Arson in Cherry Hills Read online

  Kat smiled. “I’d like to put five on pump three, please.”

  The clerk took the five-dollar bill Kat held out. “Got it.”

  Kat leaned against the counter, hoping she appeared sufficiently casual. “So . . .” She peered at the clerk’s name tag. “. . . Gina, did you hear about that fire this morning?”

  Gina bobbed her head while punching a couple buttons on the register and slapping Kat’s money inside. She didn’t look very interested in chatting. Still, Kat pushed on.

  “Could you see it from here?” Kat asked, glancing out the glass storefront.

  “Probably.”

  “You didn’t look?”

  Gina slammed the register shut and lifted one shoulder. “I wasn’t working when it happened.”

  Kat felt a flash of recognition as she took in Gina’s slightly slouched posture and the way she kept fingering the barrette in her hair. “Were you there this morning?”

  “Was I where?” Gina asked.

  “On the street outside the Jeffersons’ house. You look familiar to me.”

  “Oh, yeah. All the neighbors were out there.”

  “You live next to them?”

  “Two doors down,” Gina replied.

  “On the other side of the blue house?”

  “Yep.”

  Kat perked up. Perhaps this visit would turn out to be even more fruitful than she had hoped. “You didn’t happen to notice any unusual activity before the fire started, did you?”

  Gina shook her head. “I didn’t even know about the fire until my mom ran out of the house.”

  “You live with your mom?”

  Gina offered her a terse nod.

  Gina’s mother must have been the woman Kat saw whispering in her ear. “Did your mom mention seeing anything strange this morning?”

  “No.”

  Deciding she wasn’t going to get any useful information about suspicious neighborhood activity out of Gina, Kat turned to her original reason for stopping by the Fuel ’Er Up. “Did you notice anyone buying gas at one of the pumps recently?”

  “Well, yeah.” Gina folded her arms across her chest and gave Kat a funny look. “People buy gas here all the time.”

  “I meant if they pumped it into something other than a car.”

  “You mean like a gas can?”

  “Right.”

  Gina tilted her head. “Like when?”

  “Maybe sometime in the past week?” Kat proposed.

  Gina worked her jaw as she stared at a cooler filled with single-serve beverages. “Yeah, now that you mention it, I remember seeing Mr. J recently. Mr. Jefferson, I mean.”

  “Mr. Jefferson.” Kat’s heart rate sped up. “Walker Jefferson?” So perhaps the brother was in town after all.

  “Walker?” Gina scrunched up her nose. “I don’t think that’s right.”

  “You’re talking about Kevin Jefferson?”

  Gina bobbed her head. “Yeah, that’s his name.”

  Kat’s spirits deflated. If Kevin Jefferson had been the one to buy that gas, following the accelerant’s purchase history was a dead end. Anyone could have found his gas can in the garage and used it for their own nefarious purposes.

  “Did Kevin say why he needed gas?” Kat asked.

  Gina blinked. “I didn’t, like, talk to him.” She made it sound as though Kat had accused her of swinging from the rafters while belting out Christmas tunes.

  “I thought maybe he said something when he came in to pay,” Kat replied.

  “He didn’t come in.” Gina jerked her arm toward the glass storefront. “Most people use the credit card reader at the pump.”

  “Right.” Kat should have guessed. She usually used the card reader herself. “You saw him filling up though, right? Did it seem odd to you that Kevin Jefferson needed a container full of gasoline?”

  “I didn’t think much about it. I just figured he had to power his lawnmower or something.”

  “Oh, that makes sense.” Kat wondered why she hadn’t considered it herself. Probably because as someone who had only lived in apartments for the past fifteen years, she had never needed to worry about maintaining a lawn.

  Gina fiddled with her barrette, pulling it out to capture a loose lock of hair before snapping it back in place. It took her several tries before the clasp caught. “So, like, are you done with the twenty questions? I have to do inventory.”

  Kat took a step backward. “Yes. Thank you for your time.”

  Gina didn’t respond. Instead, she turned her back and started thumbing through the cigarette packs hanging on a display board behind the counter.

