Fire Storm Read online

  Ramirez swallowed his mouthful of cookie and brushed some non-existent crumbs from his lips. The action drew Dana’s attention to his hands. He had the most perfectly manicured nails she had ever seen on a police officer. In fact, he was impeccably groomed, which was a little off-putting. His short dark hair was flawless. The same could be said for his pressed white shirt, which had to be hard to maintain, especially if he had to chase a suspect. “The ME has given us an estimated time of death. He thinks North died between five and midnight yesterday evening,”

  Dana straightened away from her computer. “Did you question the protesters at the gate? They might’ve seen someone or…”

  Ramirez raised an eyebrow “Or what?”

  “If the killer was a local, they would know about the back roads,” Dana explained.

  Ramirez took his notebook out of his pocket. “What back roads?”

  “There’s a maze of trails that lead into the forest. Some of them pass the base of the mountain.”

  Booley left his small cubicle office and joined the detective at her desk. “He was shot with the handgun.”

  It was a statement not a question, but Ramirez answered him anyway. “We’ll have to wait for the ME’s report, but I don’t think that’s what killed him.”

  Booley’s face flushed. “What do you mean?”

  “Not enough blood,” Dana answered and then cursed herself. Booley wasn’t the type of boss who appreciated his underlings having more experience than him.

  “That’s right.” Ramirez smiled at her. “You’d make a good detective.”

  She went back to typing on the computer and tried to ignore them, which was impossible considering they were camped at her desk.

  “So what killed him?” Booley demanded.

  Ramirez stood and made his way past the front counter, headed for the door. “I don’t know. The ME’s hoping to get back to me in a couple of days. I’ll let you know as soon as it comes in.” He reached the exit, stopped, and turned to stare directly at the chief. “I’ll have one of my people come by and collect exclusion prints from you, the mayor, and his wife. Don’t give them a hard time.”

  Booley nodded. “I won’t.”

  Dana suspected the detective wanted to say more. She would have if she’d been handed a willfully contaminated crime scene.

  “Did you know the gun didn’t kill him?” Booley challenged the moment Ramirez was gone.

  Dana shrugged. “It occurred to me, but you can never draw conclusions. You have to let the techs do their thing and then work with what they find.”

  Booley paced to his office at the front of the building. His hand jerked to the doorknob and then dropped to his side. He stood there for a moment as if thinking, but then entered, slamming the door after him.

  Dana relaxed into her chair. She’d heard about this position from friends of her parents who still lived in town. She had taken a demotion and a pay cut to secure the job. Her grandmother’s house had sat empty since her death a year ago. It was the perfect opportunity for a fresh start and a new beginning for her son, Logan. The police chief hadn’t wanted to hire a woman, especially one who was a trained detective. It was the town council who had insisted on her appointment.

  Booley wrenched open his door and marched back to her. Color had risen high on his cheeks. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “What? About the bullet holes?” What did the circumstances of Ben’s homicide matter? The man was dead, and the facts were the facts.

  “Booley?” Victoria Anderson, a retired schoolteacher and member of the town council, stood at the front desk with Joe Freeman by her side.

  Mrs. Anderson’s short, white, wavy hair coupled with her horn-rimmed glasses and stern expression reinforced her authority as a retired schoolteacher. She was both feared and respected. Dana had seen grown men bow to her wishes because they’d learned to fear her as small children and they were still scared of her today.

  Joe, on the other hand, had a slow, easy smile. It was rumored he’d only left Montana once, and that was a trip to New York City. To mark that life-altering trip, he always wore a Yankees baseball cap. It was threadbare with age, but he refused to go anywhere without it. He was the town postmaster. Recent cutbacks meant the post office was only open part-time. Joe seemed to take the slower pace in stride. He claimed working fewer hours suited his advanced years.

  Dana was grateful for the interruption. She seemed to spend all her time holding her temper when what she wanted to do was let fly and tell Booley to shut up. The man was a nightmare of clichés. He was a rude, chauvinistic, and a poorly trained policeman who showed no interest in upgrading his skills. Rumor was that he’d tried to hire his family for positions within the police department, but the town council had stopped him.

