Page 67 of Sadie's Guarded Harbor

Firemen with large hoses aimed streams of water on the flames. Paramedics escorted coughing men and women to waiting ambulances to check their vitals. A booming voice caught Tommy’s attention. “There’s my dad.”

Sadie increased her pace to keep up with him.

Mike frowned in her direction. “You should be home, Deputy Pennel.”

She pulled back her shoulders. “You told Deputy Wells all hands on deck. I’m here, and I want to help.”

Mike’s frown stayed in place. “Fine. But you are to sit in an ambulance and take statements while people are being looked at.”

“But I?—”

“No arguments. I want you off your feet as much as possible. I won’t have one of my deputies falling over from exhaustion because they’re too stubborn to know their limits.”

Tommy wouldn’t dare say it out loud, but he agreed with his dad and applauded his hard-nosed response to Sadie being on the scene.

“Tommy,” Mike said, cutting into his thoughts. “I want you to talk to the Fire Marshal and the first deputies on scene. Whoever started this fire waited until the place was packed.”

Tommy nodded.

“Get to work.” Mike hurried over to a group of first responders.

“I guess I’ll see you in a bit.” Sadie pursed her lips.

He cupped her shoulder with his hand. “I’ll let you know if I find anything. I promise. Go take care of people. They need help, and keeping people safe is the most important part of our job.”

A tiny grin peeked through her pissed-off pout. “I can’t argue when you put it like that.”

He wiggled his eyebrows. “I know. Now go.”

Turning, he hurried over to a cluster of deputies taking statements. He focused on the woman beside Deputy Grant. “How’s everyone doing?”

The woman shivered, even with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Soot stained her cheeks, her eyes widened with disbelief. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

Anger burned the pit of his stomach. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Must have been awful.” He flicked his glance to the older deputy scribbling in a notepad. “Were you first on scene?”

He nodded. “One of them. Not sure what caused the fire yet. Fire Marshal hasn’t confirmed anything.”

Tommy’s phone vibrated against his thigh. Anticipation tightened his chest. It could be Dr. Simon. He grabbed his phone, and the name on the screen had him beating back frustration. An unknown number.

Taking a deep breath of smoky air, he answered the call. “Deputy Wells.”

“It’s Melissa Downs. We need to talk.”

He tightened his jaw. He wanted to talk to Judge Downs, but not now. Even if a million questions burned the tip of his tongue. “Things are a bit hectic right now. How about we talk in the morning?”

“It’s important.”

“And it can’t wait?” Tommy blew out a breath and took in the scene. Yes, he needed to take statements, but his main objective was to figure out what happened to Shawn. If talking to Melissa could help him do that, he should take a minute to see what she had to say.

“I have stuff to show you. Things Shawn buried behind his house.”

Tommy scratched the whiskers along his jawline. He hadn’t thought to dig through the frozen ground to search for evidence.What would Shawn go through that much trouble to hide? Indecision bounced inside him.

“Please.” Melissa softened her tone, her voice cracking. “What I found could help find his killer.”

The cracking of her voice melted any resolve Tommy possessed. That and a building need to find out once and for all what happened—and if it involved his mom. Melissa could be the only one who had those answers. “Fine. I’ll be there soon.”

“Thank you. I can’t fix the relationship I screwed up with my husband, but if I can help seek justice, it might ease a fraction of the guilt that’s eaten me up inside for so long.”

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