Ann wrapped her arms around Nate’s shoulders. “I want to get to bed. We’ll sort it out later.”
“I’ll stand watch tonight and leave first thing in the morning,” Joan said.
Neither Gideon nor Clarke appeared happy with the solution, but when the fire crews announced the shed extinguished, neither could argue.
“My house is a half mile down the driveway, Clarke,” Gideon said. “I can be here in five minutes if Ann or Nate needs me.”
That seemed to soften Clarke’s hardened features. “I want you to call me if anything happens,” he said. “I can also be here in less than twenty minutes.”
Ann moved toward Clarke and kissed him on the cheek. “We’ll get through this.”
Clarke’s hands came up to her arms, and he gently hugged her. “I’ll do anything to protect you two.”
“I know. We’ll be fine.”
Clarke was calm enough to leave, and when his car vanished around the corner, Gideon approached Ann. “Ann, I haven’t told you everything.”
“If you’re going to tell me about the picture found with Lana, Joan already told me.”
Gideon glanced toward Joan, his gaze a mixture of frustration, anger, and worry. “How well did you know Lana?” he asked.
Ann drew in a breath, as she did when she was stressed. “She did my hair once in the spring. Cut it too short. I wasn’t happy. I haven’t been back to the salon since.”
“Did she say anything to you?” Gideon asked.
“She chatted about how much she liked Montana. Hinted that she had a boyfriend. I didn’t press her for details. Why would she have a picture of Joan and me?”
“We don’t know,” Gideon said.
Ann flexed her fingers. “I have no idea who would give her a picture like that.”
“Is there anything else she might have mentioned about her boyfriend?” he asked.
“I wasn’t paying attention to her. Clarke and I had recently separated, and I was very distracted.”
“If you think of anything about Lana, let me know.”
“Of course. And if you find anything else that connects my son or me to any of this, keep me informed.”
“I will.” Gideon turned and left with Kyle.
Joan followed Ann inside and went into the kitchen. Ann took Nate upstairs. Needing something to do, she made a pot of coffee. As the machine gurgled, she stared out the window at the smoking remains of the shed.
She poured herself a cup and set out another mug for Ann, guessing she would come downstairs instead of sleep. Ten minutes later, Ann appeared in the kitchen and poured herself a cup.
Joan sat on the barstool, cradling her cup. “That was quite the evening.”
“I still can’t believe it,” Ann said. “Makes me think about the College Fire.”
Joan looked at her fingernails, still darkened with soot. “The flames brought it all back.”
“Who could have set the fire?” Ann asked.
Joan carefully set her cup down. “Nate and I spoke while we were sitting in the car. He said he saw me come out, which means he was outside before I was.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“He wasn’t in the house, and we were both in a panic until I saw him watching the fire.”
“He would have no reason to be outside.”
“He told me he wakes up a lot at night from hunger. Kyle confirmed it.”
Shaking her head, Ann dropped her gaze to her cup. “He’s just a kid.”
“He’s a really smart kid with a very active mind.”
Ann drew in a breath, rising and moving almost robotically to the refrigerator. She paused to stare at a picture of Nate held in place by a Montana state flag magnet. Finally, she opened the door, removed a carton of half-and-half, and took her seat back at the island. She did not bother to pour the cream in her coffee.
“Ann, what aren’t you telling me?” Joan asked softly. “Why would he be outside?”
“I don’t know.” Her foot pulsed nervously against the rung of her stool.
Joan had interviewed enough suspects to recognize deceptive behavior, and Ann was showing signs of it. Retrieving the cream was a delay tactic, and though Ann could almost hide her unease behind a stoic expression, she could not control the nervous leg movements.
“Did Nate set the fire?” Joan asked.
Ann’s green gaze turned watery, as if a dark secret had been spoken. “Why would you ask that?”
“Why aren’t you denying it?”
“He’s just a kid,” Ann said. “And he has never had any history of setting fires or troubling behavior. He’s smart and a little geeky, which sometimes gives kids and teachers a reason to single him