Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
“Mr. Snow, may we come in?”
“Sure. I’m sorry to see you both today. You should be with your families.”
“Yes, but we will be shortly. We wanted to give you an update.”
“Beth, I have to go.” Holiday ends her call and comes to my side. I grab the blanket and wrap it over her shoulders, giving her a little more coverage to my satisfaction.
“So what’s the news, Officers?”
“It was definitely arson, and Mr. Jones has already been apprehended. He accidentally caught himself on fire in the process. Mr. Snow, when you removed the vehicle from the garage, you apparently saved his life. He’d gotten himself caught in the blaze he created and didn’t have an escape route. He used the open garage as an exit, allowing him to run into the woods behind the house. We found the foot tracks through the snow. He’s in the hospital in stable condition and will make it.”
“What about Holiday’s home?”
“Well, there’s a lot of damage, so it’s going to need massive repairs. I can’t say what’s salvageable, but the back entrance didn’t receive any damage, and we were able to contain the fire to the front of the home. Holiday, you will not be able to enter the home wearing clothes like that. There is a lot of messy debris and dangerous fumes in the air from the melted plastic and other objects, plus any water damage that could cause mold.”
“I recommend you hire a team to come in here and clean it up.”
“I have to be back at work.”
“So where is your bedroom?”
“It’s toward the back of the house upstairs.”
“That area wouldn’t have seen too much damage.”
“Do you have any gear in your vehicle I can borrow to gather some of her work clothes that I can wash for her?”
“Yes, I do, Mr. Snow. I’ll take you in there right now.”
“I’ll get my statement from you, then, Holiday.”
We head on over and I’m glad that her place isn’t completely destroyed, but the charred smell in the air is definitely going to take a while to clear. “We turned off the gas lines, so it’s going to be freezing in there.”
“Fun. Let’s just grab what she needs and hope it’s not a total disaster.”
We head inside and upstairs. I find her bedroom, and thankfully there’s only a hint of icy water on the ground. It cracks into shards. Damn, the damage is going to be extensive.
“Okay.” I open her bedroom and the floor thankfully is dry, but the smell is still in here. Looking in her closet, I find a suitcase, so I fill it up with clothes from her underwear drawers, and then I look for her baking-type clothes, including the suit jacket I saw her wear yesterday. I’m grateful my place has a washer and dryer.
“Don’t forget some bathroom essentials for women. A brush, deodorant, and female products,” the fire chief says.
“Smart.”
He nods. “I’ve been through this with many victims over the years. Her room seems the least affected, so that’s really great.”
“Thanks again for this. For now, this should be good.”
“What about shoes? Are there some in here? Everyone said she was at the party last night. I bet she’s never going to want to go to one of those again.” I groan, thinking about that shit, but I’ll make sure she does because we can’t live our lives in fear.
“She will. A better background on employees is a must for her. I’ll demand it.” We head back to my house, and her friends are already there.
Glen comes out to meet us. “You need any help?”
“No, we got it.”
He points at the house, shaking his head. “They are having a girl chat in there.”
“The sheriff left?”
“Yes. He got his report and said he would like to get back to his family.”
“Good. I’ll be heading out now as well.”
I handed the fire marshal back the hard hat and gloves. “Thanks again.”
“We’ll be in touch with more information.” He leaves after shaking our hands.
“You just stumbled into the thick of things,” Glen says.
I sigh because it’s not quite like that. “I caused this. The little psycho stalker didn’t have a problem when she was refusing everyone, but since I claimed her, he lost his shit.”
“Still, the bastard is paying for it, and she’s safe.” He claps my shoulder in understanding. “Things hopefully will get better and at least Holiday seems happy given everything.”
I smile. “She really does.”
I’m almost to the door when I see another car pull up. I stop, and it’s my assistant. “Sarah, Brett, what are you two doing here?”
“Well, you told us you were getting married and moving here, and we just couldn’t wait, so we decided to surprise you.”
“This is a new development.” They stare at Glen.
“He’s kinky,” Glen teases, giving them a wink.
“Be quiet, or I’ll kick you out on Christmas.”