Tender Is The Night (27 page)

"Emma told me it wasn't allowed."

"You were fast to tell Annie that we were in a relationship."

"Just trying to do my part," he said with a smile.

"Well, my dad already guessed that I'm working with you."

"Will he tell your mother?"

"Eventually, but I asked him to wait a couple of days. So you still have to be my fake boyfriend for a while longer."

He heaved a mock sigh. "I guess if I have to, I have to."

She punched him in the arm. "It's not that bad."

"How would you know?"

"Because I'm a catch."

He laughed. "You are that, Kate. Just promise me one thing…you'll tell your mother the truth before she starts planning our wedding."

"I promise. But she'll be disappointed. She already likes you."

"She doesn't know me."

"She has a good instinct about people. Her gut is never wrong."

"Well, I like her, too. She stood up for us to your uncle, and he's not an easy man to confront. I like your family, Kate." He waved his hand toward the clusters of family members talking and laughing together. "You're lucky to have so many people in your life who love you. Don't ever take that for granted. Don't let the job become your whole life. It's easy to do—but this—this is what's really important."

She nodded, thinking that it wasn't only the people surrounding her who were important; it was also the man in front of her.

Nineteen

They got back to Devin's apartment around three and immediately dug back into the fire data, going through each historical structure fire in as much detail as they could. They were trying to find any small patterns that they could tie together, any detail that would help them narrow down the list of potential targets, which was next on the
To-Do
list.

At six, they stopped long enough to make some eggs for dinner and then got back on to their computers. It was after nine when Kate's eyes started to blur.

She sat back in her seat at the kitchen table and looked over her computer at Devin. He was still focused on whatever file he was reading, and she was once again impressed with his concentration. Tonight she saw the Devin who had made an excellent FBI agent.

He looked up and met her gaze. "Are you done?"

"I don't know about done, but I am tired. We've narrowed down the list to six structures, four of which have an obvious tie to Gerilyn Connors's firm. The fifth one was owned by a former St. Bernadette's teacher; I don't quite know what to make of that. The sixth one is down the street from where Marty Price lives, but we haven't really talked about Marty lately."

"I know. He's fallen lower on the list."

"He was at several crime scenes," Kate reminded Devin. "He also wanted to be a firefighter but couldn't get into the academy. But he's three years younger than Baines and Jenkins, and he did not go to school at St. Bernadette's."

"My gut is leaning away from Price. I don't think he's smart enough to pull all this off. I also don't see a motive nor a connection to Baines or any of the structures, except that he was at a couple of fires."

"I agree. The fire pattern is too precise. This person is acting in a very deliberate manner. They're not just setting fires; they're following a specific plan, and I think it's all tied to anger, resentment, and revenge. It feels emotional to me."

"I want to talk to Gerilyn tomorrow," Devin said. "If we go to her office and catch her away from Brad, we may get additional information. We can also talk to Eileen. She might be willing to provide more insight on Gerilyn and Brad's renewed relationship."

She nodded. "The big problem with Brad is that he also doesn't tie to Rick Baines in any way, which makes it harder to connect him to the fire at St. Bernadette's." With a sigh, she added, "I feel like we're going around in circles."

He gave her a faint smile. "I've been doing that so long I live in a perpetual state of dizziness. Looking away from Brad for a minute, I think I've found a phone number and address for Kristina Strem, one of the females in Baines's yearbook."

"Well, that's exciting." She sat up straighter. "Way to bury the lead, Devin. Why didn't you say that before?"

He laughed. "I just pulled it up. She lives in San Jose."

"So, in the area…that's good. Let's give her a call."

"Why don't you do the honors, Special Agent Callaway?"

"Happy to."

She dialed the number he gave her, then put the phone on speaker. A moment later, a female voice came over the line.

"Is this Kristina Strem?" she asked.

"Yes. Who's this?"

"I'm Special Agent Kate Callaway with the FBI. We're investigating a fire that killed one of your former classmates last year—Rick Baines."