  Booley stared at Victoria and Joe, then smiled and strode toward the counter. The way he walked reminded Dana of a snake slithering along the ground. “What can I do for you?”

  “I’m going to be putting up posters for the community fair around town, and I don’t want you quoting regulations about posters on lampposts,” Victoria said.

  “Well, don’t paste them to the lampposts, or I’ll give you a ticket.”

  The mayor, Paul Harris, entered the building while Booley dealt with Victoria and Joe. He nodded to her and then proceeded to Booley’s office as if he owned the place.

  Good. Harris was probably here to talk about everything that had happened this morning, which meant the chief would be tied up for a while.

  She’d thought being a small-town cop would be a good match for her, but after two months, she had her doubts. Not just about her boss and the integrity of the Hopefalls Police Department, but also about her ability to do the job. She was damaged, a shadow of her former self, and she didn’t know if she would ever be whole again.

  Dana continued typing, hoping to complete her report soon so she could go back on patrol and escape Booley.

  She had just finished when Logan slammed through the door and ran around the reception desk.

  She stood and met her son at the counter. “What happened? Why aren’t you in school?”

  “Mom, we were charged by a bear. Tim sprayed it so we could get away.” A slim, dark-haired man followed Logan into the station. She was five feet eleven inches, and the man was at least a head taller than her. She estimated him to be at least six-foot-six.

  He moved in the fluid, muscular way of an athlete and had the hard-eyed look of a fighter. His build was deceptive. He seemed thin, but that was just because he was so tall. The well-toned pectoral muscles of his shoulders along with his biceps told her he worked out regularly and was fit and strong. She’d wrestled a lot of drunks in her time on the force and knew how to size a man up. In her estimation, it would take three or four policemen to take him down.

  “Thanks for saving…” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Staring into his hazel – green eyes was like being punched in the gut. He was handsome in a rugged way. The weathered skin around his mouth and eyes was etched with deep lines. His hair had grayed at the temples, making him appear distinguished. Everything about him seemed masculine. It was as if he oozed testosterone.

  Booley emerged from his office and approached the stranger. “Officer Hayden, I’d like you to meet Tim Morgan.”

  The air whooshed out of her lungs. This was the man who’d killed Aunt Alice. How could he be so devastatingly handsome, so attractive? The man who was responsible for shattering her family should be an ogre, someone who looked as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside.

  Morgan blinked. His face was slightly red as if he had a mild case of sunburn, and the whites of his eyes were pink. His hands were fisted at his sides, but otherwise he showed no reaction to Booley’s introduction.

  “I’m here to inform you there’s a grizzly with cubs in the area of Wind Valley and Molly’s Mountain.” Morgan stood to attention and stared straight ahead while he made his announcement. The contained way he held himse
lf was unnerving. His physical power was obvious, but she sensed he was a man of determination and control, which was unexpected, considering his past.

  “Is that right?” Booley said as he moved to stand next to Morgan.

  Morgan didn’t acknowledge Booley and didn’t react. He didn’t even blink.

  “Timothy Morgan, I’m arresting you for the murder of Ben North.” Booley grabbed Tim’s hand and wrenched it behind his back.

  Morgan spun around so he was facing the chief, his hands no longer in the chief’s grasp. “Ben’s dead?”

  Booley’s fist connected with Morgan’s face. “You killed him over that fancy Colt revolver he purchased with Jack.”

  The force of the jab knocked Morgan off balance so he fell against the front desk.

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know. I’d bet my last dollar you had something to do with it.” Booley punched Morgan’s face again.

  Morgan grunted as he absorbed the blow but didn’t try to defend himself.

  Xavier entered the building and took in the scene. He pulled his gun. “Do not resist arrest.”

  Xavier’s words and the fact he’d drawn his weapon propelled Dana in to action. She pushed Logan behind her. “Everyone stop,” she shouted, making sure she put power behind her words. Booley had overreacted. They had no reason to arrest Morgan. No probable cause, no arrest warrant, nothing. They needed to question him, certainly, but the chief had no reason to use force.

