Tommy glanced around and hurried toward his vehicle. Things were under control for the most part, and he could always read through statements taken by the other deputies. He shot Sadie a quick text letting her know he was heading to Shawn’s and would be back soon. She didn’t need to be running around all over town. Staying here, where medics could keep an eye on her, was for the best.

He quickened his pace against the harsh wind. If he was lucky, he’d be back on the scene of the fire before Sadie found out he was gone. If not, he had no doubt she’d let him have it. A smile cracked through the somber set of his mouth. She was a firecracker. One he wanted to handle for a long time to come.

A chill settleddeep within Sadie’s bones. Heat pumped from the vents of the ambulance she sat in, but the open back doors made it impossible to stay warm. The handful of people who’d stood outside, waiting for vitals to be taken and reassurances, had scattered—statements given.

She jumped down from the ambulance on a huff of irritation. The emergency medics didn’t even look her way as she hurried into the thinning crowd in search of Tommy.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she pulled it out.

Jenna.

Her heart lodged in her throat. “Hi, Jenna. Did you find something?” She continued down the sidewalk, checking faces in the dim streetlights for Tommy.

“Hi, Sadie. I tried calling Tommy, but he didn’t answer.”

Unease pricked the back of her neck. Tommy had practically watched his screen all evening waiting for Jenna to call. She ignored the sensation. She was being silly. There was a lot going on, and Tommy was probably busy taking statements, trying to figure out who started the fire. “Things are pretty crazy right now. Not sure if you’ve heard. There was a fire at Town Tavern. He’s probably busy talking to witnesses.”

“I heard about the fire after I came into the hospital to check the files for you guys.” Exhaustion made her words come out slow.

She stilled, lowering her head and plugging a finger in her ear to hear every word over the commotion. “What did you find?”

“The weekend you asked about, there were only a couple of injuries consistent with a car accident. A couple teenagers hit a deer and had some minor injuries that were treated in the emergency room and released that Friday. The following afternoon a man ran into a tree—broken arm and concussion. Again, nothing with an unknown cause of injury.”

She nodded along with the words. “Okay. Anything else?”

“Then there’s Tina Wells.”

A fist of apprehension squeezed her chest. “She’s the only victim of a car-related incident who was treated at the hospital that weekend with no idea what happened?”

“Yes. I mean, it’s a county hospital but it’s still small. Not a lot of activity. You mentioned you had calls into other the county hospitals. They might have more unexplained incidents.”

The pain that had ebbed in her head came back with a vengeance, along with a swirl of bile in her stomach. Jenna was right. The other hospitals might have more incidents to investigate. But instinct screamed she had the information she needed. Besides, if Shawn came home every weekend to spend time with his mom, why would he have gone anywhere else to joy ride? “Thanks, Jenna.”

She disconnected and rushed ahead.

Deputy Grant caught her attention. He stood at the corner, eyes glazed as he watched the dying fire. He lifted a palm in greeting as she approached.

“Have you seen Deputy Wells?” she asked, skipping any pleasantries.

“For a minute earlier.” Fatigue hunched his shoulders. “What a night. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Whoever started this fire is complete scum.”

“Agreed. But any idea where Tommy went? I need to find him. Now.”

“He left.”

“What?” Anger surged to life inside her, chasing away the aches and pains. “Where did he go?”

Deputy Grant shrugged. “Don’t know. I was too busy working to listen to his phone conversation. Looked serious, though.”

She grunted out her frustration and checked her phone for any texts or calls she may have missed.

No freaking way. Tommy went to Shawn’s trailer to talk to Melissa without her. He must have sent her a message when she’d been knee-deep in taking statements, too busy to notice. She pulled up his number and pressed send.

No answer.

“I need you to drive me. Tommy just went off alone, and I don’t have my car.”

She sent off a text to Tommy and followed Deputy Grant to his cruiser. How could he leave her behind on something so important? She just hoped she could keep her temper in check when she found Tommy. Water’s Edge didn’t need another dead body to add to the count.