become a haven for us all.”

“I truly hope so,” Ella Mae said. “Jenny, you and Aiden wait here with Cadence. I'll be back in a minute.” She gave Cadence a quick smile and then caught up to Reba, who was waiting for her near the smoking beds.

It wasn't mere nosiness that propelled the two women forward, but a concern that the Oak Knoll arsonist was now targeting their town. If that was the case, they needed to know what had motivated him or her to act. And Ella Mae also wanted to make sure Hugh was unhurt.

Many of the spectators had left the area, discouraged by the smoke and the frosty air. A stream of people headed toward the community center and part of her longed to follow them, to escape the stinging in her eyes and in the back of her throat, but she had a duty as the Lady's daughter and so she stayed.

“Loralyn will have a full house for the fashion show,” she said to Reba.

Reba smirked. “One of the nail techs came into the pie shop during her break yesterday and told me all about the opening act. Loralyn's gonna strut down the catwalk in a teeny, tiny glittery silver bikini and toss out coupons for her tannin' beds. After that, she'll put on a captain's hat and show folks what to wear on their next cruise. Like all of us are settin' sail for the Bahamas next week.”

“I wish we were,” Ella Mae said wistfully. “I like the idea of sitting in the sun, sipping fruity cocktails, and reading until I fall asleep. Instead, here we are in Havenwood, sharing our streets with a murderer and an arsonist. Today started with a fire and it'll probably end in snow.” She took Reba's arm. “Maybe, in between those two events, we can be heroes. Catch some crooks, sell a bunch of pies, and restore peace and order to our town.”

“You've got some lofty goals, sugar.”

Ella Mae approached the starting line and slowed her pace when she saw the ruined beds up close. “Barkers Beauties had lofty goals too. Do you think they can still race?”

Reba ducked under the caution tape and drew alongside the animal shelter's blackened bed. “The mattress is trashed, but the frame's okay. It's not as pretty as it used to be, but those gals don't need pretty to win. They need speed and smarts.”

“And a mattress. It's part of the rules. Despite the fire, I doubt the judges will grant any dispensations. Not when the grand prize is ten thousand dollars.” Ella Mae tapped her chin. “You have an empty bed in your guest room, right?”

“It's ready and waitin' for someone from Oak Knoll. Not just any someone either. I'd like a hot guy like Aiden to darken my door. I don't want a diva songbird like Sissy's got or an old granny like Suzy has. I'm holdin' out for a hunky, silent type. A man who can light a fire in a woman's body just by—”

“Let's focus on
this
fire,” Ella Mae interjected. “From here, it definitely looks like the fire originated from the bed with the moon. I wonder if someone was targeting this team, because someone obviously went out of their way to make sure their bed was in no condition to race.”

She was scrutinizing the charred remains when Hugh strode up to her. His mask was off, but he still wore his helmet and his pants and jacket were covered with soot. He fixed her with an expression of stern disapproval, but all Ella Mae could do was smile.

“You're all right.” The words came out as a sigh of relief.

Hugh's clenched jaw relaxed a little. “I am, but you shouldn't be here. This area is hazardous.”

Reba pointed at a piece of twisted metal at her feet. “Was this from the moon bed?”

Hugh nodded. “Someone concealed an engine inside the mattress coils. Obviously, they had no idea that it was leaking fuel. It dripped onto the asphalt and pooled at the foot of the bed. Something—a cigarette butt most likely—ignited the fuel. The flames spread over the bedding and then the engine exploded. We're lucky the station is so close or this could have been much worse.”

“So you don't think the fire was set deliberately?” Ella Mae asked.

Hugh stared at her, perplexed. “What makes you ask that?”

She shrugged. “There's a big pile of money at stake.”

“Our fire investigator said there's no sign of arson,” Hugh assured her. “The guy has had limited exposure to arson cases, but we all believe it was an accident. An unfortunate one created by a bunch of lowlife cheaters, but an accident all the same.”

Another fireman called Hugh's name and he waved in response. “I know you have work to do,” Ella Mae said. “I just needed to see that you were okay. When I saw the engine blow up, it looked like the fire had swallowed you. It was really scary.” Her eyes ran over him once more. “But you're not burned at all.”

Hugh winked at her. “What can I say? My superhero powers must have been activated.” Leaning over, he gave her a quick kiss. “I'll drop by your booth later. I know we'll all have worked up a monster appetite by the time we're done here.”

“Send a few of those hungry firemen my way!” Reba shouted as he walked off.

Ella Mae took a final look at the bed Dee had so carefully crafted. The gleaming metal was mostly black, but the animals' eyes were still lit by tiny sparks of light.

“Can you take Aiden home and have him tie your spare mattress to the roof of your car?” Ella Mae asked Reba on their way back to the Havenwood School for the Arts tent. “The Barkers Beauties are going to compete in today's race. All of us—the animal shelter staff, my aunts, you, me—we need something to cheer for. These gals might be the underdogs, but they're Havenwood's underdogs. Wouldn't it be amazing if they crossed the finish line first?”