stopped to look and that guy jumped me.”
Brian cleared his throat. “That’s not true.”
“Really?” The sheriff turned toward him. “Brian Carlson. Again. You want to tell me what happened?”
“We were driving by. Me and Nick. Coming home. We saw a car parked here at Isaac’s and someone moving around in the dark. Nick said it looked wrong, so we stopped down the road and walked back.” He started to point at the man to his left, then remembered he was supposed to be freezed. “Him. He got a gas can out of his trunk, and Nick followed him and I followed Nick. The dumpster caught fire.”
“Did you see him start the fire?”
Brian bit his lip. Tell the truth. “No. I heard it start and saw Nick catch him.”
“All right.” She eyed them all, then waved the firefighter toward the smoking dumpster. “Glenn, the arson’s your job. Get full documentation once you make sure Isaac’s place is safe. Jim, pat down all three of those guys, then put cuffs on Sam and stick him in my car. Bring the other two in yours.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The guy in black said, “Hey, how come you believe the new guys? Not the one you know?”
“Because I know you,” she said. “Now shut up, so we can all get home before Christmas morning.”
Brian kept still as the deputy came and patted him down and took his phone. Again. He stayed quiet as Sam was read his rights, cuffed, and loaded in the back of the sheriff’s car. The deputy ushered them to the back seat of the other cruiser. Brian wanted to protest— their own car was just down the road— but Nick seemed oddly cheerful. He made an offhand comment, and his voice was stronger and more animated than it had been since they started this road trip.
The way to get Nick out of a funk about his sister— let him catch an arsonist and get halfway arrested. Brian couldn’t find words to reply, and they drove off in silence. He stared out the window and pretended they were almost home. I’m so ready to be home. Any time now.
Chapter 13
The Winrowd County Sheriff’s Department turned out to be a low, concrete block building with a few cruisers parked outside. The parking lot was otherwise empty when they pulled in, past the sign that said “Protect and Serve.” There wasn’t much in Brian’s life that’d made him believe in that, but he knew Nick still did. I want to go home.
The deputy opened the back of the cruiser and Nick got out. Brian sat frozen on the hard, plastic seat until the deputy ducked to look in at him. “Well? Come on.”
He slid out reluctantly, and the deputy bumped the door shut, gripping Nick’s upper arm as if he might run away. Nick took the chance to nudge Brian’s shoulder with his own and smile. Brian couldn’t smile back.
Inside the front room of the station, the reception desk was unmanned. The sheriff had seated Sam, still handcuffed, at the far end of a row of chairs against the wall. She leaned on the desk eyeing him, her face grim. Nick gave her a respectful nod. “Where do you want us, ma’am?”
That got him a fast glance and maybe a fractional softening of her expression. “Sit down and wait.” She pointed to the other end of the row.
“It’s Christmas,” Sam complained, shaking his cuffed hands irritably. “Can’t you let us go and get our sides of the story later? It wasn’t me. That city cop let the real bad guy get away.”
Nick sneered, although he sat obediently. “Yeah. You were trying to put the fire out by tossing gasoline into it. Riiiiight.”
“Quiet,” the sheriff snapped. “Both of you.”
The deputy set his back to the wall and dropped a heavy hand on Nick’s shoulder. They waited for a few minutes, while Gannet made an entry on the computer terminal on the desk. Despite everything, or maybe because of it, Brian’s eyes drooped shut. So damned tired. He braced his feet farther apart, set his elbows on his knees, and supported his head in his hands. Nick bumped his knee gently, but Brian stared down at their feet. Tired.
He almost jolted out of his chair when the sheriff’s phone rang. She pushed back and walked a couple of steps down the hall before answering it. He couldn’t hear much but her exclamation of “Damn. Yeah, you do that. Keep in touch” was clear. She stuck the phone in