Nicole Young - Kill Me If You Can

“How did this get started?” he asked.

“I have no idea. I left the house around noon and when I got back about two twenty, this is what I found.” I gestured toward the burnt-out shell. “I called right away.”

The man nodded. “It looks like accelerants were involved.”

“Accelerants?”

“Like gasoline.”

I shook my head. “I don’t remember seeing a can of gas in there. Maybe, but I don’t think so.”

“Does anybody have a reason to be angry with you?”

I looked at him in surprise.

He stared at the ashes. “The reason I ask is that the majority of crimes are committed by someone we know.”

I fumbled through my data banks and came up empty handed. “I don’t know anybody up here. Well, just a couple people, but they wouldn’t burn down my shed.”

“Weren’t you tight with Melissa Belmont awhile back?”

My eyes scoped out the trees as I tried to figure out how he knew that. “I wouldn’t say tight. We talked at church and bumped into each other once at the library. Why?”

His eyes were all over my face. “Drake Belmont got thrown in jail yesterday. You wouldn’t have had anything to do with that, would you?”

My jaw dropped. “Absolutely not. I’d heard he dealt drugs, but I assumed that’s common knowledge.”

“Common knowledge or not, I think Drake’s buddies are sending you a message. I imagine next time it’ll be your house they burn down.”

I sputtered. “If you think you know who did it, then let’s go to the cops. The arsonists should be sitting behind bars next to Drake.”

He shook his head. “I’ve seen this before. You’ll never be able to prove a thing.” The fireman glanced at the others winding up hoses. “I guess it pays to mind your own business, huh?”

He joined his associates. With the last of the equipment stowed, the tanker truck and engine started out the drive.

“Thank you,” I called toward the last rig. One man lifted his arm in acknowledgment. The diesels roared, then were gone.

I stood alone in the yard, still shaking from the incident. The fire had scorched the grass around the ruins. I guess I was lucky the whole forest hadn’t burnt to the ground. I couldn’t believe someone would pick today, of all days, to do this horrible thing.

I ran inside, flopped on the bed, and dialed Candice’s number.

“Candice, you won’t believe what just happened.” I blurted into the phone when she answered.

“I can’t even understand you, Tish. Is everything okay?”

“They burnt my shed down. I got home and it was on fire.”

“Who? Who burnt your shed?”

“Drake Belmont’s buddies. The fireman said they must be mad at me for turning Drake in. But I didn’t turn him in. I never said a word to anybody.” I paused, remembering. “Except you and Puppa.”

The other end of the line was quiet.

“Candice? Are you there?”

“I’m here, Tish.”

“I can’t believe they’d do this to me. I loved that shed. I had big plans for that shed.”

Candice gave a big sigh. “Just be glad it wasn’t your house. I’ll be right over.”

“Thank you, thank you.”

I put on some coffee while I waited. The interior reeked of smoke. I went around and opened the windows facing the lake, hoping the fresh breeze would clear up the air.

Back in the kitchen, I dragged a stool to a spot near the window. I stared out at the smoldering foundation. Gray smoke wisped toward heaven, as if carrying the spirit of my precious garden shed home.

Candice arrived. Her white Impala lurched to a stop near the porch.

She raced inside. “Tish, are you alright?”

I nodded. At her show of concern, my face swelled up. Next thing I knew, tears were pouring down my cheeks. She held onto me, rocking me like a little girl, right there in the kitchen.

“Shh. It’s okay. We’ll get through this.”

The gentle back-and-forth motion brought me back to that tragic May, years earlier.

“Do you know what today is?” I sobbed.

“I know, dear. I know.”

“Why did she have to die? Why did she have to do that? Wasn’t it enough just being my mom?”

Candice ran a hand along the back of my hair. “She loved you, Tish. She really did.”

I pushed away from Candice and stared into her face.

“Why weren’t you there, Jellybean? Why weren’t you at the funeral for me? I looked and looked, but you never came.”

Candice’s eyes pooled. She grabbed me and held my head to her chest. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I wanted to be there, I really did.”

We were both crying like babies when a black pickup pulled up. Gravel flew when the driver hit the brakes.

