Secrets Uncovered--A Romantic Suspense Collection by Tess Gerritsen

Author:Tess Gerritsen
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460399408
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1992-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

A bright ball of flame bloomed at the base of the old timber beam beside the front door as though a giant matchstick had just been struck. The fire ebbed in its initial intensity, but the shower of sparks drifting through the smoke found purchase on the rotted wood. Each glowing ember ignited a tiny new fire of its own. In a matter of seconds, the flames branched out along the crosspieces above the door frame and climbed any available path toward the ceiling.

“We need to go,” Gabe urged.

Olivia wrapped up the scarf and its contents and zipped it inside her jacket. The more the fire consumed, the brighter it burned and the faster it seemed to spread. But she wasn’t going anywhere without that gun, if that was, indeed, what she suspected was hidden inside. She flipped the top box off the pallet and reached for the next one. “I need to retrieve everything in here.”

Gabe’s hand clamped over her arm, pulling her away. He thrust his arm inside the collapsing stack and pulled out the small caliber weapon along with a snowy cascade of dust and grit. “Ah, hell. Do you think this...?”

He didn’t need to finish that choked-off question. Yes. Chances were that was the gun that had killed his fiancée.

Olivia plucked the small semiautomatic from his hand and stuffed it into the back of her belt. With flames shooting up to the second story now, there wasn’t time to worry about trading compassion or compromising potential evidence. She grabbed the box with the bloody fingerprints and tucked it beneath her arm. “We need to go now.”

With a curt nod, Gabe fell into stride beside her and they ran to the iron doors. By the time they reached them, she’d dialed 9-1-1.

“This is Detective Olivia Watson. I’m reporting a structure fire at the old Morton & Sons Tile Works on—”

“Wait!” Gabe shot his arm out in front of her and stopped her from touching the iron door. He held his hand out about five inches from their only unlocked, unbarricaded exit before quickly snatching it back. Then he leaned forward and spit on the door. Even through the mask of smoke, she could hear the moisture sizzling on the hot iron surface and they both retreated. “It’s too hot. We need to find another way out.”

“We must have created a spark when the door slammed shut.”

“I don’t think so.” He nudged the one-by-one on the floor with his shoe. It had a swirl of char marks at one end while the rest of the wood glowed like an ember and was turning to ash. “That’s a pour pattern from an accelerant. I saw that at a trio of arson fires I covered a few years back.”

“This was deliberate? Why? A stupid prank? Do you think they knew we were in here?” Olivia blinked at the gritty air irritating her eyes and sinuses, and followed the swing of Gabe’s flashlight as he searched for another exit.

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