Page 77 of Exposure of Murder

“We’re home. I’ll get you settled, then go down to the barn.”

“Works for me,” said Bucky. “I could use a nap. Having the nurses check on you all night means you don’t get any sleep.”

Jane laughed. “Well, don’t expect to get more than a couple of hours here. The instructions were to check on you every two hours.”

He groaned. “Whatever.”

She got his duffel from the back seat and opened the front door. “I’m putting you on the first floor where you don’t have to climb stairs. It has its own bathroom.”

Walking to the back bedroom that Savannah had recently used, she placed the duffel on a bench and turned to Bucky.

“Everything you need is here—towels, soap, toothbrush and paste. I’m going to leave you to rest and check out what’s going on at the barn.”

Bucky nodded. “Sounds good. I’m going to shower, change and lay down for a while.”

Jane walked away but then abruptly turned around. “There’s plenty of food in the kitchen. Help yourself.”

He hesitated for a moment, his ears turned red, and he cleared his throat. “Jane … I can’t thank you enough.”

She walked back to him and hugged him. “No need for thanks. You were Mike’s friend; how could I not help?” She patted his arm. “Now shower and get into bed.”

“Yes, mom,” he chuckled.

Jane’s heart was racing as she left Bucky and walked down to the barn, wondering what the fire chief would say. Was it a faulty heater, or had someone fiddled around with it? She prayed it was the former and not the latter.

Thirty-Nine

Ethan and Scotty were inspecting the barn when Jane arrived, her footsteps crunching on the gravel. A hint of acrid smoke still filled the air. Jane’s stomach clenched, and it was hard to dismiss the feeling of anger and danger.

“Sweetheart,” Ethan greeted her warmly and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Stepping back, he added, “You remember Scotty?”

Jane glanced at Scotty, who was crouched in front of the greenhouse. “How could I forget? Thank you for coming out.” The devastation looked worse in the daylight, and she wanted to cry.

“Well, I’m here to hopefully determine what started the fire.”

She gazed at the remains of the greenhouse, once filled with life and potential, now reduced to twisted metal, shattered glass and blackened wood. All her dreams of a garden had gone up in smoke. “How will you be able to determine if someone set a fire intentionally or if the heater was just faulty?”

“I’ll start by examining the heater and the condition it’s in,” Scotty explained. “Then look for any physical damage before Iinspect the propane tank.” He began to carefully sift through the debris.

Jane tilted her head in confusion. “But the metal parts are warped, and I’m sure what wasn’t metal burned in the fire.”

“True,” Scotty agreed. “But there are still clues I can look for. This is going to take a while, so feel free to do other things while I work on this.”

Jane was anxious to hear the results, but she still had a farm to run. “I have to feed the animals, then maybe I’ll head back to the house.”

“Let me help with that,” Ethan offered. “Then I need to get Bucky’s statement.” He turned his attention back to Scotty. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Scotty nodded and continued picking through the debris.

Jane and Ethan walked back into the barn. Jane unlocked the door to the feed bin and grabbed a bucket. Ethan ran his hand over the top of the wooden bin. “This is original to the barn, isn’t it?” he asked. “Looks good. Did you repaint it?”

“Yes. It was here when I moved in. I spray-painted it to give it a fresh look.”

Beyond the greenhouse, the air had a faint aroma of hay. The chickens were scratching the ground and clucking, oblivious to the chaos from last night, which gave her a sense of comfort that things could return to normal.

Ethan collected some eggs for her, avoiding the rooster’s display of aggression at his ankles.

Then they walked to the pasture on the other side of the chicken house. Jane had a pail of feed for the sheep who crowded around the trough. As they were walking back to the house, Ethan asked how Bucky was doing.

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