There was silence for a moment, and then the woman said, "I heard about that on the news, but I don't know why you're calling me. I don't know anything about the fire."

"But you did know Rick?"

"I went to school with him for a few years," Kristina said. "I thought that Rick was the one who set the fire, and he died, so what are you investigating?"

"We're just reviewing the case," she said, being deliberately vague. "Did you see Rick after high school, perhaps in the last few years?"

"I saw him once or twice when I was out with my friends. But that was like two years ago now. That was pretty much it."

"Was that at a bar called Rebel, Rebel?"

"Yes, I think it was. We went there a couple of times."

She was happy to hear that they could tie Kristina to the bar. "Were you with other friends from St. Bernadette's?"

"I don't really remember. Maybe."

"Do you know if Rick stayed in touch with anyone else from St. Bernadette's?"

"Alan Jenkins talked to him a lot. Rick worked at the gym where Alan used to go. But Alan moved down south last year."

"So you're friends with Alan?"

"Yes, but we haven't seen each other since he moved."

"Did you ever see Alan and Rick at the bar together?"

"Yes, they were both there one night."

"Do you have Alan's number?"

"I think so, unless he changed it when he moved."

"Can you text it to me?"

"All right. Hang on."

Kate waited a moment, happy to see a text come through a second later with a phone number, but it was the same one she had gotten from the gym, the one Alan wasn’t answering. Putting that aside, she said, "Who else was close to Rick during high school? Did he have a girlfriend?"

"No, he was shy and nerdy," Kristina said. "But there was a group of us who hung out together. It was me, Rick, Alan, Lindsay, Julie and Michael."

Kate was thrilled to have someone finally give them a list of people who knew Baines. "Do you keep in touch with any of them?"

"Julie is here in the city. She works at the Delaney Street Bakery. Michael moved to New York. I haven't seen Lindsay in years. She went away to college in Chicago, and I don't know if she ever came back." Kristina paused. "Why are you calling me anyway?"

"We saw a photo of you with Rick in the high school yearbook."

"And why is that important?"

"There was a fire at St. Bernadette's last week. In investigating that fire, we became aware that Rick went to school there."

"If Rick is dead, then you think someone else from St. Bernadette's set that fire and maybe the others? Is that what you're saying?"

"It's a possibility."

"I can't imagine who would do what you're talking about except Rick. He was really into fire. He always wanted to be a firefighter. He talked incessantly about it in high school. I think his grandfather or someone was a firefighter."

"I didn't know that," she said, seeing Devin type something on his computer. He was probably looking up Baines's family.

"Yeah, he was obsessed with getting into the academy," Kristina continued. "That's how he and Alan became friends. Rick started working out all the time, and Alan was a jock; he was always in the gym. Once Rick got into weights, he got obsessed with that, too. When the firefighting thing didn't work out, he got a job at a fitness center, so I guess it worked out."

What Kristina said made a lot of sense and definitely provided a connection between Baines and Jenkins. "Did Alan ever express the same interest in fire that Rick did?"

"I don't think so. There was a fire at the school when we were there. It was set in a trash can. We joked that Rick probably did it just so he could practice putting it out. But Rick always said he didn't do it. I don't know if he was lying or if one of our other classmates was into fire. It's not something I would have ever asked anyone."

"I understand. Would you mind giving me the last names of the people you mentioned were in your group and any phone numbers or addresses that you have?"

"Sure, I can text them to you later. I have to go out right now."

"As soon as possible would be great. We really appreciate your cooperation."

"I hope that no one I know was involved with Rick's death," Kristina said. "You've kind of freaked me out a little about Alan."

"Is there some reason you think Alan could be involved?"

"Well, I didn't until you called. It's just now that I'm thinking about it, Alan was super upset about Rick's death. He even went to the scene. I saw him a few days after the fire, and he was really shaken up by it. But that would probably mean he didn't have anything to do with it, right?"

