Twisted Fire (23 page)

“
Hi, Charlotte, how are you feeling?” Lucas asked.

“
Better than before.”

“
Do you mind if we ask you a few questions about the fire?” Maggie asked.

“
Sure, but I don’t remember all that much.”

“
Do you know who the victim was in the clinic?”

“
What victim?”

“
No-one told you?” Lucas asked.

She shook her head.

Jared contemplated her negative response. Did she really not know that someone else was there?

“
A male victim was found at the scene but we haven’t been able to ID him yet,” Lucas said.

“
Do you think it was the arsonist?”

“
You tell us,” Jared said and she turned to him. Her face screwed up as she did every time she was confused. “You weren’t there with someone?”

“
No, why would I be?”

“
I don’t know, Charlotte.”

“
I’m devastated about the animals we lost. Don’t you think I would have more compassion if I thought someone I knew was gone too?”

When he didn’t answer she turned back to Lucas and Maggie. “Do you think it was the arsonist?” she asked again.

“
It could be. We have many leads to follow, one in particular in Newberry,” Maggie said.

“
Chelsea mentioned that but I don’t think I know anyone in Newberry.”

“
That’s OK. The reason we are here has more to do with Dr Shaw,” Lucas said.

“
What does it have to do with him?” she asked a little bluntly.

“
He seems to have disappeared and we were wondering if perhaps he was having money problems and whether he may have started the fire for the insurance.”

“
What do you mean 'missing'?” Her brow furrowed in confusion.

“
He doesn’t answer the door or phone and his car is not at his premises.”

“
Oh, why would he light the building while I was inside?”

“
Maybe he didn’t know you were there.”

Charlotte shrugged.

“
Do you know if he was having any money problems?” Lucas asked her again.

“
No, as you know I knew nothing about his private life and didn’t want to. The guy is a sleaze and I’m thankful I won’t be working for him anymore.” Her lips set in a firm thin line.

“
Do you know if he would be feeling any anger towards you?” Maggie asked.

“
Not angry so much, perhaps rejected, although he did seem sorry about what he did. It was probably because he wanted to keep me around, I would imagine.”

“
Lucas told me all about his harassment towards you,” Maggie said. “Do you think he would take it this far to hurt you?”

“
He might have been pushy but I can’t imagine him wanting to kill me.”

“
We have to check all angles and we don’t actually know if the fire was deliberately lit. We are trying to ascertain if it’s linked to the other arsons or if Shaw is involved at all. We won’t know until we ID the victim, and because he is missing we have to consider everything.”

Charlotte looked from Lucas to Maggie, their faces revealing little.

“
You think he might be responsible for those other girls?” she asked, shocked.

“
It’s possible. There are many options to consider and we have to investigate them all. Do you know if he knew Cassie Jones, Sophie Murdoch or Melanie Phillips?”

“
Not that I remember. I tended to avoid any personal subjects. I wasn’t interested in his social life.”

Charlotte noted Jared standing rigid as he leant against the rail, his determinedly indifferent face lowered to the floor, his hands clenched the balcony fence at his back. Why was he upset now?

“
The fire on the 12th occurred during the day. Do you recall if Shaw was there all day?” Maggie asked.

Charlotte thought about the date but nothing sprang to mind. “Not that I recall, but he did occasionally leave early or leave the clinic during the day. I wouldn’t know for sure about that particular day, not without checking the appointment book as he would leave when he had no patients. Of course we can’t check that now.”

“
Do you remember anything about the night of the fire?” Lucas took over again. Charlotte turned her attention back to him.

“
All I can remember is I went to lie down then I thought I heard a noise. I went to check and tripped on something in the walkway. I don’t remember anything else until I woke up in the hospital.”

“
Do you remember what you heard?”

“
Maybe a door but I can’t be sure and I didn’t see anyone.”

“
That will do us for now. Let me know if you remember anything or if Dr Shaw contacts you. We are very interested in talking to him.”

“
I hope he doesn’t, but I’ll let you know.”

“
Thanks, Charlotte,” Lucas said giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Get better.”

Jared saw them out and, when he returned, asked what she wanted to do. Charlotte suggested a movie, so he took her through to the family room. He helped her onto the couch and sat at the opposite end.

They spent the rest of the afternoon watching the comedy she’d chosen hoping to lighten the mood, which it didn’t. The chemistry between them was thick and suffocating and neither of them laughed much.

After dinner Charlotte decided to get an early night as being close to him without being with him was too much.

Both of them slept restlessly knowing they were in a room right next to each other.

Chapter 25

Hope

The following morning Jared was woken - albeit feeling tired from disturbed sleep – by the sound of Charlotte's voice calling to him. He threw on some pants and raced to her room to find her sitting on the edge of the bed in her underwear. The bra was strapless and lacy with matching underpants which he noticed to be a g-string. What the hell was she doing?

