The Last Move by Liz Sinclair

Author:Liz Sinclair
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BelleBooks Inc.
Published: 2015-05-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

KATIE PULLED HER car in diagonally to the curb in front of The Rook, or what remained of it. From the look of it, the fire had been out for some time, and the men working it had been reduced to a skeleton crew to watch for flare-ups. Marsha should be inside. Katie popped her hatchback to get her gear and got out of the car.

As she pulled her equipment from the back of the car, a commotion at the far end of the lineup of the fire trucks and hidden from her view caught her attention. Forgetting all about her gear, she made her way toward it. As she rounded the bumper of a large tanker truck, she recognized the Palm City Ambulance. The EMTs were sliding a stretcher into the back of the emergency vehicle.

“Oh, my God!”

Her heart in her throat, Katie hurried forward to see who had been injured. She made her way through the gathered crowd, saying a silent prayer that whoever it was, the injuries weren’t life-threatening. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing another life to the maniac setting these fires.

When she got close enough to see into the back of the ambulance, she saw a mop of chestnut curls. Marsha! A cold clammy feeling invaded her entire body.

Never taking her eyes off the woman on the stretcher, she moved closer behind a fireman who was also watching the scene. “What happened?” Not until he turned and glared down at her did she realize it was Jerry Braniff.

“Looks like you taught her well, Sullivan. She went in before I released the scene.”

Guilt swarmed over her like a host of locusts.

Braniff opened his mouth to say more, but the words never made it past his lips.

“Where the hell have you been?” The harsh demand came from somewhere behind her. She swung around to find Chief Bill O‘Brien standing there, legs akimbo, hands on his hips, his face distorted in rage.

Katie had known this was coming, but she’d hoped it wouldn’t be until later and without an audience. For her to leave the scene of a fire while on duty was a violation of orders. She knew that and had done it anyway. Bill already felt she was spending far too much time and energy on finding the Chessman and this was not going to help matters. This was inexcusable. She’d be lucky if she came out of it with her job intact.

Determined to face up to what she’d done and its consequences, she said, “I’m sorry. Drew and I went to look for Dad’s journal. Drew and I are sure it has clues to the identity of the Chessman. We—”

“Sorry? Sorry isn’t gonna cut it this time. Goddammit, Katie! That journal could have waited. We needed you here doing your job.” His voice rose in tandem with the infusion of blood darkening his face. “Marsha needed you here.”

“Is she all right? How did it happen?”

“She will be. We think she sprained her ankle when she fell through the floor.

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