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  The psychology behind these monsters was spot on. Over the years and as they perfected their craft, they could develop a pattern of behavior that would render any sane person useless within a few short days. Of course, there was the occasional victim who was able to keep her wits about her. Unfortunately, if she didn’t hide that fact, she was usually killed off and replaced with someone less emotionally stable. On rare occasion, the stronger women were able to pretend they’d been trained until such time that they could escape. I applauded the strength it would take for them to succeed and gain their freedom, but those were not the cases I was most interested in at the moment.

  “Mr. Bates?”

  Suddenly irritated by the disturbance, I breathed out a heavy sigh before pulling the glasses from my face and turning to face Sue Armstrong who stood in the doorway to the room.

  “Yes, Ms. Armstrong. How can I help you?”

  “I hope I haven’t disturbed you…”

  “You have. I should let you know that when I’m deep into what I’m reading or writing, I appreciate it when people leave me to my work, rather than bothering me to discuss something as useless as the weather.”

  She looked shocked by my candor, her hands wringing over themselves, giving away just how nervous she was. I didn’t apologize for being so obviously annoyed. I expected people to recognize that I would not allow the constant barrage of ‘small talk’ when I had more important matters to attend to.

  “Are you going to stand there all day staring at me or did you have something to tell me?”

  Her expression fell, but she straightened her shoulders in an attempt to hold her place rather than slink away like the annoying nuisance she was.

  “I – I’m sorry for bothering you, but I wanted to know if you’ve heard from Autumn. I heard on the news this morning that her house caught fire, and, although she did leave a message stating she would not be able to come in today, I haven’t been able to reach her to discuss if there was anything I could do to help.”

  Her question threw me off, but I recovered quickly and decided to end this conversation before she could question me further. “I haven’t heard from her, Ms. Armstrong. Ms. Cleary and I had a falling out of sorts. I don’t expect she’ll be turning to me in her time of need.”

  Turning back to my work, I replaced the glasses on my face and flipped through the pages of my book, effectively dismissing her from my presence.

  “Thank you. I was just wondering…”

  Her voice trailed off and I didn’t look back to acknowledge that I heard her or cared for what she said. When I heard her footsteps slink away, I picked up my phone to see if Autumn had returned my call from earlier that morning. She hadn’t and I grew concerned. Remembering that I hadn’t left her a message, I decided to try her again. Quickly dialing the phone, it rang several times before once again going to voicemail.

  “Fuck…” I muttered to myself while removing my glasses and tossing them on the table out of frustration. Standing up from my chair, I exited the room, traveling the long hallway to the front reception area of the large building to find Ms. Armstrong at the desk. She was accompanied by none other than Autumn herself. I smiled to see her, noticing how her hands shook and the tears that streamed down her face. They spoke animatedly and I didn’t have to step closer to know that Autumn was upset. Wanting to see how the ‘incident’ had turned out, I strolled slowly towards them, resting my hand on Autumn’s shoulder once I’d approached.

  “I’m happy to see that you weren’t injured. You can imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find out that you no longer have a home. My condolences.”

  Her eyes were like razors, narrowed to a point of being closed when she turned to look at me.

  “And what do you know about that exactly, Lucas?” Moving her body quickly, she shrugged off my touch and I smiled at her response to me. The little rabbit was still fighting against me, still attempting to pretend that she wasn’t falling down a hole where she’d only end up in my grasp. I knew she was under duress from having lost everything she owned and I stepped away, giving her the space she needed to deal with her misfortune.

  Clearing her throat, Ms. Armstrong moved between us in an attempt to diffuse the obvious hostility. Placing her hand on Autumn’s back, she let out a nervous chuckle before saying, “Autumn, sweetheart, I’m sure Lucas is just as concerned as everybody else…”

  Autumn’s head swung in Ms. Armstrong’s direction, her gestures like that of a woman gone mad. “Do you think so, Sue? Because the last thing I remember Lucas telling me before he left my house last night was that I would regret declining his advances and, interestingly enough, my house burned down as a result of ARSON last night.” Her head spun back in my direction and I attempted to keep my expression blank. She was angry and anything I did at that moment would only serve to piss her off more.

  “So, Lucas, where were you last night at around 3:00 in the morning?”

  Opening my mouth to respond, I was immediately interrupted by Sue.

  “Okay, Autumn, I highly doubt Mr. Bates had anything to do with the fire.” She placed her arm around Autumn, attempting to lead her towards the employee office. Autumn refused, choosing to turn back in my direction to continue her interrogation. My patience was wearing thin regardless of how amused I was by her behavior. Pushing her buttons was so easy, so I gave her a charming smile, relaxing my stance and leaning back on the reception desk to hear what she had to say next.

  “It’s my turn to warn you, Lucas. I spoke to the police about you, told them that you were the only person I’d encountered recently who would have any animosity towards me. I also reminded them that Mary Beth is missing which they found to be odd, considering the last person she fought with was you as well. In fact, Mr. Bates…” She spit out my name as if it were a foul taste that filled her mouth. “…it seems that since you’ve moved into our small town, there has been nothing but problems for all the people you’ve run across. I suggest you start covering your bases because the police will be in contact with you soon enough.”