“
I’m sorry,” she said softly, eyes downcast. “I tried to get dressed by myself and found I couldn’t manage anymore than this. I really need a shower or bath but can’t do it alone and I didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask you to help.” Her cheeks coloured and his barrier threatened to crumble.

“
Charlotte, I asked you to come and stay with me to look after you and that is what I intend to do.”
I can do this
.

He walked over to her and knelt so they were face to face. “Do you want to have a bath?”

“
Very much so.”

“
I will go and run it for you. Do you have anything you would like me to put in it?”

“
There is some jasmine bubble bath in my bag over there.” Her chocolate eyes indicated the dresser and returned to his, full of emotions he couldn’t comprehend. Her vulnerability showed in every feature on her face. The mention of her scent caused his pants to feel suddenly tight as he remembered it filling his senses when he kissed her from head to toe.

“
Is that what I could smell on your skin?” he said so quietly she almost didn’t hear him.

“
Yes,” she whispered back as he got up and went to run her bath.

Jared reminded himself she’d moved on, that she couldn’t be trusted with his heart. The water caused the Charlotte aroma to besiege him as the bath ran. He attempted to subdue his desire. What had he been thinking bringing her here? Did he want to drive himself crazy?

He returned to her room, picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. He ensured his eyes remained fixed upwards and away from her near nakedness. Jared lowered her gently and placed her on the edge of the bath.

“
Do you need me to help you with those?’ he asked indicating her underwear.

“
No, it’s OK, but I don’t know how I’m going to get in without getting my leg and arm wet.” He groaned internally. Touching her almost naked body had been difficult enough.

“
I have these for you to place over your arm and leg.” He produced plastic garbage bags from his pocket. He wrapped first her arm and then her leg within the plastic and secured it with tape. “I’ll lift you in now and prop your foot and arm up on towels just in case.”

“
Ok,” she said meekly.

He heard her remove her underwear as she sat on the edge of the tub and then she said “Ready” in a modest tone. He turned his head away from her and focussed on her injured leg as he placed her into the tub, managing somehow to keep the leg from entering too. She’d held her arm out of the water as he did so. Avoiding her eyes, he arranged her arm and leg then placed everything she would need on the shelf next to her.

“
Call out if you need anything.”

He strode out before his desire laden senses caused him to join her.

* * *

The feel of his hands on her bare skin again was unbearable - how was she going to get through this? She craved to touch him, kiss him and feel him again. She just wanted him to let her love him. The ache inside her chest was far greater than the aches from her injuries.

* * *

He paced out on the patio trying to control the urge to go back in there and ravish her. How was he going to do this? Feeling her naked body beneath his bare hands and picturing her in the bath was pushing him to the limit.

You offered to help her
, he reminded himself. He really hadn’t thought all the details through and what it would entail. It was a necessity to get over her and fast as he wasn’t willing to have faith in her heart. Furthermore, he didn’t know how much longer he could endure not being able to touch her.

About half an hour later she called out to him. He located his largest towel to ensure she would be sufficiently covered, and entered the bathroom. Even though her body was covered in bubbles, he could see the outline of her supple breasts and remembered how it felt to touch them.

“
Are you ready?”

“
I think so.”

He hoisted her out and placed her down carefully on one foot. He wrapped the towel around her, picked her up and carried her to her room so he could help her dress. Ensuring her back was to him, he carefully dried her. After a moment, she whispered she could manage and sat down. He turned his back but stayed in case she needed him. She managed all but her shorts – if you could call the very small item on her bed 'shorts' – so he helped her pull them over her feet. She balanced herself, hands on his shoulders, as he completed the job.

Without removing her hands, she leaned in close to his ear. He could smell the jasmine on her skin– now he knew what it was – and her hair smelled like raspberries.

“
Thanks,” she whispered.

She kissed him very delicately on the cheek, sat back on the edge of the bed and blushed. He knelt on the floor again so he was able to gaze into her face.

“
You’re welcome,” he murmured. Her cheeks flushed deeper.

His wall crashed down around his feet from one simple reddening of her cheeks. He lifted both hands to cup her face and kissed her gently at first, before desire overcame him. He drew back to look at her a moment before crushing his lips to hers and kissed her passionately, as he’d longed to do since the last time. He shifted his hands to bury them in her damp ringlets as her tongue urgently touched his.

The kiss had surprised her but she fell into the rhythm and relished the feel of his lips without further thought. Her hands went up to squeeze his shoulders and then caress his back, the pain in her arm ignored as she relished touching him again. She wrapped her legs around his kneeling form and drew him closer. Their bodies pressing tightly together sent shivers of desire through her. His mouth on hers brought forth the light headed feeling she’d come to love.

He suddenly pulled away but left his hands in her hair. She was panting her, cheeks fully flushed now.

“
I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t be taking advantage of you.”

“
You’re not, I wanted to as much as you did.”

“
I can’t, Charlotte.”