  Kat sighed, resigning herself to leaving no more knowledgeable than she’d arrived. But then her eyes alighted on the give-a-penny-take-a-penny tray near the register, and next to that another tray filled with matchbooks.

  Plain white matchbooks that looked just like the one Lonnie had recovered from the Jeffersons’ house.

  Her heart skipped a beat. She glanced at Gina’s back before swiping one of the matchbooks out of the tray. She flipped it over in case something was printed on the back, but pure whiteness shimmered back at her.

  “Gina,” she said.

  Gina spun around. “Yeah?”

  Kat held up the matchbook. “I’d like to buy one of these.”

  “They’re free.”

  “Oh.” When Gina started to turn away again, Kat hastened to add, “Did you notice anyone taking one of these recently?”

  “People take those all the time. That’s why they’re there.”

  Gina’s exasperated tone made it clear Kat had overstayed her welcome. She offered Gina a bright smile. “All right. Thanks for your help.”

  Gina turned around again, but not before Kat caught the beginning of an eye roll.

  Kat exited the store, her mind churning. Since Kevin Jefferson hadn’t come inside when he’d stopped here the other day, he couldn’t have grabbed one of the matchbooks on his way out. Did that mean the arsonist had personally been inside the Fuel ’Er Up at some point? She didn’t know, but she was certainly going to mention the possibility to Andrew.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Kat inquired about suspicious characters at a few other gas stations close to the Jeffersons’ neighborhood, but none of them provided her with any useful information. Her working theory right now was that the arsonist had purchased cigarettes but not gas from the Fuel ’Er Up and swiped a matchbook on his or her way out. After that, she was fuzzy. Had the guilty party known that Kevin Jefferson kept a canister of gas around to fuel his lawnmower and broken in with the intent to use it, or had the fire been mostly unplanned? Someone could have forced their way inside the Jeffersons’ for another reason—to trash the house, perhaps—and upon spotting the gas can, figured a fire would leave behind a much more powerful message.

  And, assuming Walker Jefferson was the person behind all this, that scenario struck her as very possible.

  Matty was waiting by the front door when Kat let herself into her apartment.

  “Don’t tell me you want to go on another walk,” Kat said, squeezing past the tortoiseshell and shutting the door before Matty could slip into the corridor.

  Matty sniffed at the door crack, her answer clear.

  “And here I thought you’d be put off after stepping in that gum.” Kat snorted. “I should have known better.”

  Tom meowed as he ran over to join them. He head-bumped Kat’s leg, then sprawled onto his side.

  She reached down to scratch his stomach. “You want to come to the Cherry Hills Hotel with Matty and me?”

  Tom dragged his cheek against her fingers.

  “It will mean getting into a carrier and going on a car ride,” she warned, knowing how much he despised both things. “No, I better just stick with Matty. Besides, she’s already established a rapport with the Jefferson kids.”

  Tom seemed satisfied with her decision. A rumbling purr started up from his chest.

  Since Matty also didn’t appreci
ate being confined to a cat carrier, Kat strapped her back into the harness. Unlike Tom, Matty didn’t mind the contraption. She seemed to understand it was the trade-off for receiving outside privileges.

  During the drive to the hotel, Matty kept her nose glued to the passenger window. Every now and then she’d issue a panicked meow, as though to alert her human to the fact that there were other vehicles on the road. Kat rewarded her vigilance with a pat whenever she braked for a stop sign or red light.

  Although the Cherry Hills Hotel allowed pets, Matty still raised several eyebrows when she padded through the automatic doors leading into the lobby. Kat figured most people were used to seeing dogs, not cats, walking at the end of leashes. But Matty didn’t seem to mind the stares. She never had been one to trouble herself over the opinions of humans.

  “Kat!”

  Kat did a double take when she spotted Andrew strolling toward her. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  He gave her a hug, his smile bringing out both dimples. “I came to pick Alyssa up for dinner.”

  “Oh, right.” Kat had forgotten all about Andrew’s dinner date with his long-lost sister. After everything that had happened since this morning, it seemed as if their conversation had taken place light-years ago.