  I couldn’t help the laugh that finally escaped me. She was acting just like I knew she would; slinging out accusations while, at the same time, showing me her cards.

  “What is so fucking funny?”

  My eyebrows shot up my forehead just as Sue gasped. “Autumn! What has gotten into you?” Sue reached for her again and I remained silent while watching the older woman attempt to control the little rabbit that had apparently worked herself into frenzy.

  Stepping forward, I moved so that I was directly in front of her, placing my hands on her shaking shoulders and glaring into the depths of her eyes. “Let me ask you something, Autumn. If you’re so sure that I’m to blame for Mary Beth’s disappearance, do you really think it’s a good idea to warn me that the police are on their way? You’ve just given me notice that I need to destroy evidence or run.”

  She stilled beneath my hold while staring me down. I smiled before continuing. With my voice as calm as I could manage, I bent down to whisper, “Do not allow yourself to believe that you are smarter than me, beautiful. If there’s a game to be played, I guarantee you, I will always have the upper hand. You’d do better to think before you speak. I can tell you, however, that I didn’t start the damn fire and I have nothing to do with Mary Beth’s absence.”

  Straightening so that I loomed over her, my eyes flicked up towards Sue to see the look of concern across her face. I nodded my head in her direction. “I don’t have time for Autumn’s fantasies, nor do I appreciate her accusations. As such, I’m going to return to my work. Please watch after Autumn, Ms. Armstrong. I believe the stress of her tragedy has gone to her head.”

  Sue nodded as she grabbed Autumn. Without another word, I turned back towards the research wing, making sure not to grin until I was out of eyeshot of both women. I wasn’t surprised to hear that the police would be paying me a visit. I’d expected their attention when they finally investigated the disappear
ance of Autumn’s friend.

  After all, it was my texts they would find on her phone from the night she went missing.

  Autumn

  “Screw him and the dark horse he rode in on, Sue. There is no way I’m apologizing to him.” I paced the employee office, my hands running through my messy hair, my heart racing in my chest as I thought about everything I’d lost. “He threatened me. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

  Sue sat back in the wheeled chair behind the desk. “I think you need to calm down and think about the accusations you are throwing out at the man.” She sighed with an expression of sympathy glued to her face. “You two had a lovers’ spat, so what? It doesn’t mean that he set fire to your house. You’re obviously upset, Autumn and I think you need to give yourself a few days before ruining the man’s reputation.”

  “His reputation? Ha! I’m not worried about anything other than …” The phone on the desk rang interrupting my tirade. Sue answered, delight and professionalism obvious in her tone. “Thank you for calling the Watson Memorial Library, how can I assist you?” She grew quiet as she listened, her eyes shifting to me after hearing what the caller had to say. “Of course, Detective. Autumn is right here.”

  Reaching out, she handed the phone to me before standing up and silently leaving the room. I watched her as she left, confusion causing my eyebrows to furl between my eyes and I slowly brought the phone to my ear. “This is Autumn.”

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Clearly. This is Detective Marx. I’ve been placed in charge of the investigation regarding the unfortunate arson incident on your property. First off, I wanted to let you know that we’ve been given some information regarding the fire and, second, I have a few questions that I’d like to ask you. Additionally, I’d like to go over your memory as to the version of events. I was wondering if you’d be able to come down to the station as soon as possible.”

  My heart skipped, hoping that they’d discovered something that would prove what caused the fire. “Did you find out how the fire started?”

  He was quiet for a moment and my blood pounded through my veins as I waited for his response. “Yes, ma’am, I think we did. The state arson investigator is here now and that’s why I’ll need you to come in.”

  I caught myself nodding yes and realized he couldn’t see my response. “Ye – Yes detective, I’ll find a way to get there. I don’t have a car …”

  “I’m well aware of your financial situation, Ms. Cleary. That is one of the topics I’d like to discuss.”

  Confusion swallowed my thoughts, my hand squeezing tighter over the phone in response to the accusatory tone of his voice. I didn’t know if I should question him further or wait until I saw him at the station. Choosing the latter in order to give myself time to calm down, I responded, “Yes, of course. I’ll be there as quickly as possible.”

  …

  Sue dropped me off at the station within a half hour of Detective Marx’ phone call. Waving goodbye, I watched as she drove off and turned to look up at the intimidating glass and brick structure that made up the police headquarters. Out of habit, my hands reached down to smooth the skirt I normally wore, but found dingy jeans in their place. I wished that I’d grabbed more clothes before escaping my home. After realizing how foolish that thought had been, I straightened my shoulders and climbed the ten large steps up to the double glass doors. Pushing inside, I was immediately met by the grimacing expression of the female police officer stationed at the front desk.

  I stepped up and noticed that her eyes searched my attire. She was obviously unimpressed.

  “Hi, my name is…”

  “Autumn Cleary. Yes I know.” Her tone of voice was bored, a small hint of skepticism laced within her words. “Detective Marx told me that we’d be expecting you. If you would take a seat on the wooden bench over there, I’ll buzz him to let him know that you’re here.”

