Montana Fire by Vella Day Read Free Book Online Page A

accelerant,
     he should get some answers.
    The warehouse owner, Ed Hanson, had shown up and, when he found out about someone
     being injured in his building, he’d freaked. From his sincere reaction, the owner
     didn’t seem like a likely suspect.
    He also mentioned again how he’d planned to tear down the building soon, but that
     his small amount of insurance wouldn’t do more than aid in clearing up the rubble.
    After Ed left the scene, Max asked Trent to look into Ed Hanson’s insurance claim
     to see if it was the paltry sum he’d claimed. Max also asked Trent to check with Thad
     about whether he’d heard any gang rumblings about the fire.
    Max needed a shower bad and headed into his bathroom. As he stood under the steaming
     water and let the warmth soothe the ache in his thigh and knees, he wondered if Jamie
     had found out anything from Jonathan Rambler.
    Max had called the hospital to check on the man’s status, but after ten minutes on
     hold, he’d given up. Tomorrow before work, he’d stop by LACE, though given the man’s
     condition, Max wouldn’t be surprised if he was still intubated. Smoke inhalation could
     be deadly.
    He rubbed his face to banish the image of the homeless man’s haunted eyes that seemed
     to have been reaching out to him, pleading for help. There was something about Jonathan
     Rambler that made him want to help the guy. Hell, maybe it was the full moon exerting
     some extra lunar force on him, or else the memory of his own family’s death by fire
     had come back to haunt him. He blinked back the remembrance, shut off the water, and
     stepped out to dry.
    The evidence told him Jonathan might have awoken only when the burning board fell
     on him, so Max doubted the guy saw or knew anything. Still, Max had to check.
    A flickering memory of his wife reappeared. She was pointing to something high on
     a shelf. It had been too long since he’d had to retrieve something for anyone, lift
     a heavy suitcase, or unscrew the lid off a jar because it was on too tight. He missed
     doing that for someone. Then the memory disappeared, and try as he might, he couldn’t
     bring it back. Every family photo had burned in the fire, and the wonderful times
     they’d shared were disappearing one by one as the years rolled on.
    Move on, man .
    He had. Sort of. The only thing he could never put behind him was that if he hadn’t
     been a cop, his family would still be alive. That guilt would never wash away.
    Max stepped into his bedroom and dressed. He forced his mind back to the crime scene
     to make sure he hadn’t missed some clue today. As he sorted through the facts again,
     something about Jamie showing up didn’t sit right with him. Was it all about helping
     her friend? Or did she know more than she was saying? If she’d heard scuttlebutt from
     the locals about wanting the eyesore gone, why not tell him? Had she thought the attempted
     clinic break-in was related to the warehouse fire, and she feared some kind of retribution?
     There could be a connection, but hell, if he knew what it was.
    Max strode toward the kitchen for some food. With renewed energy from the shower,
     he yanked open the refrigerator. Empty. Crap. Guess he’d forgotten to shop. He shouldn’t
     be surprised. Ever since his recent promotion, his life had been hell, and the coming
     month didn’t promise a respite either. He sure as hell wasn’t looking forward to sorting
     out the issues left to him. The amount of liquor licenses alone that had never been
     renewed was daunting.
    With keys in hand, Max jumped in his car. He ate at Italiano’s almost every night
     because he liked to go back to the office after dinner and work. No reason not to
     grab a bite there now. It was a place where he could think, in part because the staff
     knew to take his order and leave him alone.
    As soon as he stepped inside the familiar restaurant, a bit of tension eased out of
     him. He slipped into his usual table next to the