Against the Fire (27 page)

“How’d you get in?” Gabe asked. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

Dev chuckled. “I thought it was time I came. I heard what happened at the theater. I’m glad the damage wasn’t too bad.”

“It only happened last night. How the hell did you find out?”

“The guard works for Atlas. Trace Rawlins called and told me. Figured I’d want to know.”

Gabe turned. “Dev, this is Mattie Baker. I’ve told you a little about her.”

Dev grinned, carving dimples into his gorgeous cheeks. This was definitely the pretty boy of the Raines family and yet there wasn’t a thing about him that didn’t ooze masculinity.

“I hear you’ve got a great swing,” Dev said to her. “I’ll bet Clay Sanders still has a headache. Nice to meet you, Mattie.”

“I didn’t tell him,” Gabe said with a lift of his eyebrows. “I swear.”

“Jackson mentioned it. He thought I’d appreciate the story as much as he did.”

Mattie just smiled. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Dev laughed.

Leaving her overnight bag in the entry, she walked with the men into the kitchen.

Gabe headed over to the sink and began making a pot of coffee. “I’m glad you came, little brother. I’m running out of airspeed and altitude here.”

Dev sat down at the round oak kitchen table. “That’s because we’re missing something. We’ve overlooked something important and now we’ve got to find it.”

The coffeemaker gurgled to a halt. Mattie reached up for coffee mugs, filled three of them, put Coffee-mate in hers, and carried all of them over to the table. She took a seat across from the men.

“Missing something,” Gabe repeated. “We must be.”

“We need to start thinking outside the box,” Dev said, turning the cup around so it fit his left hand. “Which buildings has the arsonist hit so far?”

“The Towers, McKinney Court and now the Egyptian.”

“And maybe Artie’s Men’s Wear,” Mattie added, “though it doesn’t really fit the pattern since Gabe’s no longer involved, and the arsonist—or someone pretending to be—claims he didn’t set it.”

Dev flashed her a wide, approving smile. “That’s exactly right. Which reminds me—I guess you haven’t seen the morning paper?”

“Not yet,” Gabe said.

Dev got up and retrieved it from beside the overstuffed chair where he had been sitting.

“Section B. I guess it wasn’t headline material but it should be pretty important to you.”

Gabe took the paper, leafed through it until he found section B and started to read. He let out a soft whistle.

“What is it?” Mattie asked.

“Looks like we were right about the grieving widow. Says here Lucille Roser has been arrested in connection with the fire at the building she and her husband owned, the home of Artie’s Men’s Wear. She is also being charged in connection to the murder of her husband, Arthur Roser.”

Gabe folded the paper in half so that he could read the rest. “Man, that’s a relief. At least I’m not responsible for poor Artie’s death.”

“You never were, bro.”

Gabe made no reply, just continued perusing the rest of the article. “It says arson investigators discovered valuables usually kept at the store had been removed before the fire, as well as certain records.”

“Idiots.” Dev sat back down at the table. “They hire a torch but they can’t resist taking out the stuff they don’t want to see burned.”

Gabe read the last of the article aloud. “‘The police have indicated more arrests may be made in the future.’”

“I bet her attorney’s involved,” Mattie said. “She and Colin looked pretty chummy.”

“And there was a lot of money involved.” Gabe returned his attention to his brother. “So now we know the guy we’re after was telling the truth in his text message. The fires he’s set are strictly targeted at me. Where does that leave us?”

“Good question,” Dev said. “He’s hit three of your projects so far. Let’s look at what else you’re involved in.”

“That would be the Greenwood Apartments and the warehouse I own down on Cadiz Street.”

“Tell me about the warehouse. You haven’t started work on it yet, right?”

“Not yet. I’d hoped to start before now, but with the way things have been going…”

“Was there any opposition to your purchase? Anyone competing with you to buy it?”

Gabe shook his head. “Sellers couldn’t give the place away. That’s the reason I bought it. The price was too good to pass up.”

“What about your plans for it?” Mattie asked, beginning to follow Dev’s thinking. “Anything controversial? Anything someone might want to stop you from doing?”

