from making that accusation, Clarke.”
“You’re the cop, so I’ll leave it to you. But I would be paying the man a visit.”
“I will.”
Gideon and Clarke had both attended college in Missoula and had roomed together three doors down from the house Gideon’s parents had rented to Joan and Ann.
Weeks before the fire, Joan had begged him to move back east with her, and he had refused. With tears in her eyes, she had broken up with him. But during their days apart, he had gotten drunk and landed in bed with Helen. That fall from grace had proved to him how much he loved Joan. He had been ready to move east, at least for the summer. That would give them time to sort out their lives. But his plans to fix things between Joan and him had been delayed by the College Fire and then destroyed by Helen’s pregnancy.
Regret for the lost love rose up in Gideon’s chest. He should have long been over Joan, but thoughts of her still hurt.
His phone rang, and, seeing Kyle’s name, he drew in and released a breath and expelled the anger before he answered the call. “Hey, pal.”
“Dad, I’m at Aunt Ann’s with Nate.”
“Great.” He and Kyle lived in a house about a half mile from Ann’s, on Bailey land. Nate and Kyle had been close as younger boys, and now that they were settled, the first cousins were getting reacquainted. “Be sure you listen to Aunt Ann.”
“I will, Dad.”
He raised his gaze to the charred structure that had been the beauty shop hours ago and knew he would be on scene for several more hours.
He said goodbye, hung up, and then pushed the phone into his back pocket as he moved toward the rubble. The air was thick with the acrid smell of charred wood and chemicals. “Looks like our boys are having a sleepover at Ann’s tonight.”
Clarke shifted his stance and rolled his shoulders. “It was my night with Nate, but when I heard the sirens, I knew I’d better drop him off at Tim’s.”
“Ann’s going to have her hands full with those two.”
“My wife can juggle more than any woman I’ve ever met.”
“She’s always been that way.”
“I haven’t had the chance to say it yet, but it’s good to have you back, Gideon. Missed you this summer.”
“Kyle and I needed the break. To unplug. By the end, neither one of us missed the cell phone.”
Clarke chuckled. “How long did it take Kyle to reattach to his phone?”
Gideon grinned. “Thirty seconds.”
Smiling, Clarke shook his head. “Not sure Nate could survive without his. That boy has his mom’s brains and is going to be building his own computers one day.”
Gideon’s boy was rough-and-tumble. He was plenty smart but would rather play soccer or ride horses than crack a book. Kyle was a chip off the old block, and he liked the idea of Kyle hanging out with his more studious cousin. “Nate will be running the state and then the country one day.”
Clarke’s grin reflected his pride. “Who’s to say the two boys don’t partner up and run the state?”
Gideon laughed. “Kyle will be running the ranch, but he’ll help your boy whenever he needs assistance.”
“Chief Mead!” The callout came from one of the firefighters, Samuel Thompson. “Like you to see something.”
As Gideon and Clarke walked toward the building, the radiating heat stopped them before they could get within ten feet. “What is it?”
“Around back,” the firefighter said. “One of my men found a purse.”
They followed Samuel around the building toward the alley that cut between the Beau-T-Shop and the law offices behind it. Gideon knew the attorneys well enough from his divorce and subsequent custody battle. He had spent a good bit of treasure and time on those folks.
Samuel paused at the mouth of the alley and pointed toward a blue purse leaning against the brick wall. “Seems odd that it would be here.”
Gideon reached in his coat pocket and removed a pair of protective gloves. Normally, he might not have been so conscious of forensics with a lady’s purse, but it was too close to the fire for it to have been a coincidence. He worked his large hands into the gloves and knelt beside it.
The purse, which did not appear expensive, was sitting upright, as if it had been placed carefully. If it had been stolen, the chances were that it would be lying haphazardly on its side. Thieves, in his experience, did not take the time to