  Andrew drew back, but he left his hands on her arms. “What about you? What brings you here?”

  “I’m taking Matty to see the Jefferson kids.”

  Andrew looked down at Matty. The feline was busily licking one section of the floor as though she had found something truly delicious embedded in the grout between the tiles. Kat started to tug her away, then decided Matty’s impromptu snack couldn’t be any more harmful than chewing gum.

  Kat eased out of Andrew’s grasp and surveyed the lobby. “So, where is the mysterious Alyssa?”

  He nodded toward the check-in counter. “She’s arranging to have extra pillows sent up to her room.”

  Kat’s eyes locked on to the tall, redheaded woman talking to the desk clerk. In a floaty green dress and high-heeled shoes, she looked every bit as gorgeous as Andrew was handsome.

  Alyssa laughed at something the clerk said, grabbed something off the counter, and headed in their direction. As she came closer, Kat could see a slight resemblance to Andrew in the curve of her mouth and her twin dimples. Both siblings engaged their entire face when they smiled.

  “Hiya,” Alyssa said, her green eyes as bright as Matty’s when the cat spotted a bird. She had to be at least ten years younger than Andrew. “You must be Andrew’s girlfriend.”

  “Yes, I’m Kat.” Kat shifted Matty’s leash to her left hand so she could extend her right in greeting. “You’re Alyssa, right?”

  “Guilty as charged.”

  Alyssa slipped something into her green-sequined purse before reaching out to shake hands. But Kat barely felt the pressure of Alyssa’s fingers against hers. Blood had started roaring through her ears as soon as her brain had registered what Alyssa had tucked away.

  “Was that a matchbook?” Kat asked, her voice sounding as though it were coming from far away.

  Alyssa held her purse open in invitation. “You need one?”

  Swallowing hard, Kat somehow managed to nod.

  Alyssa fished the matchbook out in what felt like slow motion. By the time Kat took it from her, her palms were clammy.

  She turned the matchbook over in her hands, trying to find something to separate this book from the one Lonnie had recovered from the Jeffersons’ house. There was nothing.

  “You can keep that,” Alyssa said. “I can get another one.”

  Kat tore her eyes away from the matchbook. “You can?”

  “Sure.” Alyssa nodded toward the clerk, who was gazing at her with an adoring expression. “They have them back there. You just need to ask.”

  “Oh.” Kat could have kicked herself. She probably should have guessed more places than the Fuel ’Er Up would have generic white matchbooks available for patrons.

  Which made it all the less likely that Lonnie’s find would amount to anything.

  Alyssa began rummaging through her purse. “I might even have a spare somewhere in here.” But instead of another matchbook, she pulled out a pack of gum. She stuffed a piece into her mouth, then extended the package toward Kat and Andrew. “Would you like one?”

  Andrew shook his head. “None for me, thanks.”

  A slow, steady throb started up in Kat’s temples. The gum in Alyssa’s hand was purple, just like the gum Matty had stepped in on the other side of the Jeffersons’ property line.

  Alyssa shook the package. “It’s good. Berry Blast.”

  Kat forced a smile. “Yes, I would like a piece. Thank you.”

  Her heart felt as if it might explode out of her chest as she concentrated on pulling a stick of gum out of the package with sweaty, shaky fingers. She hoped Alyssa didn’t notice when she failed to unwrap it.

  Andrew coughed. “So, Alyssa, you ready to go?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.” Alyssa flashed Kat a brilliant smile. “It was nice meeting you.” She waggled her fingers at Matty. “Bye, cute kitty.” Then she headed toward the hotel exit.

  Andrew, on the other hand, didn’t budge. “Alyssa, could you wait for me outside? I need to talk to Kat about something.”

  “Yeah, sure. I have to make a call anyway.”

  Andrew waited until the automatic doors closed behind Alyssa before pivoting toward Kat. His face was grim, his dimples nowhere in sight now.

  “Okay, you’re up to something,” he said, his voice low as he eyed Kat down the bridge of his nose. “What is it?”