“Are you kidding? The place is an eyesore. The neighbors have been pushing me to get started.”

“So there shouldn’t be a reason for anyone to give you any trouble about it,” Mattie said.

“Not that I can think of.”

“Which leaves us with Greenwood,” Dev said. “If I remember right, that place has caused you nothing but trouble since the day you bought it.”

“I was expecting it. The city had condemned the place. The building wasn’t anywhere near up to code. It took me forever to get through the permit stage.”

“And you fought with this guy, Webster, right? He wanted the apartments remodeled into something more high-end.”

“That’s right.”

“So far Webster looks clean,” Dev said.

“Oh, my God.” Mattie’s mind suddenly raced backward. “I remember reading about the condemnation proceedings at the time. The tenants were very upset about losing their homes. There were over thirty units in the building and—”

“Forty,” Gabe corrected.

“And all those people had to move out, find another place to live, probably pay higher rent. What if that’s it? What if someone was forced to move out and he’s blaming you for his bad luck?”

“Doesn’t make sense,” Gabe said. “All those evictions happened before I bought the place. It was empty by the time I closed the deal. If someone was mad about being evicted, why wait until now?”

“Mattie could be right,” Dev said. “This is the only place we haven’t looked. Forty tenants, some of them with families. The city cost them their homes, but whoever this is doesn’t see it that way. He can’t blame the city. City hall’s too big to fight. He has to blame someone and he’s decided it’s you.”

“We can’t be sure that’s it,” Gabe argued. “Why would the guy wait until now?”

“Maybe there was a trigger,” Dev said, “something that set him off.”

“I don’t know….”

“Then give me somewhere else to go. Give me another name.”

Gabe rocked back in his chair, released a slow breath. “Forty units. All the people who lived there have moved, started their lives all over again. Even if you’re right, how the hell do we find them?”

“Good question,” Dev said.

“We need a list of the people who were evicted,” Mattie added. “The names of the tenants who lived in each unit at the time. That’s where we start.”

Gabe straightened, ready to move forward now that they had decided on a course of action. “I know my way around city hall. I’ll see what I can find out.”

Mattie reached over and caught his arm. “I know my way around there, too. Your brother’s here. There are probably things you need to discuss. I’ll see if I can get the list and bring it back to you.”

She could read his gratitude in his eyes. He had just started to believe this might be over. Last night’s fire had ended that belief. Now he had to start all over again.

“Thanks, that’d be great. I’ve got to talk to Captain Daily. And I need to take a look at the damage down at the Egyptian and check on my crews.”

Mattie stood up from her chair. “Can we talk for a minute?” She tipped her head toward the living room.

Gabe’s brow furrowed, but he stood up as well. “Sure.”

She led him over to where her travel bag still sat in the entry. She hadn’t meant to do this now, but with Dev there, it seemed a good time.

“I’m going home, Gabe, back to my apartment. I don’t want to leave Tigger alone any longer and there are things I need to do.”

“You could bring Tigger here. I like cats.”

“I suppose I could, but—”

“The arsonist is still out there, Mattie. You might not be safe.”

“He’s not after me, he’s after you. I think that’s become fairly clear. Your brother is here and you need the room, and I was planning to leave in a day or two anyway.”

His jaw tensed stubbornly. “My brother can sleep in one of the guest rooms. You won’t even know he’s here.”

“This isn’t about your brother. This thing between us…it’s moving way too fast. I need to slow down. You know I never meant for this to go so far.”

“We’re getting to know each other, that’s all. How can that be bad?”

“I need some space, Gabe. I want to be back in my own home.” It took an instant to recognize the lie. She wanted to be right where she was. She wanted to stay with Gabe, sleep in his bed, make love with him.

Her heart squeezed. She had to leave.

Now.

Before it was too late.

“I’ll get the rest of my things when I come back with the list of names.”

“I’ll carry your bag down to the car.”

“It’s got wheels. I’ll be fine.” She could tell he wanted to go with her. He was the most protective man she’d ever met. His jaw clenched as he held open the door.

Forcing herself not to look at him, Mattie grabbed the handle of her bag and rolled it past him out the door.

