All Night Long

brows.
    “You do realize that McPherson is currently contemplating the possibility that you and I are responsible for that fire tonight?”
    She swallowed hard. “Yes. But we’re the ones who called in the alarm.”
    “Wouldn’t be the first time that an arsonist set a fire, called the fire department and then hung around to watch the excitement.”
    “I’m aware of that. But Sam has to realize that we have no motive. Neither of us stands to benefit from any insurance policy that the Webbs might have on the place.”
    “A lot of arsonists don’t do it for the insurance money. They’re addicted to the thrill of the flames. But that’s beside the point in this case. You want to talk motive? Fine.
    Let’s start with me.”
    She frowned. “You don’t have one.”
    “Exactly.” He nodded, as though trying to encourage a slow student. “You, on the other hand, do.”
    She nearly choked on her outrage. “What on earth are you talking about?”

    “It wouldn’t take much to make you look like a prime suspect. Everyone in town knows you’re obsessing over the idea that Pamela Webb was murdered. You want to force McPherson to conduct a serious investigation, right?”
    “Yes, but—”
    “Setting fire to the victim’s house is certainly one way of getting his attention and ensuring a nvestigation of some kind.”
    She was horrified. “That’s weak. Very, very weak.”
    “If you believe that, you’re in denial.” Luke studied her with a hunter’s cold, calculating gaze. “No matter how you slice it, I’m your alibi for that fire tonight and you’re mine. Problem is, neither of us has a lo f credibility here in Dunsley. I’m the new guy in town. No one knows much about me. That makes m natural suspect. But you’re in an even worse position because you’ve got a history around here. McPherson would have to be a really bad cop not to be suspicious of both of us.”
    She unlinked her arms and threw them wide. “But there was someone else there tonight. We saw him.” She hesitated. “Or her.”
    “McPherson’s only got our word on that.”
    “Okay, you’ve made your point. You know something? I think I need a drink, too.”
    She marched to the refrigerator, opened it and took out the last bottle of beer. “By the way, I am well aware of the fact that you saved my life tonight.” She removed the top of the bottle. “Thank you.”
    “Huh.” He drank more beer.
    “True, you scared the living daylights out of me, appearing out of nowhere up there on the deck. But if you hadn’t been there, I might not have realized what the intruder was doing until it was too late.”
    “You were scared? How the hell do you think I felt when I realized you had broken into the Web ouse in the middle of the night and that there was someone else inside with you?
    You want to compare heart palpitations, lady?”
    Best to ignore that, she decided.

    “You never did tell me why you followed me,” she said after a while.
    “That should be obvious. I’m renting a cabin to a woman who has a bad tendency to get into trouble in the middle of the night. An innkeeper has to take precautions when he’s dealing with guests like you.”
    “You’re really pissed, aren’t you?”
    “Yeah, I’m really pissed,” he growled. “You shouldn’t have gone anywhere near that damn house.”
    “You know, you make it hard to be properly grateful when you take that senior-officer-chewing-out-a-subordinate attitude.”
    He brooded for a moment.
    “Why the hell did you go back there tonight?” he asked.
    She leaned against the edge of the sink and contemplated the label on the beer bottle.
    “You heard wha said to McPherson. It’s been bothering me that Pamela didn’t leave a suicide note.
    Tonight, after you and Jason left after dinner, I got to thinking about it. I still had the utility room key. So I drove out t he house to take a look. The intruder interrupted me while I was searching upstairs.”
    “I heard what you told McPherson.” Luke’s mouth twisted humorlessly. “I also know you lied through your teeth.”
    She felt her face turn hot. “What do you mean?”
    “You don’t believe Pamela committed suicide, so you didn’t go to the Webb house to look for a note.
    You went looking for something else.” He paused a beat and lowered his voice.
    “What’s more, I thin ou found it.”
    When in doubt, stall, she thought.
    “Out of curiosity, what makes you say that?” she asked.
    “Call me