Playing with Fire by Mia Dymond Read Free Book Online Page B

wave of dread rolled over him.
Would he ever get past this? He allowed his thoughts to shift to
Liberty for a split second. She said she could help. And his nap
this afternoon proved her point.
    Encouraged, he pushed his anxiety to the side
and stood. “We need to stop by the station and get my gear.”
    “Done,” Dylan answered.
    “Alright, let’s go.” Shane herded them out
and locked the door behind, still pissed off about not finishing
that dream.
     
    Ten minutes later, Shane wiped his sweaty
palms on his jeans when they pulled up at the fire scene. The
yellow crime scene tape framed the blackened ruins of Andy’s,
labeling the area evil. The sinister flames spared nothing. Piles
of what had once been clothing lay scattered as ash from one
charred wall to another. The large cleaning vats had been reduced
to liquid metal, adhered to the cement foundation. Damn .
    His palm moved in circles on his chest. He
forced his thoughts back to Liberty in an effort to choke his
anxiety. As he replayed their conversation, her passionate, gentle
voice calmed him and gave him confidence to catch this lunatic
before someone else ended up dead.
    He eased into his jacket and crammed a helmet
on his head as he glanced at Dylan. “We clear?”
    Dylan tossed him a shovel. “Nothing left to
burn. Watch out for hot spots.”
    The three men sifted through smoldering piles
of debris in silence, searching for even the tiniest piece of
evidence. After several minutes of moving ashes, Shane tossed his
shovel to the side and squatted to brush his gloved hands over the
floor. On the second pass, his glove nudged a metal object.
    “Arson,” he said into the stillness. “Another
damn acetone can.”
    “Sonuvabitch.” Dylan wrapped it in an
evidence bag. “What’s this perp’s problem?”
    “I’ll do some checking when I get back to the
station.” Jake sounded just as defeated. “Maybe someone’s purchased
a significant amount of acetone.”
    Shane caught a glittering flash of light on
top of a pile of ash close by. He squatted and blew the dust to the
side. As he sent flakes into the air, a gold hoop earring sparkled
in the evening light. He flipped it over. Twenty four karat
gold.
    “Bag this too, Dylan.”
    Another rumble in Shane’s chest told him
panic would soon weaken him. Time to leave before Jake and Dylan
witnessed his insanity.
    “There’s plenty of daylight left,” he said as
he stood. “How about we drop this stuff at the lab and go for beer
and pizza?”
    “You’re on,” Jake and Dylan said in
unison.
    Desperate to avoid another round of sickening
memories, he headed back to the truck and slammed the door.
     
    ***
     
    “I’m glad you thought of this!” Liberty
licked gooey chocolate batter from her fingers and seriously
contemplated licking the mixing bowel clean next.
    Maddie shot her a guilty look. “Actually, I
had an ulterior motive. Dylan went for beer and pizza with Shane
and Jake.”
    Liberty glanced out the kitchen window into
the darkness. “I don’t care. I’d kill for your double-fudge
brownies.”
    “I’ll make sure Dylan gets you home safe and
sound.” Maddie opened the oven and slid another baking sheet
inside. “I promised him I’d send some brownies to the station.
Besides, baking is very soothing for the soul.” She closed the oven
door and grinned. “Especially when it’s chocolate.”
    Liberty handed her another mixing bowl. “They
don’t know how lucky they are to have you.”
    Maddie shrugged. “I just love to cook and
they love to eat. It works out great for all of us.”
    She sighed and sat on a bar stool. Apparently
Maddie found an outlet for her frustration over her failure to
conceive.
    “Have you scheduled an appointment with a
fertility specialist yet?”
    Maddie’s wooden spoon sprinted around the
bowl. “Not yet. Dylan still blames himself and to tell the truth,
I’m kinda scared to find out. It just doesn’t make sense that we
work separately but not