Page 56 of Ink and Ashes
“Colson? I need you at the inn.” She pauses, and I can hear the panic in her voice. “My car is on fire.”
CHAPTER 21
Holland
It takes four minutes and thirteen seconds from the time I hang up with Colson to the time the fire department shows up. I figured this town would have a good response time, given that nowhere is more than a ten-minute drive away from the station, but I didn’t expect them to bethatfast.
I exhale as the truck parks on the side of the road. I spot Dom in the driver’s seat, but he avoids my gaze. I’m not sure if it’s the article that he’s mad about, or if Colson finally spilled the beans that I’ve been lying about my identity. Maybe it’s both. Either way, he hasn’t returned a single call or text of mine in the past week. Whatever I did to piss him off, I don’t know, but he seems to be one hell of a grudge-holder if he won’t even look at me.
Colson jumps out of the truck, running over to meet me.
“Rhodes, what the hell happened?” he asks, his eyes shifting between me and the blaze behind me.
“My car’s on fire,” I tell him, sarcasm dripping in my tone.
He rolls his eyes. “I can see that. Are you okay?What happened?”
“I’m fine,” I say, appreciative that he cares enough to ask. “I’m not sure what happened. I’ve been in the inn all day. I just came out because I was going to walk over to join the events, and I found my car like this.” I gesture toward the burning vehicle that the rest of the team is now working on extinguishing.
I’d spent my day locked in my room, not wanting to risk being the cause of more chaos on a day like today. I know the town doesn’t want me here, and I wasn’t about to force my way into their holiday when I’ve already done that in every other aspect of their lives. But after a full day of sitting around and watching the parade from the dining room window, I decided to venture out and at least see what all the fuss was about.
Imagine my surprise when I walked out the front door to find my car on fire instead.
Colson’s jaw flexes as he eyes the flaming vehicle. “This is a hybrid. When did you last have the battery checked?”
My brows pull together. “Before I made the four-day trip out here. I’m not an idiot. I take good care of my car.”
“Clearly not good enough, considering it caught fire,” someone mumbles. I look past Colson to see Ray Morgan leaning against the fire truck.
I cock a brow at him. “You’re trying to argue that after sitting parked for an entire day, my car spontaneously decided to catch fire? Even though there’s nothing wrong with the battery?”
Colson places his hands on my upper arms, blocking my view of Ray, then calmly says, “We’ll have it towed to the garage and have them take a look at it, but that is the most common cause of car fires, especially in electric vehicles.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Unless someone set it.”
“Holland—” Colson begins to argue, but I cut him off.
“You don’t think this happening two weeks after receiving a threatening note, one I very publicly ignored, is related to the arsonist?”
“I’m not saying that,” he says plainly.
“Did you look at the files?”
Colson nods, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Yes, and—” he starts, but he’s interrupted by another presence coming to stand beside him.
“There a problem here, Col?” a cop wearing a sheriff’s badge asks then.
Colson tenses, then replies, “We’re good, Uncle Mike. Thanks.”
I huff a laugh. It figures he’s related to the town sheriff. “‘Uncle Mike?’ Are you related to everyone in this town?” I turn toward Mike. “Hi, I’m Holland. I’d like to report an arsonist.”
Mike, probably in his mid-fifties, narrows his eyes and looks back at his nephew. “This the one who’s been causing trouble all around town?”
Colson’s eyes don’t stray from me as he reluctantly nods.
“This town ain’t got an arsonist,” is all Mike adds, his lip curling as he looks at me again. His eyes trail up and down my body, and I resist the urge to squirm beneath his gaze.
I have a feeling the cops won’t be taking my statement anytime soon.
