It had to be You

slightly hot and there were a few feeble embers that were red. I moved the bus as quick as I could. Then ran down to the river with a bucket and put the fire out.“
    “So the bus is all right?“
    “Yes. It could have blown to smithereens though. I want to know who would want to do that to me. I can imagine someone breaking into it to steal things. That’s happened before. But why would anyone want to destroy it?“
    “You fail to understand the thrill vandals get from destroying things for no reason,“ Walker replied.
    “I don’t think it was naughty little boys. I think somebody wanted my business to fail.“
    “Then why set a fire in the rain?“
    “Maybe it was just a threat?“ Kelly said.
    “Do you have enemies?“ Walker asked.
    “Not exactly. Oh, there have been a few people I’ve called on and sold things to who didn’t like the products as much as they thought they would. That’s all.“
    “Okay. I’ll ask around to see if anybody noticed strangers or even neighbors wandering around late last night. That’s the best I can do. I’m glad the bus didn’t blow up.“
    “Thank you, sir. I’ll be around for a couple more days. I have a few deliveries to make, and then I’m going to visit my grandpa at the nursing home.“ He stood up to shake hands with Howard.
    “What’s your grandpa’s name?“ Walker asked, though he knew the answer. He’d hoped someone else could break the bad news and then he would question the young man afterwards. But here he sat, unawares. Might as well get it over with.
    “Sean Connor, sir. He’s laid up with an infected knee.”
    Walker said, “Sit back down, son. I’m afraid I have bad news for you.“
    “About my bus, you mean?“
    “No. About your grandfather. I’m afraid you won’t be seeing him. He died about ten days ago.”
    Kelly looked shocked. “Ten days ago? I think that might have been the last day I saw him.“
    “So I’m told,“ Walker said. “I’ll need to ask you a few questions about that visit.”
    Kelly asked, “Could I make my deliveries first and come back here?“
    “I’m afraid not. I’ll need to talk to you now. It probably won’t take long.“
    “Where is he buried?“ Kelly asked.
    “In the family plot on the farm land.”
    Kelly pointedly didn’t comment. He just frowned.
    Walker pulled out his file and rummaged around for a few minutes. “What time did you get to the nursing home to visit?”
    Kelly was staring at the bulging file. “What’s all that paperwork? And why are you asking me?“ He was looking seriously distressed now instead of merely sad.
    “Because he was murdered that morning,“ Walker told him. He hated saying this to the young man, but Kelly would eventually find it out. He might as well hear it now in private.
    “Murdered!“ Kelly said, leaping to his feet. “Who did it?“
    “I don’t know. That’s why I need to talk to you about your visit.“
    “You don’t think I did it. You can’t think that! He was a tough old bird and rude to everyone. But he was my grandpa. The only one I had left.“
    “I’m sorry about that. It’s why I need all the information you can give me.“ Howard didn’t feel this was the time to tell Kelly that his rude grandpa had made a will giving him, and his brother, the farm his grandmother had inherited. That would color the questioning, and it wasn’t Howard’s responsibility.
    “What time did you get to the nursing home that day?“ Howard asked, gesturing that Kelly should sit back down.
    “I dunno. It was real early,“ he said, all but collapsing into the chair. “It was one of the same days my grandmother usually visited. I never wanted to be there when she was. I guess it was around seven-thirty or eight. I took him some little samples and put them on the table beside the bed.“
    “Did he like them?”
    Kelly shrugged. “I couldn’t tell. He was sound asleep.“
    “You’re sure of that?“
    “He was snoring. He didn’t wake up when I talked to him real quiet. But then, he never really talked to me anyway.“
    “What did you say to him when you visited?“
    “Oh, just stuff about where I’d been. What the weather was like outside. People I’d met and whether they’d bought anything from me. He always pretended he was asleep. But sometimes when I made a joke, I could see his lips twitch a little.“
    “But not that day?“
    “No. He was sound asleep.“
    “Thank you for answering my questions. I may have others to ask you.