Twenty-Six

“I like your girlfriend,” Dev said as Gabe returned to the table and sat down across from him. “She’s smart and loyal, willing to help any way she can.”

“And beautiful and sexy.”

“That, too.”

“Unfortunately, she’s not my girlfriend. And she doesn’t want to be.”

Dev’s dark eyebrows went up. “Could have fooled me. Looked to me like she cares about you a helluva lot.”

“You think so?”

“That’d be my guess.”

“Then you’d be wrong. All Mattie Baker wants from me is what I can give her in bed. Which I’m sure you’d see as a plus. Great sex and no strings.”

“What’s good for me isn’t necessarily good for you.”

Gabe made no reply. After Dev’s breakup with his fiancée, who had left him high and dry just a few days before the wedding, Dev had become a different man. He no longer trusted women. Though he would never admit it, Dev was afraid to get involved again, afraid of getting hurt as badly as he had been before.

Instead, he settled for hot sex and a line of women that seemed to have no end. There was a time Gabe hadn’t been interested in a lot more than that himself.

He thought of Mattie, knew how much he would miss her in his bed tonight, and wished there was some way he could change things.

“I’ve got a couple of ideas how we might get information on those tenants,” Dev said.

Gabe didn’t bother to ask him how. His brother had an endless supply of people willing to dig up information. “You really think this is the right track?”

“It’s the only track we’ve got, bro.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Needing to call Captain Daily, he dragged his cell phone out of his pocket. “How long will you be able to stay?”

“Long enough to get the information we need and see what I can track down here.”

“Mattie’s going back to her own apartment. Might as well make yourself comfortable in one of the guest rooms.”

“Already have,” Dev said.

“After I talk to Daily, I want to take a look at the damage at the Egyptian.”

“Good idea. I’ll go with you.”

Gabe didn’t argue. He needed his brother’s help.

The way things were going, he needed all the help he could get.

A strong sun beat down as Mattie reached the visitors’ parking area at Gabe’s condo, grateful he hadn’t insisted on coming with her. As she had said, she needed some space, needed to put some distance between them. Still, her heart was aching and tears burned behind her eyes.

Better to deal with it now, she told herself, before her feelings got any deeper.

A horn honked. Pacific Street was crowded with traffic. An old woman with a cane ambled slowly down the sidewalk. A female jogger passed by and continued on her way. Mattie had almost reached her car when an odd feeling came over her. Slowing her pace, she glanced back over her shoulder, searching for someone, scanning the shrubs and trees along the sidewalk. Nothing. No one was there.

She shook off the sensation. All this talk about arson was making her paranoid.

Still, until the man was caught, it didn’t hurt to be cautious.

Mattie took a last look around, saw nothing out of the ordinary and continued on to her car.

Staying out of sight behind a tall box hedge, Jacob watched the woman, Mattie Baker, cross the parking lot of the Las Posas Condominiums. Pressing her remote key, she unlocked the door to her shiny silver BMW and slid into the leather seat behind the wheel.

He knew who she was. He had seen her picture in the newspaper for winning some kind of architecture award. She was pretty, so he had remembered her face.

Then he had seen her with him.

The nerves in his hands twitched, making his fingers jerk. He’d been watching Gabriel Raines for weeks, charting his movements, discovering information about his friends, the people who worked for him. The women he fucked.

Raines had only met Mattie a few weeks ago but he was the kind of man women wanted—handsome and well-built, money enough to impress them. The kind who had no trouble seducing a woman into his bed.

The engine of the BMW roared to life and Jacob watched the woman drive away from Raines’s apartment. He had seen them together, seen him kissing her. Raines cared about the woman. It would be interesting to know just how much.

But from the checking he had done, his opponent had a history of brief affairs. He rarely got involved with a woman for any length of time and probably wouldn’t this time.

If the woman was merely a passing fancy, Jacob had no reason to hurt her.

But if she truly mattered, she might be the means he needed to reach the end he had in mind.

He would have to bide his time, wait and see.

In the meantime, he was beginning to enjoy the path he had chosen. Setting the fires, developing the skills he needed, was more exciting than he had ever dreamed.