A show of authority. Perhaps a punishment for bringing Doc along.
Well, fuck that.
“Come on. Let’s go. I’ve got things to do.”
Tina had her hand on the knob when the police chief entered with the fire chief right behind him. Neither showed surprise at seeing Doc there. In fact, they didn’t acknowledge his presence at all.
“Thanks for coming in, Bertina. We just need to ask you some routine questions.”
“Routine? There’s nothing routine about what happened,” Tina said and then asked a question of her own, “How did it start?”
“It’s still an open investigation,” Jerry Petraski replied vaguely, his eyes shifting momentarily to his brother-in-law. “You kept up with your inspections? Everything was up to code?”
“You know I did. You’re the one who did the inspections and signed off on the permits.”
“What about insurance?” asked Freed.
“What about it?”
“Do you have fire insurance?”
“Yes.”
“You kept it up-to-date?”
“Of course I did.”
“When’s the last time you updated your policy?”
Doc shifted in his seat. Clearly, he didn’t care for the chief’s questions any more than she did, but he remained silent.
“What are you implying, Chief?”
“Just answer the question, please.”
Tina exhaled. “About three years ago when I expanded the kitchen. Why?”
Fire Chief Petraski scribbled something into his notebook and then asked, “Have you had any trouble at The Mill lately?”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Malfunctions. Accidents. Unexpected incidents. Things like that.”
“No, not at The Mill,” she said carefully. “But there have been incidents at the orchards. And someone shot out my tire a few weeks ago.”
Petraski stopped scribbling and looked up.
Freed’s eyebrows pulled together. “What’s that now?”
“Someone shot out my tire,” Tina said slowly and clearly. “I was on my way up the mountain and—”
“Why were you on your way up the mountain?” Freed interrupted, shifting his eyes toward Doc accusingly.
“That’s irrelevant. As I was saying, I was on my way up the mountain, and someone was following me, so I turned the tables and began following them. That’s when they started throwing beer bottles back at me. They cracked my windshield, and when that didn’t stop me, they shot out my tire.”
It was Freed who said evenly, “You didn’t report it.”
“Yes, I did. I talked to Joe.” Beside her, Doc shifted again. “He took the information, but said since I couldn’t identify them, there was nothing he could do.”
An uncomfortable silence stretched out for several long moments before Chief Petraski cleared his throat and asked, “Can you think of anyone who would have it out for you? A disgruntled employee maybe?”
“What? No, I—” Tina thought of Eddie and clamped her lips shut. Eddie, who happened to be Joe Eisenheiser’s cousin and a volunteer firefighter. Suddenly, things became clear.
“Yes?” Chief Petraski prompted.
Beneath the table, Doc gave Tina’s hand a gentle squeeze and broke his silence. “Are you suggesting the fire was deliberately set?”
Petraski’s lips flattened. “I’m not suggesting anything until the investigation is complete. One more question: where were you last night, Bertina?”
She gaped at him. “Surely, you can’t possibly think I had anything to do with it. Why the hell would I destroy my own business?”
“No. I was home alone until I got the call. Anything else?”
Petraski closed his notebook and sat back. “I think we’ve got everything we need. For now.”
“Good.” Tina stood up. “We’re done here.”
Doc’s hand on the small of her back felt good as they stepped out of the police station and into the sunlight. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself.
“Well, that was fun,” she said sarcastically.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Doc
“Thanks for going with me,” Tina said. “I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome,” Doc replied as he opened the driver’s door for her. Thankfully, she hadn’t protested his tagging along.
Not that he’d asked.
Daryl Freed and Jerry Petraski—or Frick and Frack, as Smoke called them—were morons. Morons and bullies who, unfortunately, were in positions of power. They liked to remind everyone of that, using veiled threats and intimidation tactics instead of earning respect.
Like sticking them in a ridiculous interrogation room. Making them wait an inordinate amount of time. Casting vague insinuations.
Their plan had backfired. All they’d done was highlight the corruption within their own ranks. Doc was now certain that Joe Eisenheiser was behind the attack on Tina. He knew it. They knew it. And now, Tina knew it, too.
“I’m not sure I did you any favors,” Doc told her.
Maybe Eisenheiser had thought he was avenging his cousin. Maybe he had heard about Tina’s visits to