Page 46 of No Good Deed

They watched as Troy moved through the scene slowly. He grinned as he watched the man plant a hand on the sill to place the can inside. “Let’s go see if we can pull a print.”

When they reached the garage, Marcus was already dusting the window ledge. Troy laughed. “Were you eavesdropping? In the video, he’s only wearing one glove, and definitely touched the sill.”

Marcus nodded. “Good. Between the gum and this print, we’ve got evidence to place him here. Now to hope he’s in the system and we can find a match.”

Damn. The man was potentially a senior urban planner. With that kind of prestigious job, Troy doubted he had an arrest record. Although he might have been voluntarily printed for another reason. “Even if not, it’ll be evidence that keeps him in jail for a while after we catch him.”

Marcus nodded, then used an app on his phone to capture the prints. “I’ll upload them to the system from my office. Did you find anything else on the security camera or the street?”

Troy shook his head. “Nothing. Did you find anything, Bella?”

She shook her head. “We’ll check the gas can for fingerprints as well. And check it and the brick for other evidence. The fire destroyed the rag he used. Basically, it looks like an amateur attempt to burn a building. A person who has watched TV, and figures he knows more than he does.”

Flynn grinned. “Which matches the profile of the name Tessa came up with in her first sweep through the data.”

Bella laughed. “Doesn’t surprise me at all. Let me guess. Male. Pompous. Older than Piper. Higher job level at her company, but doesn’t work all that hard.”

Everyone in the group turned to stare at her before Troy nodded. “Yes. To all of it. Have you been taking profiler classes?”

Bella grinned. “After seeing a lot of arsonists in action, you get a bead on things. This wasn’t random. It was the targeted attack of someone who isn’t as smart as he thinks he is.”

Troy grinned. “Glad we’re all on the same side. Okay. I’m going to close up the shop so Addison and Nina can get home, then I’ll text Piper.” He slapped Marcus on the shoulder. “I’ll check in with you in a bit.”

At Phail General, he found Addy and Nina eager for news, and Oreo eager for cuddles. “How did everything go?”

Nina grinned. “Oreo is awesome, but I think he missed you and Piper. Mom figured out everything, and I learned to use the till.”

Addison smiled. “She’ll be running the place if you let her.”

Nina laughed. “That would be fun. I like knowing how things work. And I greeted all the customers so mom didn’t have to.”

Addison’s pretty face flushed, but she smiled fondly at her daughter.

“You didn’t get that extrovert gene from your mother.” Troy regretted his words immediately. Addison had never once spoken about Nina’s father. She was reserved about her past in general. If anyone questioned her, she turned the questions around to the other person, usually without them realizing it.

When he watched the light fade from Addy’s eyes, he felt like a complete jerk. To switch the focus, he turned back to Nina. “When does Christmas break start? Do you have any plans?”

While Nina chatted about plans with her friends to go skiing, Troy mouthed Sorry to Addison, who waved it off.

A few minutes later, Piper walked into the store. He locked the store behind Addison and rubbed his hands up and down Piper’s arm. “I was just going to text you. I thought you were staying at the lodge.” With the others where it was safe, but he didn’t say that aloud.

Piper raised an eyebrow. “I never said that. I’m not going to hang back out of sight when it’s my mess and my fault that someone targeted your home.”

“It’s not your fault.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course it is. If I hadn’t arrived in Phail, your garage wouldn’t be damaged.”

“We’ll lay the blame squarely at Westerlake’s feet. Did you come into town alone?”

Another eye roll, and Troy realized he’d screwed up.

“I’m an adult, Troy. I don’t need anyone’s permission to come and go. But, no, I came in with most of the others.”

Troy took both her hands. “I’m guessing I’m being a little overbearing?”

Piper smirked at that. “Yes.”

He grinned at her direct answer. Then he pulled her in for a hug. “I’m sorry. I go straight to panic when I think you’re in danger. You are most definitely an adult, and I’ll try not to be an asshole next time.”

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