Jessie with concise comments devoid of the emotions still tumbling through her body.
“I’m sure by now you’ve heard Jessie saw a man start the fire.” Mental exhaustion over telling the story made her tone fall off at the end.
“So,” he leaned closer, his eyes filled with interest, “now that you’ve had time to think about the fire, do you have any ideas about who would want to do this?”
Ideas? Like her father was probably behind it? A fact she wasn’t ready to share. “Not really.”
“Not really, or no?”
She wasn’t ready to tell him everything. She shrugged and tried to veil her eyes so he didn’t notice her evasiveness. She’d had years of practice in subterfuge with her father, but that had been so long ago she’d forgotten how to do it.
Russ drew in air through his nose and held it while looking at the ceiling. Letting out the breath, he fixed a stern look on her face. “I get the feeling you’re keeping something from me, Mia. It would be easier on both of us if you’d cooperate.”
She’d cooperate as far as she could and still keep this in the family. When she got out of here, she’d confront her father and put an end to the mess. Then Russ wouldn’t have anything to investigate.
She nodded solemnly as if she were taking his advice. “I’ll spend some time thinking about who might have started the fire and get back to you.” She held his gaze until a knock sounded on the door, and he turned to face it.
Mia eased out a breath of relief and watched as Ryan entered. Still dressed in his firefighting pants, the suspenders hanging limp, he strolled into the space with a confident smile. He let his gaze rove over her then linger on her face, warming her with the concern displayed in his eyes.
“Hope I’m not interrupting,” he said halfheartedly.
Russ’s foot hit the floor with a thud that echoed through the room, and Mia expected him to object to the interruption.
“Actually, you can help me out here,” he said. “I was just about to share arson statistics with Mia. Specifically, that it’s often committed by a property owner wanting to collect insurance money. With your training as a firefighter you can confirm that.”
“Well, yeah…” Ryan crossed the room, regarding his brother with a skeptical look, “but if you’re intimating Mia torched the barn for insurance money, you’re way off base.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Positive.” Support for Mia was etched on Ryan’s rugged face.
Mia smiled her thanks and turned to Russ to see his reaction. His frozen features said it all. He believed she was involved in setting the fire.
His hand drifted to the top of his gun as if he were thinking he might need reinforcement. “On the surface it doesn’t look like you’d benefit from the fire as the property would be worth more with the barn standing. But…” His eyes darkened and fixed on Mia’s face like a mighty lion eyeing up lunch. “Maybe you can’t wait that long for the cash. By destroying the barn, you’ll get a nice settlement from the insurance company right away.”
Her mouth fell open. “You’re seriously considering me?”
“Got to check out all possibilities.”
“You’re wrong, bro,” Ryan said.
Mia crossed her arms. “This is unbelievable. I’m almost killed in the fire and you suspect me of starting it. Guess you don’t really believe your niece saw that man.”
“Sure I do. You could’ve hired him.”
“Right. I hired a man to burn the place down then got stuck in the barn.”
“Accidents happen. You arranged to have the place torched but didn’t know Jessie would be in there.” He paused dramatically. “You couldn’t let her die so you saved her. Got trapped. Wouldn’t be the first time someone got caught in their own fire.”
“Seriously, Russ, you’re wasting time on me.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
Mia lurched forward and grasped the wooden arms of the chair. “But you—”
He held up his hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not focusing solely on you.”
“Good, then you’ll find this guy and your case will be solved.”
“Or maybe I’ll find out you had a part in it. Trouble always found you in the past, Mia. Why would this be any different?”
Ryan shot out a hand and seared his brother with a heated look. “That was uncalled for. You should be thinking about how to protect Mia from the arsonist, not blaming her for the fire.”
Russ stared at Ryan so long Mia thought the brothers might come to blows. Their behavior was so reminiscent of high school. Russ insisting Ryan break up with her. Ryan passionately defending her. The pair nearly duking it out before parting angry and hurt.
Without breaking eye contact, Russ slipped his notepad into his pocket, his movements deliberate and slow. “I appreciate your wanting to protect Mia, but you’re overreacting. The fire wasn’t about physically hurting her. If it had been, the arsonist would have made sure she was in the barn before setting the fire.”
Ryan faced Mia. His withering stare made it clear that he wanted her to tell Russ about the threatening letter. She gave a quick shake of her head and hoped Russ didn’t notice the interchange.
If he did, the controlled expression on his face didn’t let on. “I apologize if my earlier comment crossed the line, Mia. I’m simply trying to locate the person behind this no matter who it is. The best thing you can do to clear your name right now is provide me with a copy of the will.” Letting a pointed look pierce Ryan, Russ tromped out of the room.
“Excuse me,” Ryan said and charged after his brother.
Watching him exit in hot pursuit of his brother, a wave of vulnerability crashed over her.
Was someone other than her father behind the fire and her life really in jeopardy? Had she done the right thing in keeping the letter from Russ…or had she left herself unprotected and in the path of a lunatic?
Ryan charged down the hallway, gaining on Russ who rushed away as if he hadn’t done something so unbelievable. Mia was not guilty of arson and Ryan would not let Russ accuse her of it. How could he think Mia had anything to do with the fire?
Near the nurses’ station, Ryan caught up to Russ and spun him around by the shoulder. “You’re crazy, bro, if you think Mia was involved in this. She gains nothing until her year is over.”
“Are you sure about that? Have you seen the will?” He paused and let his words linger in the air. “Maybe there’s a loophole. Maybe she gets the cash now if insurance pays out.”
Money never motivated Mia. She could have changed, but the warning letter pointed to someone else. If only he could tell Russ about the threat, Mia would be cleared. But Ryan promised.
He clenched his fist and let his fingernails bite into the palm to keep from revealing the secret. “Mia had nothing to do with the fire. Nothing.”
Russ raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You gonna make a habit of defending her again?”
“She doesn’t need my defense. She’s done nothing wrong.”
A righteous look radiated from his eyes. “Then it’s not a problem if I investigate her.”
Ryan’s hands itched to throttle him and wipe that pious look off his face, but that wouldn’t help. He wouldn’t give in to the temptation. “Go easy on her, bro. She risked her life to save your niece, who might have died if Mia hadn’t been so brave.”
Russ studied Ryan’s face until he grew uncomfortable under