  She did her best to look innocent. “Nothing.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You’re not fooling me, but I don’t have time to drag it out of you at the moment. So either you spill what’s on your mind now or wait and tell me when I come by tonight, but I’m going to get it out of you one way or another.”

  Kat relented, figuring there was no point in hiding her suspicions from him. Besides, he should know if he was about to dine with a possible felon.

  She dipped her head toward him and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Matty stepped in some purple gum behind the hedge lining the Jeffersons’ property.”

  “And you think Alyssa left it there.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “I’m not sure.” Kat fingered the stick of gum Alyssa had given her, as though it could tell her something. “But it seems awfully coincidental, don’t you think?”

  Andrew looked less than appreciative of the potential lead. “You’re really reaching, you know that?”

  “She had that matchbook too,” Kat pointed out.

  “Which she told you the hotel gives out like candy.”

  Kat sighed. “Look, I’m not accusing her of anything, but you asked what was on my mind, so I’m telling you.”

  Andrew’s jaw tightened. He watched Matty as the cat stalked a piece of lint blowing across the floor, but even the tortoiseshell’s playfulness didn’t seem to lighten his mood.

  “We’ll discuss this when I come by later,” he finally said, his tone gruff. “But until then I want you to ask yourself what motive Alyssa would have for setting the Jeffersons’ house on fire.”

  “You’re the better person to answer that than me,” Kat said. “I don’t even know her.”

  He held her gaze. “Exactly.”

  Kat felt every muscle in her body tense. “I’m not saying she did it. I’m just saying it’s an option to explore.”

  “Understood.” Then, before she could say anything else, Andrew spun on his heel and stormed out of the hotel.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Regret plagued Kat as she and Matty took the elevator up to the Jeffersons’ hotel room. Why had she made it sound as though she suspected Alyssa of starting that fire? She didn’t, not really. Like Andrew had said, what would be her motive? So what if she’d had a plain white matchbook and some gum in her purse? So did thousands of other people. It didn’t mean anyt
hing.

  The elevator dinged. Kat stepped into the hallway and pushed the conversation with Andrew out of her mind. She could apologize when he stopped by later. Until then, there was no point in dwelling on it. She needed to stay focused on her goal for this visit: to learn whether Kevin Jefferson thought his brother Walker was capable of arson.

  Since Matty didn’t seem to be in any hurry to locate room 220, Kat picked her up and carried her. She could hear voices behind the door when she knocked. Matty must have heard them, too. She glanced warily at Kat, as though to ask her human what she was getting them into now. Looking at her dubious little face, Kat was overcome by a surge of affection. She still found it hard to believe Matty had only been a part of her life since this past summer. How had she ever managed without her?

  Nikki Jefferson swung the door open. “You made it.” She reached over and gave Matty a scratch. “Hello, sweet kitty.”

  “Kitty?” Timothy wedged himself underneath his mother’s arm. Upon spotting Matty, a lopsided grin spread across his face, and he skimmed Matty’s fur with his small fingers. “Can I play with her?” he asked Nikki.

  “Say hi to Kat first,” Nikki instructed.

  Timothy leaned close to Matty’s face. “Hi, cat.”

  Kat laughed. “Close enough. Let me get her inside, and I’ll take off her leash. But I have to warn you, Tim, she’s had a long day. I’m not sure she has much energy for games.”

  “That’s okay. She can watch me and Carmella play. I’m kicking her butt at Go Fish.”

  Kat admired the Jeffersons’ accommodations as she stepped inside. Decorated in a beige and cream color scheme, this was no ordinary hotel room. A spacious living area spread out before her, fully furnished with a sectional sofa, loveseat, and six wingback chairs, all arranged in a semicircle around a beautiful gas fireplace and a wide-screen television. The hardwood floor had what looked to be an Oriental rug spread across its center, although Kat guessed it was most likely a fake. A glass-topped coffee table sat in the middle of the rug, playing cards covering a good part of its surface. A dining table big enough to seat eight occupied the far end of the room. Beyond that, a sliding glass door led to a balcony as large as Kat’s apartment.