Twisted Fire (28 page)

“
She’s got to be lying. I don’t believe Jared would do that, and you said Mitch doesn’t either.”

“
How would she know all about us?”

“
Someone else might have told her.”

“
I doubt it.”

“
Talk to him.”

“
I can’t. I don’t want to hear it’s the truth. She was pretty believable and so beautiful. I just don’t know whether I’ll be able to believe him.”

“
If it is the truth, not that I think it is, why ask you to move in with him?”

“
He wants to get even and hurt me back. He feels sorry for me. I don’t know!”

“
Do you want me to talk to him?”

“
No!”

“
Talk to him when he gets home. You need to give him the benefit of the doubt. I have faith that he loves you.”

“
I just don’t know. He was very upset with me and didn’t believe me at first. It’s possible.”

“
Talk to him.”

“
OK, I will when he gets home.”

“
Good, get some rest, honey. I believe it’ll all work out.”

Chapter 29

Revenge

When Jared arrived at Chelsea’s, he was excited. Charlotte would be living with him and they would be building a life together. What a wonderful life it was going to be. He loved her more and more as time went on and felt like a child at Christmas. He could barely contain his eagerness to return to her.

Jared and Chelsea chatted while they packed Charlotte’s things and it was Jared’s turn to find out more about Charlotte.

About an hour in, the phone rang and Jared thought it was probably Lucas calling from work. He assumed Lucas missed his wife as much as he missed Charlotte. When she returned she looked grim.

“
Everything OK?”

“
Yes,” she replied a bit stiffly.

“
Doesn’t sound like it.”

Charlotte didn’t want Chelsea to talk to him but she decided to anyway. She was unable to withstand the thought of her sister in pain.

“
That was Charlotte.”

“
Is she OK?”

“
Not really.”

“
What is it?” he asked anxiously. He looked ready to race out the door.

“
She had a visit from Emma.”

“
What?” He frowned in confusion. His reaction reassured Chelsea a little.

“
She came to your house to inform Charlotte that you were still in love with her and that you were planning to go back to her when Charlotte was better. Oh, and that you were sleeping with her too.”

“
What!” His eyes turned a dark steel blue and she saw his anger building. “God, she’s such a … Why would Charlotte believe her?”

“
Emma knew all about your relationship, your misunderstanding with Dr Shaw and the fire.”

“
How? Who told her?”

“
She claims you did, that you just felt sorry for Charlotte and really loved her. She said you were sleeping together while Charlotte was in the hospital.”

His fist clenched until his knuckles whitened. “I can’t believe this. That malicious conniving …. Ah, I cannot believe I ever felt anything for that girl. Charlotte is the best thing that has ever happened to me and Emma is not even half the woman she is. This just … I have to talk to her.”

“
Yes, you do, but finish this first. Give her a bit of time.”

“
I really want to straighten this out.”

“
I know, but have her things with you so she realises how serious you are.”

“
OK. I could just strangle that woman. I thought she couldn’t hurt me anymore, but I was wrong.”

He was packing with haste, anxious to repair the damage, when his phone rang.

“
What now?” he exclaimed. “Yeah.”

“
Jared, it's Lucas.”

“
Hey, man, what’s up?”

“
I finally received a photo of Stevens but it isn’t Shaw.”

“
This is good news, right?”

“
Yes and no. He still could be involved in the fires. His sudden disappearance makes me suspicious. We don’t want to take any chances. I’m just heading out the door now and driving to your place.” Jared’s blood went cold.

“
Why?”

“
We’ve been sitting on Shaw’s house, waiting for him to surface and we got lucky tonight. The unit watching his house followed him but he must have got wind of their tail and he lost them. They have returned to his house to see if he comes back. We despatched a unit to your house just in case, but they haven’t arrived yet. We are heading there too, but we’re still twenty minutes away.”

“
I’m leaving now but it will take me the same time to get there.”

“
You can’t go in there, Jared. If he’s there, he could be armed. Let us handle it.”

It was too late; Jared had already gone.

“
What’s happened?” Chelsea asked.

“
Shaw could be at my house.”

“
Charlotte!”

“
Mitch is there. Hopefully he can keep her safe until Lucas and I get there. Let’s go.”

* * *

As Charlotte ended her call with Chelsea, the door bell rang. Who could that be? She struggled to the side of the bed and grabbed her crutches. She clumsily made her way to the front door as her arm gave her grief. She opened the door with difficulty and was not expecting to find the person on the other side of the door.

“
Hello, Charlotte. Are you alright? I’ve been worried about you.”

“
What are you doing here?”

“
I told you, I was worried about you. I was away at my cabin when I heard about the fire. I didn’t know you were there when it happened. I was devastated about the clinic so I stayed for an extra few days to get my head together. When I arrived home, I discovered you were inside and had been injured. This is the first opportunity I’ve had to see you. I wanted to come sooner but I didn’t think that Jared would be happy to see me.”

“
How did you know I was here?”