  Morgan straightened, squaring his shoulders. His rage-filled eyes glittered as he allowed Booley to cuff him.

  Dana stepped forward. “Mr. Morgan, we are assisting the Granite City-Elkhead County Police Department with their investigation in to the homicide of Ben North, and we need to question you about your movements yesterday.”

  She’d always been honest and liked to think she was fair. It was that impartiality that made her such a good detective. From what she could gather, Morgan had saved her son from a bear, and the least she could do was prevent him from being beaten. But if he had killed North, she would make sure he was prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

  Morgan’s red-rimmed eyes blinked. He tilted his head to one side. “Question me or beat the crap out of me?” He turned to glare at Booley and then slanted his gaze back to her. “And why the hell would I kill Ben? I haven’t seen him in years.”

  “Have you had any contact with him?” Booley asked. The chief seemed to have lost all control when it came to Morgan and had decided to question him here in the open where anyone could walk in off the street.

  Dana stood with her hands on her hips. “Sir, I think you should interview him in private, and I don’t want anyone to touch him.”

  Booley was used to laying down the law in his own way, but this was different. She wanted everything done by the book so charges would stick. “We’re not talking about vandalism, graffiti, or a traffic stop. This is a homicide investigation. There is no way I’m going to let a murderer escape justice by claiming we infringed on his rights. I don’t want some lawyer saying we didn’t adhere to the proper procedure.”

  Morgan scowled at her and then snarled, “Give me my phone call. I want a lawyer.”

  Chapter Six

  Tim sat in the police cell, gingerly feeling the tender skin around his left eye. It was already starting to swell and was possibly changing color. Between the bruise and the burn from the bear spray, he probably looked like he’d gone ten rounds in a boxing ring.

  The attractive policewoman with short, wavy blond hair passed an icepack through the bars. “This will help the swelling.”

  He reached for the pack, careful not to get too close. “Thanks. How’s Logan doing?”

  She’d just returned from dropping her son off at school, but hadn’t been gone long, five minutes at the most.

  “Fine.” She avoided eye contact and returned to her computer, subconsciously tugging at her short, fair bangs, as if she were trying to make them longer. It was an odd cut. The hair on top of her head was short and then longer at the back. It was as if the stylist had cut the top and then been too scared to continue with the rest. It reminded him of the mullet hairstyle from the eighties.

  She was tall, fit, and magnificent. Her name badge read Officer Dana Hayden. Judging by her age, he would guess her to be Alice Hayden’s niece. Alice had an older brother. Tim couldn’t remember his name, but he’d moved away after his sister’s death. This woman had a child, so maybe Hayden was her married name. But then again, she did look familiar. There had been a Hayden girl in school who was a couple of years younger than him. She’d been tall and ungainly, not trim and statuesque like the woman before him. It was hard to believe Logan was her son. She must’ve had him when she was a kid herself. Either that or she just looked young for her age.

  Surprisingly, she was the only reason Booley hadn’t beat the crap out of him. She admitted she wanted to build a solid case against him, but what that case could consist of he had no idea. Any evidence would be manufactured. The people of Hopefalls believed in Booley, but Tim hadn’t liked him since that awful night nineteen years ago.

  The police chief stood at the door to his office. “Ramirez will be here any minute. Do we know anything about Morgan’s Lawyer?”

  Officer Hayden shook her head as she concentrated on typing.

  Booley shrugged and returned to his office, leaving Tim in peace.

  Normally, Tim would’ve called Finn Callaghan for help. As an FBI agent and his best friend, he knew he could count on Finn to back him up. But they’d had lunch yesterday, and Finn had mentioned plans to fly to the FBI headquarters in Salt Lake City today. So he’d called David Quinn, one of his oldest allies. He’d met David when he’d run away from home at fifteen. They’d lived on the streets of Granite City together and had watched each other’s backs. It had just been the four of them: Tim, David, David’s twin sister, Sinclair, and Michael. They’d all joined the army at the same time and had completed their basic training at Fort Leonard Wood where they’d met Finn. The five of them had remained close for the last sixteen years.

