Embers and Echoes by Daniel De Lorne

Author:Daniel De Lorne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Escape Publishing

***

He was missing something. It flitted at the edges of Ben’s consciousness, taunting him with its vague presence, but every time he tried to focus his attention on it, the answer darted into the shadows. Toby was innocent but he was connected to this in some important way. As much as he disliked holding Toby in a cell any longer than necessary, he needed to talk to Bob.

He pulled into the driveway and the front door opened as soon as he got out of the car. Narelle guarded the entrance with her arms crossed beneath her bosom. ‘Well? Where’s Toby?’

‘Perhaps we should go inside before we start talking about this.’

‘The neighbours already know what you’ve done. How could you arrest Toby? It’s ridiculous.’

He resisted the urge to scrub his face in his hands. Instead he ignored the question and the accusation. ‘Has Bob changed his story?’

‘He’s asleep. He was distraught and tired himself out.’

‘If you want to help Toby, then I suggest you wake Bob so I can talk to him again.’

She huffed through her nose and her lips puckered, but she motioned for him to follow her into the house. He took a seat in the family room. He couldn’t fault her for her loyalty to her nephew. In fact, he’d always liked Narelle, but right now she was someone else ready to have a go and he was running out of patience.

Voices murmured down the hall. He hoped Bob was lucid enough for this conversation.

‘Where’s my son?’ Bob asked as he came into the room. His usual smile was gone, replaced with the stern glare of the fire chief he’d once been. Ben stood up to not feel so small beneath that reproach.

‘He’s at the station. We’re holding him while we check out parts of his story.’

‘You’ve got the wrong guy.’

‘So people keep telling me,’ he said, sitting back down. Bob sat opposite with Narelle hovering to the side. ‘Do you remember what you said at the hospital about seeing Toby lighting the fire at the house?’

‘I never said that.’

Ben looked at Narelle, but her closed face told him he wasn’t going to get any support from her. ‘I’m afraid you did. Twice. You said you’d gone into the kitchen and saw Toby outside the window.’

‘I was confused. It wasn’t Toby, but it was someone who looked like him.’

‘But that’s not what you said.’

‘Then I’m changing my story,’ Bob boomed, whether from the affront at having his authority questioned or in frustration.

Witnesses changed their stories all the time, often when they realised they’d implicated loved ones. Unless Bob could offer him something new, he’d come across as an unreliable witness.

‘You won’t do Toby any favours if you’re protecting him when he’s done something wrong.’

‘That boy would never harm me or anyone, so I’m telling you, I didn’t see Toby out the window.’ Bob’s jaw jutted forward. ‘I came into the kitchen. The fire was already lit. I looked out the window and a face looked back at me. The bastard got a shock and took flight.

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