The Private Eye

understand?”
    “Maybe I should follow you,” Maggie suggested helpfully. “In the mysteries I've read, the hero always gets into trouble when he doesn't have backup.”
    Josh moved to squelch that idea at once. “No. You're not going to follow me. I don't want you anywhere near the house.” He shut the door with a firm thunk and started through the trees toward the manor. He didn't look back-He was afraid Maggie might view that as an indication that he was having second thoughts about allowing her to accompany him.
    He wanted her safe.
    The shadowy figure of Wilcox moved steadily toward the manor. It was easy to keep track of him through the trees. Wilcox didn't once check behind to see if anyone was tracking him. He was intent on his goal; a man on a mission.
    Josh edged closer, using the deep shadows of the trees for concealment just in case Wilcox got smart at the last minute and took a good look around.
    Wilcox walked along the side of the manor and went right up to the kitchen door. Josh shook his head in amazement at the man's boldness. He watched as Wilcox set down the parcel he was carrying and slipped a key into the kitchen-door lock.
    It had undoubtedly been very easy for the handyman to get a key to the back door. Josh reflected.
    Much too easy. Josh decided he would institute some new security precautions around the place when this was all over.
    It struck him quite forcibly that he was already thinking of Peregrine Manor as his home.
    Josh waited until Wilcox had let himself into the darkened kitchen before he followed. He paused on the back-door step and listened as Wilcox clomped across the tile floor. When he was certain Wilcox was in the hall and heading for the basement. Josh silently let himself into the kitchen.
    He moved out into the hall when he heard Wilcox's big boots on the stairs that led down to the basement.
    This was good enough. Josh decided. He had Wilcox neatly trapped. AU that was necessary now was to dose the basement door and lock it from this side and call the sheriff to report an intruder. While waiting for the sheriff to arrive. Josh would make certain Wilcox didn't wriggle out through one of the ground-level windows.
    Piece of cake.
    A snap.
    Like shooting fish in a barrel.
    No heroics required.
    This was the way a job was supposed to go—simple and neat.
    Josh caught the unmistakable whiff of kerosene Just as he was about to shut the basement door. And suddenly he realized what had been in the parcel under Wilcox's arm. Not tools for staging another act of mischief—kerosene.
    Wilcox had gotten desperate, all right. He was planning to set fire to the manor. The fact that the odor of the highly flammable liquid was strong on the stairs meant the handyman was already going to work.
    So much for simply locking the door and calling the sheriff. The kerosene would do untold damage to the Colonel's files, besides which the least little spark would start a blaze that could bum down the manor.
    “Hold it right there, you bastard!” Josh flicked on the light switch as he leaped down the steps.
    The lights came on, revealing Wilcox caught in the act of pouring a thin stream of kerosene across the concrete floor. He was working his way slowly and methodically toward the Colonel's filing cabinets. Wilcox looked up, startled. At least Josh assumed the handyman was startled. His expression was barely altered. Maggie had been right. Wilcox had all the animation of a banana.
    Dwight set the kerosene can down at his feet. “Stay back, January. It's too late.” He dug into his hip pocket and came up with a cigarette lighter.
    Josh swore but wasted no more breath trying to talk the fool out of what he obviously intended. He reached the bottom step and threw himself forward in a long, flat dive just as Wilcox flicked the lighter and touched the flame to the thin rivulet of kerosene.
    The trajectory of his dive brought Josh down on Wilcox like a ton of bricks, carrying both men heavily to the floor. But even as he rolled on the concrete, struggling to pin the other man. Josh heard the terrifying whoosh of fire.
    There was a shout from the top of the stairs.
    “Josh!”
    It was Maggie. Josh heard her racing down into the basement. He could smell the kerosene burning and he wanted to yell at her, order her to get out of the firetrap.
    He forced himself to ignore everything but the job at hand. First things first. He could do nothing about the fire until he had Wilcox under control.
    And