  A smartly-dressed woman carrying a briefcase strolled into the police station.

  Officer Hayden met her at the reception desk.

  “My name is Sophia Reed. I will be representing Timothy Morgan.” Ms. Reed’s soft brown hair escaped her bun and red lipstick smudged her teeth.

  Booley stepped out of his office. “I’m Chief Booley. I’ll be handling the case.”

  Officer Hayden gasped and then covered her action with a cough. She turned on her heel and marched to her desk. Once seated, she started typing, each keystroke hard and deliberate.

  Booley stood too close to Ms. Reed, invading her personal space. She stepped back.

  Tim wasn’t an expert in reading body language like his friend, Finn, but even he knew the lawyer was setting boundaries.

  Booley didn’t seem offended by her actions. Instead, he bent his head, his lips moving. Tim couldn’t make out what they were saying. He heard his name, but the legal speak might as well be a foreign dialect for all he understood.

  David Quinn and Marie Wilson filed into the police station. David had met Marie after she’d invented a new type of solar panel. Marshall Portman, a prominent Granite City businessman, had planned her death and set David up to take the fall. As ex-special forces, David had thwarted Portman’s plan when he’d saved Marie and fallen hopelessly in love with her.

  David’s gazed locked on Tim, who stood in the middle of his cell. “What the hell happened to you?”

  “Bumped into a momma grizzly with cubs.” He pointed to his face. “This was caused by blowback from discharging bear spray.” He decided not to tell his friend that the police chief had assaulted him. David had played the part of protector when they were on the street. Tim didn’t want him to step back into that role. Picking a fight with Booley would not do them any good.

  David arched his eyebrows. “I always thought you’d have to bail me out, not the other way aroun
d.”

  Tim grunted. It was the closest he could get to a laugh. “Welcome to the toxic town of Hopefalls, a place where reality and good judgment have ceased to exist.”

  Booley pummeled the countertop with his fist. “Hopefalls is the place where you will finally be brought to justice.”

  Tim forced himself not to flinch at the policeman’s outburst.

  David looked like he was ready to beat the snot out of the police chief, but Marie grabbed his arm, and his friend visibly relaxed. Small, pretty Marie, who was surprisingly strong-willed, had tamed him when nothing else would.

  “We’re here to support Tim,” Marie announced. “We’re paying for his lawyer and will post bail if that becomes necessary. Have charges been laid?”

  Sophia Reed cleared her throat. “Dr. Wilson, if you don’t mind, that’s my line.” She walked around the reception desk to the cell. “Mr. Morgan, Dr. Wilson has hired me to represent you in this legal matter. Do you agree to this arrangement?”

  He would’ve liked to hire and pay for his own lawyer, but given the state of his finances, that wasn’t possible. He could go with a public defender, but then he ran the risk of getting an attorney who didn’t want to fight for him. And if he went to jail, his dad would probably end up living on the street. He nodded to Ms. Reed. He’d swallow his pride and accept help for his father’s sake, if nothing else.

  The front door slammed against the wall as Detective Ramirez entered the small, packed police station. Tim breathed a sigh of relief. He remembered the detective from the hospital after David had been shot in the leg. Ramirez had been tenacious in his questioning but had proved himself to be trustworthy and incorruptible.

  Ramirez recognized David straight away and shook his hand. “Mr. Quinn, how’s the leg?”

  Officer Hayden, who had quietly sat at her desk watching everyone arrive, put on her sunglasses and grabbed her keys. “Time for me to go on patrol.”

  He watched her leave, unable to tear his eyes from her toned, muscled body. He didn’t know why, but he’d always been drawn to strong, powerful women in uniform. She didn’t use unnecessary movements, but strode with determination for the door, everything about her screaming discipline and restraint. Man, if she hadn’t been a Hopefalls cop he might have asked her out for a coffee. There was no way he would do that now. Not only was she one of Booley’s flunkies, she was also Alice Hayden’s niece and believed he was responsible for her aunt’s death.