“Oh, no.” Candice wiped at her face. “I’ve got to make a run for it.”

The passenger door opened. My grandfather stepped out. Gerard walked around from the driver’s side. The two men headed for the porch.

“You’re not going anywhere.” I stepped in front of Candice, as if to shield her.

“What’s going on around here?” My grandfather bellowed as he barged in. Gerard entered behind him.

“Hi, Puppa.” I tried to act natural, though all the tears must have made my face look like I’d sunburned through a chain-link fence.

“What’s she doing here?” He pointed a finger of accusation in Candice’s direction.

Candice stepped out from behind me. “Hello, Bernard. I’m comforting your granddaughter in her hour of need. You know, that thing I wasn’t allowed to do twenty-six years ago.”

My grandfather’s eyes narrowed to slits. “I’d be careful going back twenty-six years if I were you.”

Candice smirked. “Interesting there should be another fire. What’s this one for? To mark the anniversary?”

Puppa’s fingers balled into fists. “I don’t know where you got the idea I was behind the fire at your place, but it sounds like you’re going to carry it to the grave.”

She shimmied closer until her face was within reach of those fists. Curiosity kept me from pulling her to safety.

“Who else would have burned the place down with Paul still inside?” she asked.

I assumed Paul was Candice’s husband.

She took a step closer. “And I’m sure it didn’t break your heart that Sid died in the flames too.”

Near the door, Gerard tensed.

My grandfather’s voice softened. “They were mixed up in bad stuff, Candice. It was only a matter of time. If not a fire, then something else.”

She continued on as if he hadn’t even spoken. “How can you live with yourself? You wanted Paul dead so you could marry me. And Sid was responsible for ruining your career.”

Puppa shook his head. “No. You could have divorced Paul. And my own stupidity cost me my job. Not Sid.”

My head bobbed back and forth as I watched the two seniors match wits.

Candice’s normally proud stance melted into a forlorn slouch. “You knew I couldn’t get a divorce. It was against everything I believed.”

Puppa leaned toward her, his hands reaching for her body but not making contact. “I’ll never understand you. You were living under my roof, and you were worried about what people thought if you got a divorce?” He put a fist to his forehead as if to say duh. “They would have been relieved. They would have been glad for you. Nobody liked Paul. Not after what he did to you.” His voice turned all raspy. “Why should you have felt guilty for starting a new life? A life with me?”

Candice dropped her head into her hands. Tufts of silver hair poked up between her fingers.

“Tish.” I barely heard her say my name. “Tish. Walk me to my car.”

My grandfather put out an arm. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

Candice glared up at him. “I don’t want your help.”

He put up his hands in surrender and stepped aside.

I touched one hand to her wrist and the other to her elbow and led her into the yard. “You don’t have to leave, you know. This isn’t Russo land. It’s my land. Stay and have a cup of coffee.”

Candice shook her head. “I can’t be around him.”

“Come on, Candice. It sounds to me like he’s trying his best.”

She stopped at the car door. “It’s more complicated than that. There’s more to it than you realize.” She got in and turned the key. “I’ll see you next Thursday. Treat yourself special today, Tish.”

I nodded and bit my lip. She slammed the car door and drove off. I took a deep breath and went in to face my relatives.

I walked through the kitchen door. For a moment, the three of us just stood there looking at each other.

“Well, who’s up for a cup of coffee?” I moved toward the counter.

The men nodded and I poured three mugs full. Another round of silence followed.

My grandfather spoke first. “Let’s walk out to the shed and see what we can find.” He bolted out the door, never looking back to see if anyone came after him.

I glanced at Gerard as we moseyed toward the ruins. “I hope you can make sense out of that whole Bernard-Candice thing,” I said. “The best I can figure is they’re both professional grudge holders.”

“You got that right. It’d take an act of God to get one of those two to apologize to the other.”

We were almost to the pile of smoldering ashes. “It seemed to me like Puppa was trying to make amends.”

“It may seem that way, but there’s more to it than you realize.” Gerard took a sip of coffee and stared into the glowing coals.

“That’s what Candice said.” I stood next to him. Through the smoke, my grandfather kicked at some charred wood.

“There’s no doubt this was arson,” Puppa said.