She thought it was interesting that Alan had gone to the fire scene. Who did that? Only someone who had either a morbid fascination with the scene of a friend's death or someone who wanted to see that burned-out structure and admire his handwork. But she wasn't going to say any of that to Kristina. "Thanks for your help," she said. "I'll look forward to getting the information from you."

"All right."

Kate ended the call and looked at Devin. "Interesting that Alan went to the scene."

"It is. I just wish he'd call us back. I also wish he hadn't moved, because that makes him less of a suspect."

"I have kind of a crazy thought."

"What's that?"

"What if Alan didn't move? If he isn't in San Diego?"

Devin met her gaze. "Why would you suggest that? It seems to be a story we've heard from more than one person."

"Could it be a cover? Is it possible Alan wants everyone to think he's out of town when he's not?"

"It's a big stretch, Kate."

"Maybe, but Alan was the closest person to Rick in the months before Rick's death. If Rick was talking to anyone, it was probably Alan."

"I'm not going to rule anything out, but that theory is not at the top of my list."

"Okay. It was just a thought. What about Baines's grandfather? Was he in the fire department?"

"Not that I've seen."

"Rick could have made it up. He might not have even known what his grandparents really did. It doesn't sound like he spent much time with them." She let out a sigh and rolled her head around on her shoulders. Her neck muscles were aching. "I've been sitting in this chair too long. I'm going to take a break."

He gave her a vague nod, his attention back on something on his computer. She walked over to the couch and sat down, enjoying the soft leather and the comfortable cushions. It was a nice change from the hard-backed straight chair she'd spent the day in. She flipped on the television, lowering the sound so as not to disturb Devin.

"You can turn it up," he said a moment later. "It won't bother me."

"I feel guilty that you're still working. What are you doing?"

"Just going over stuff. Don't feel guilty."

"Okay, I won't."

He laughed. "That was easy."

She turned up the sound a few notches, still keeping it low. She went through the channels, happily settling on an old James Bond movie. She was already engrossed in the film when Devin sat down next to her a half hour later.

"So it's Bond that has you riveted," he teased. "I should have figured you'd like the handsome spy type."

"How could I not? If only I worked with a few more people who actually looked like James Bond."

"Hey, I'm sitting right here."

She laughed. "You do think highly of yourself. But you're not an agent anymore."

"True."

"Are you a Bond fan?"

"I've seen a few movies," he admitted. "Are you watching for the action or the sexy guy?"

"Both. You know me. I like action and sexy men."

He grinned back at her. "And I like action and sexy women, especially hot blondes with big blue eyes, which I now realize come from your Callaway gene pool. You look like your grandmother, Kate."

"I'll take that as a big compliment. I'm glad you got to meet her and that she was able to talk to you."

"She was sweet. I don't think she knew who I was or why I was there, but she was welcoming."

"We've been really close over the years. She has a ton of grandkids, but she always makes time for everyone. The only thing I wish I'd done was go to Ireland with her. She went when I was in high school, and took some of my cousins, but I had some stupid reason for saying no. That's my one regret. Someday I want to go to where she was born and see the land she's talked about for so long."

"You'll get there."

"I will," she said. "When I set my mind to something…"

He laughed. "I know; there's no stopping you. I learned that the first day we met when I tried to send you away."

"And I'm still here."

His eyes darkened. "I'm glad you're here, Kate, and not just because you're helping me on the case."

Her stomach fluttered. "I'm glad I'm here, too."

As the action on the television got louder, she turned her attention back to the screen. "This is my favorite part."

He put his arm around her. "A girl who likes chase scenes. I can't believe it."

"What's not to like about a good chase?" she asked in bemusement. "Speed, danger, thrills…"

"Agreed. It has it all."

She snuggled up next to him, happy to be doing something normal for a change. As Bond raced through the streets of London, she put her head on Devin's shoulder. A short while later, Devin pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and covered them both with it. She felt warm and happy but also really tired. Even in the middle of the action, her eyes began to drift closed, and it was getting more and more difficult to stay awake.