Page 70 of Exposure of Murder

“What happens if the tank explodes?” she asked.

Ethan shook his head. “Well, it could take out everything within a hundred feet. But Scotty knows what he’s doing.”

“Who’s Scotty?”

“Scotty Carothers, the fire chief,” Ethan replied. “I’ve known him for years.”

Another crack exploded. Jane jumped. She glanced at the barn while firefighters aimed water at the fire’s base. Theminutes stretched into what felt like hours. Jane gulped and swallowed hard. She would not vomit now. The air, thick with the stench of smoke, filled the night. Crackling flames hissed as the water hit them.

Tanner and Leah walked over to stand with Jane and Ethan. The four of them moved farther back and watched as the firefighters moved closer. Finally, the flames began to die down, leaving behind smoldering embers and wisps of smoke.

Scotty came over, pulling off his helmet, revealing a soot-streaked face. “We got lucky. But this was close—too close.”

Jane exhaled, the tension flooding her body. “How did this happen?” she asked.

Scotty shook his head. “We need to investigate further, but it looks like the heater was tampered with.”

“Someone did this on purpose,” Ethan spat out.

Jane clenched her stomach. What had happened? Why now? Was this related to the other incidents?

She was in danger and had no idea why or who was behind it.

Thirty-Six

“Thanks for getting here so quickly,” Ethan said, shaking Scotty’s hand firmly. The fire department had made sure all the embers were completely extinguished while thin tendrils of smoke spiraled up into the cold, dark air.

Tanner and Leah reluctantly left a little while ago. They were distraught and wanted to stay to support Jane, but she insisted they leave since Tanner had an early morning milking and Leah had to be at the diner by 5a.m. Jane assured them she would be fine, but Ethan wasn’t so sure.

The fire trucks departed a few minutes ago, leaving a deafening silence. The darkness enveloped the remnants of smoke, leaving behind only the acrid scent of burnt wood and ash.

Ethan’s eyes stung from the ash floating in the air as he scanned the dimly lit yard for Jane. He spotted her sitting on the ground by the chicken coop, her knees drawn up to her chest, looking small and fragile.

The chickens were finally quiet. They’d been disturbed by all the noise—men shouting, the fire crackling and sirens blaring. Thankfully, the sheep were in the far field away from the fire.She heard the occasional bleating and would check on them later.

Ethan walked over to her, his boots crunching on the gravel. “Come, sweetheart. Sitting on the cold ground isn’t doing you any good,” he said softly.

She looked at him, her eyes red and swollen, her face smudged with ash and dirt. “I want to see how Bucky is doing.”

It angered him that she looked so vulnerable at this moment. He reached out a hand to help her up, her grip cold and trembling. After she stood, he pulled her into a hug, feeling her stiffening at first and then melting into his chest. “I’m so sorry this happened to you,” he murmured into her hair. “I’m going to hunt down who did this and…”

He stopped. And what? As a lawman, there were limits to what he could do and lines he couldn’t cross. But as a man who cared deeply for Jane, he wanted to beat the shit out of who did this.

Jane let out a sigh as she pulled away. “This has to be connected to the note and the break-ins.” She wiped away a tear that smeared the ash on her face even more. “Someone wants me out, and they just may get their wish. Today it was Bucky. Tomorrow it could be me, and the next time someone might lose their life.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened. Anger surged through his body. That was so not happening on his watch. Tonight, they’d check in at the hospital, see how Bucky was doing before he brought Jane back to his house. There was no way she would stay at her farm alone. Tomorrow, he planned to call in his deputies and go over every detail once again. He needed to get in touch with Sean and have him install security cameras around Jane’s farm.

The evening had started off so well—they were laughing and joking around, things he hadn’t done in so long. Every minute he spent with Jane, he could feel himself getting closer to her.

“Come on. Get in the truck and we’ll go to the hospital,” he said gently. He opened the truck door, helped her inside, and got behind the wheel.

The ride to the hospital was quiet except for the hum of the engine. Ethan had no idea how to make things better, and Jane stared out the window, lost in her own thoughts. He wished there was something—anything—he could say to make it better.

As they drove into town, the familiar sights of Beaver Creek passed by. Ethan couldn’t help wondering what evil had settled in his peaceful town. They passed the police station, which looked quiet, and the firehouse, where the firefighters were hosing down the truck, and waved. The Harvest Moon Diner was closed up tight, its windows dark, and the streets were empty except for the few people walking around. He turned onto School Street to the hospital straight ahead.

The modest multilevel brick building had been a fixture in Beaver Creek since 1925. A new atrium had recently been added to the back.

Ethan pulled into the emergency room parking lot at the back of the hospital. He helped Jane out of the truck and walked into a fairly quiet reception area. The murmur of voices and the smell of antiseptic greeted them. He asked where Bucky was, and the nurse directed them to a room at the end of the hall.

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