  Dismissing me with a flick of her wrist, I tucked my tail between my legs and did as I was instructed. While listening to the boorish woman have a brief conversation on the phone, I couldn’t help but wonder how she knew who I was and why she was being so rude.

  I didn’t get much time to consider her behavior further because, within seconds, Detective Marx was strolling out from behind a set of double doors, his suit jacket blowing out behind him from how quickly he moved.

  He was a tall man with broad shoulders and intelligent grey eyes. He met my stare and smiled, revealing straight white teeth and one dimple on his clean shaven face. Although handsome, he looked tired and I passed it off as a consequence of the type of job he worked.

  “Ms. Cleary.” He offered his hand and I noticed how it was large enough to completely encase mine. “Thank you for coming down on such short notice. Mr. Hilton, the state arson investigator is here, so I thought this would be a perfect time to talk to you.”

  After he let go of my hand, there was a noticeable absence of the warmth of his palm and I shivered, finding myself attracted to him in an odd way. It was strange that I’d never seen him considering how small the town was in which we lived.

  Walking me back towards the doors, he pulled them open as I approached, allowing me to walk in ahead of him. I turned to thank him and bumped into his chest as he came through the doorway. The scent of his cologne brushed against my senses and I breathed deep, relishing the hint of sandalwood and earthy musk. I found his presence to be comforting, safe.

  “I’m sorry, I was just going to thank you for holding the doors. I didn’t mean to …”

  After clearing his throat, he said, “No problem.” His voice was deep and breathless. He stepped back to put distance between us and stared at me with an unreadable expression before lifting his hand to motion me down the hall. “Shall we?” His previously friendly tone had shifted back to the professional one I’d remembered from our phone call.

  “Of course.”

  When we’d reached the door to his office, he moved around me, carefully avoiding brushing up against me while he opened the door. Stepping in, I noticed another man sitting in one of the leather chairs positioned in front of a large oak desk. When he stood up, the bulge of his stomach was noticeably present over his pants. His eyebrows were bushy and grey and appeared to meet in the middle of his wrinkled face. He wore a tan shirt and forest green pants. There was nothing exceptional about him and I was glad that he wasn’t as intimidating as Detective Marx.

  “Ms. Cleary. Thank you for coming. Please have a seat.”

  Sitting down on the uncomfortable chair, I shifted slightly so that I could watch Detective Marx round the desk. He walked with a smooth swagger, confident and sure in his stride, like a man who was in complete control of his world. I found myself drawn to him more, to the power that seemed to radiate around him. I felt suddenly better about the investigation, assuming that a man like him would be able to quickly solve the crime that had been committed against me.

  Before he sat in his chair, he removed his suit jacket to hang it on a stand behind the desk. I couldn’t help but admire the definition of his muscular arms beneath the cotton of his starched white shirt. My mind drifted to Lucas and I mentally compared the two men. They were built the same. Both were extraordinarily attractive, but, whereas Lucas carried an air of darkness and mystery about him, Detective Marx seemed like the white knight, the type of man a woman could trust with her life.

  “I’ve asked you to come in today, Ms. Cleary, so that we could briefly discuss the circumstances of the fire at your house. I apologize I wasn’t able to meet you at the scene this morning, but I had another matter that required my attention. By the time I’d arrived, you’d already left.”

  Nodding my head, I remained silent while I waited for him to continue.

  His expression darkened and it appeared that whatever he was about to say would be upsetting. Mr. Hilton stared holes in the side of my head, his gaze never leaving my expression the entire time Detective Marx spoke.

  “I hate to have to bring this up, especially
since I’m sure you haven’t yet had time to make arrangements following your loss, but we received an interesting phone call this morning and some pictures were delivered by a courier as well. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to determine the identity of the person who sent them due to fact that they paid in cash, but I’m not sure that it matters.”

  Looking between the two men, I became anxious with what Detective Marx was about to reveal to me.

  “I don’t understand. What do the pictures show?”

  He breathed out a heavy sigh and looked at me long and hard. “They show me, to a certain extent at least, who started the fire. They are images of … a person … pouring what appears to be gasoline around the perimeter of your home, Ms. Cleary.”

  My heart was in my throat and despite not knowing who would have been taking pictures at 3:00 a.m., I was ecstatic to think that the cause of fire would be solved so easily. I knew it had to be Lucas.

  “It was Lucas Bates, correct? He was angry with me when he left and since he’s arrived in town, Mary Beth has disappeared and…”

  “Ms. Clearly, I can assure you, Lucas Bates is not the person who set fire to your home. Is there something you want to tell me before I reveal to you what we’ve found?”

  Shaking my head, I moved my mouth to respond, but only a squeak came out. Trying again, I was finally able to say, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m supposed to tell you. I’d like to know who burned my house down and I’m not exactly enjoying this conversation. Why won’t you just tell me what the pictures show?”

  “They show a woman setting fire to your home, a woman who fits your build. A woman who has long hair, much like you.” Mr. Hilton had answered in place of Detective Marx, his face contorting into a scowl as he spit out the evidence he believed he had about the fire.