Firestorm - Ellie Masters Page 0,37

job from the looks of it. She didn’t start that fire.” I feel the truth in my gut.

“The investigation concluded yesterday. It’s pretty cut and dry.”

“I was there. Fuck, you didn’t see the look in her eyes, the fear, the terror…”

“I would think those could be explained by getting caught starting the fire.”

“She wasn’t scared she’d been caught, she was trying to survive.”

“Anything you have to add is nothing more than hearsay, and you know that won’t hold up. Now, please…” Grant places his hand on the butt of his weapon. It’s not a threat, but the message is clear.

I’m pushing him. It places him in a difficult position. Grant is my friend, but more through association. His brother, Grady, is my real friend, Grant is simply Grady’s older brother, the one we all looked up to.

“Who headed the investigation?” A thousand questions spill through my head, ways I can help Evelyn clear her name.

“Pete Sims.”

“You’re fucking kidding me. He’s a joke. Come on, you know how he works.”

“I also know what they found. Her fingerprints are on the bottle of accelerant, and they found receipts for it in the remains of her things.”

I give a sharp shake of my head. “I don’t care. You’re wrong. He’s wrong. He never visited her in the hospital, never took her account. He never spoke to me. It’s circumstantial at best.”

“Look, if you want to help her, get her a good lawyer, but don’t get in my way.” As the oldest of the Malone brothers, the trifecta of public service heroes, I grew up respecting Grant Malone. He’s the man who could do no wrong, the kid I wanted to be growing up. “If you need help finding her someone, come by the house later today and I’ll give you a few names.”

He doesn’t have to offer that. My respect increases tenfold. It’s his way of throwing me a bone, helping me when his hands are tied.

“Thanks. I might take you up on that.”

“Sorry about this, Ace, but are you sure you want to stand by her side? How well do you know her?”

He knows our story, how I pulled her from the fire. His brother, Grayson flew her to the hospital. I have no doubt they’ve talked about her, and nothing happens in Sunnyville without the whole town knowing about it, meaning my daily visits to her in the hospital are a matter of public record.

I don’t understand the strange pull Evelyn has on me, except it’s profound and all encompassing. I want to help her. I need to defend her. I’m the only one who seems to be on her side.

“I know she didn’t do it.” I stand my ground.

“Then find something to prove it.” Grant isn’t backing down.

His convictions are as strong as mine, except this one time, we find ourselves on opposite sides of a confrontation. It’s a tough place to be. I’m not used to being at odds with him.

My brothers and I followed in the Malone brothers’ shadows. The Malone’s are men I respect and admire. I call each of them friend. Their father was the chief of police and his sons followed in his footsteps, choosing to serve their community in police, fire, and rescue.

Grant is on the police force, making a name for himself as an upstanding man. When the time comes, I have no doubt he’ll become the chief of police.

Grady saves lives, fighting the fires which threaten our homes and our lives. And then there’s Grayson, a medivac pilot who flies the wounded where they need to go, sometimes at great personal risk to himself.

These are not men I want to be at odds with. I respect them and I don’t want to change any of that.

But I will.

I’ll jeopardize all of that for Evelyn and I don’t understand why. Or rather, I’m too chickenshit to face a sobering truth. I’m falling for my little backpack and my need to defend her is unwavering.

“I pulled her from that fire. You can’t fake that kind of fear. She thought I was him, coming to finish her off. I feel it in here.” I point over my heart and thump my chest. “You know Open-and-Shut Pete. No way did he do due diligence.”

“Then how? How did her prints get on the bottle of lighter fluid? Why is there a charred receipt buried in the bottom of her backpack for the purchase of the accelerant? I’m going to be honest here, it doesn’t look good.” Grant