“
When I found out you were hurt, I rang the hospital. I have a friend who works there and he told me you’d checked out and he described who picked you up. I assumed it was Jared.” He took a step forward but Charlotte kept the door partly closed.

“
The police are looking for you.”

“
They are? Why?” His surprise seemed genuine and Charlotte started to relax.

“
Because they couldn’t find you to ask you about the fire and became suspicious.”

“
Oh well, I’ll go over to the station and clear it up when I’m finished here.”

“
We are finished, Dr Shaw. There’s nothing to say.”

“
Surely you don’t think I’m responsible for the fire.”

“
The police are suspicious. There was a body found in the clinic and they suspect that was the arsonist. I guess you being here means that you aren’t this Stevens guy.”

No matter how sleazy she thought he was, Charlotte didn’t believe he had anything to do with the fire. It didn’t make sense to her. Why would he want to hurt her and destroy his clinic? She’d already decided that Lucas and Jared were being far too paranoid.

“
I wouldn’t do something so awful. The animals, my clinic, why would I do that?”

She shrugged. That is precisely what she thought but she wasn’t going to purvey this to him.

“
Can I come in so we can talk about repairing the damage between us? Perhaps we can find a way to work together again? I thought we might rebuild the clinic and be partners.” Charlotte wanted to believe him. His expression and the dejected hang of his shoulders, urged her to trust.

“
So you were away?”

“
Yes.”

“
I didn’t think you could be responsible. A partnership does sound tempting. I’m not sure I can trust you after what happened, but I’m willing to discuss it. Come in.”

He followed her hobbling form through to the dining room and she gestured for him to have a seat. She heard Max following behind and felt grateful he was here. She still didn’t believe Dr Shaw was responsible for the fire but she didn’t trust him either. Max came and sat by her chair.

“
I’m really sorry about that day at the clinic, Charlotte. I acted poorly from the start. I was very attracted to you and I let it control my emotions. It won’t happen again.”

“
I’m really not sure I can trust you.”

“
That’s the wrong answer, Charlotte,” he said menacingly.

He stood up abruptly. Pulling a gun from the waistband of his pants, he pointed it at her. Fear rose in her chest and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her heart flew into her throat as Max stood up and growled.

“
What are you doing?” she somehow managed to ask him.

“
Finishing what I started. You think you can just toss me aside like garbage and expect me to stand by. You flirted with me, were coy with me and drew me into your web, then brushed me aside. You shouldn’t muck about with people’s feelings like that, Charlotte. You play with fire you might get burned.”

His laugh caused her skin to crawl.

“
What about Stevens?” She asked hoping to shift his focus for a moment while she decided what action to take.

“
Ah, Mike and I were in it together from the beginning. It all started when we were quite young and our mutual love of fire brought us together. The girls in Newberry were all chosen by him but the girls here, they were mine, including you.” His grin was anything but friendly. “There have been others too but we don’t need to get into that.”

“
Why did you kill him?”

“
It was only a matter of time before the police found out about the fires in Newberry. Mike was never worried about them being linked to him but I couldn’t take any chances. I hoped they would think he was responsible all along but it seems I was wrong.”

Charlotte stared for a moment, stunned by his revelation and trying to take it all in. When she finally spoke it came out in a whisper. “I just can’t believe it.”

“
Like I said, Charlotte, you shouldn’t play with fire.” He barked out a laugh again and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her heart thumped in her chest and her hands shook as fear prickled her spine.

“
I told you how I felt from the start.”

“
Not wise to antagonise a man with a gun.”

He walked around the table towards her. Max continued to growl and bark threateningly but Dr Shaw paid no heed. As he went to seize Charlotte by the arm, Max took hold of his leg. Without hesitation he fired at Max who yelped as he went down.

“
Max!”

She flew to the floor. He was bleeding profusely from the chest. She attempted to stop the bleeding with her hands.

“
Stand up,” Shaw commanded her.

“
I have to help Max. You’re a vet. How could you do this?”

“
That is the irony, my dear. When we first started practising with fire, animals were good for practice.”

“
Oh God,” she whispered. “Please let me help him.”

“
I told you to get up.” He pulled her up by her arms. “Walk down to the bedroom.”

She hobbled painfully towards her room. Hoping to avoid aggravating him further, she decided to do as he asked. She might be able to help Max this way and also escape. He commanded her to lie down on her bed. Retrieving some rope from his pocket, he tied her wrists and ankles together and then secured her to the bed. It hurt like hell on her burnt arm but she clenched her teeth and took it. In her mind’s eye she saw Max bleeding to death on the floor.

“
Why are you doing this, Martin?”

“
Because those other girls needed to learn that teasing a guy is just not nice. Of course I also love to watch a fire burn, the heat, the smell, the lick of the flames. Knowing they, and soon you, were inside adds to the thrill. It’s exhilarating.” The menace in his eyes now was unmistakable. How well he had hidden it before. Charlotte couldn’t believe it was the same man. Why did she trust him and let him in? How easily she believed people. She cursed her stupidity.