Page 13 of Scarred Trust

“Really, don’t you think you put him through enough yanking his chain like that?”

“Yeah, after all he’s been through, you betray him like that?”

They yelled simultaneously, making their words indistinguishable. The sentiment was clear though: “Go away, leave him alone.”

“Just give me a minute. It’s urgent.” I repeated the phrases, hoping one of them would hear me. These guys were big and intimidating, but I couldn’t let them stop me from talking to Wes.

“Hey, dinner’s ready. What’s going on-” Wes called from the top of the steps and stopped mid-sentence as soon as he saw me.

“Don’t worry. She was just leaving.” The one with blond hair called to him, but Wes had already headed down the stairs.

“I need to talk to you.” I could feel his anger rolling off of him from feet away. With a curt nod, his crew left.

“Well?” He folded his arms against his chest. I knew he was protecting himself, but he felt cold and menacing.

“You were right about the fires. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, but I think I found the pattern.” My words rushed out. My adrenaline was rushing even faster, not only from what I’ve discovered, but from my fear that this wouldn’t make a difference for us.

“What changed?” he gritted out. I hesitated to answer. How much did I really want to tell him, and could I trust him after the way he had reacted, or would he use the information against me?

“I had known something was amiss. That’s what I was looking at when the non-fire happened. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I had also been too eager to prove my value to ABS.”

“Their princess in the high tower? How’s the Junior Partner thing going?”

“What? How do you know about that?”

“Didn’t want me to know how truly ensconced you are, did you? The Duffy’s staff are a chatty bunch with the right question. And very proud of their successful Trina.”

“You don’t have all the information. I’m sorry all this happened to you and to your family, but that doesn’t give you the right to play judge and jury with my life.”

“This is about who you are and what you’ve done. If you choose to blame others for that, then I imagine ABS will reward you with a cushy corner office.”

“Stop. I will not keep apologizing or explaining something I didn’t do. I came here to tell you I met with lawyers about moving ahead with this case. If you want to contribute, the information you have gathered could help.”

“How romantic. I could be useful.”

“You ended us, not me. You twisted the truth, not me. I did apologize though. You? Didn’t think so.” If he was still going to judge me, I didn’t need that kind of help.

“If you want to work together on this, call my lawyer. With or without you, I’m going to fix this.” I pressed the thumb drive against him, not caring if it fell.

I walked away. I didn’t look back, nor did he call my name. It didn’t matter what he did. Having others who support me and will be there for the arduous challenge ahead gave me the confidence and determination that we would find justice for all the families affected by these tragedies.

Chapter 8

IT WAS PAST MIDNIGHT, and I felt like a caged animal pacing the basement in front of the incident board. I had added sticky notes, pictures, and other items that Cate had given me. They helped fill out the picture, but I still hadn’t decided what to do in regard to her.

Was she really the enemy? How involved was she? Was she giving me this information just to placate me? Was any of it even true? I hadn’t decided how much I could trust her or who was telling me the truth or who wasn’t.

I needed to get out of my head, and being alone wasn’t gonna accomplish that. Staring at this board wasn’t gonna accomplish that. Going to a bar and hanging out with strangers and drinking wasn’t gonna help that either.

So even though it was my night off, I decided that hanging out with the guys at the firehouse was my best option. At the very least, I could cook them a good meal and help clean up. The weather was warm and unusually dry for only a few days before the 4th of July, which made it perfect for a quick run instead of the stuffy train.

I started by running out by the lake, with the lights shining off and reflecting off the surface. A cool breeze was blowing against my warmed skin. As I got closer to Printer’s Row, I yearned for a glimpse of Cate. Maybe she was still cleaning up in the main part of the restaurant, and I could see her through the big picture windows. I knew it was a bad idea, but the pictures on my phone were only getting me so far. I wondered if she missed me as much as I had missed her. If she saw me, how would she react? Would she be happy to see me, or would she still be mad at how I treated her?

When I came upon Printer’s Row Park, it surprised me at how busy it was: people playing music, drinking, dancing. They were lighting fireworks in the concrete circle in the middle of the park. It looked like harmless fun since they were using the small fireworks, sold at nearby stands, that were legal and safe for little kids to use. They would spark up a couple of feet and be done. I continued on my way, saying hi to people, feeling in a good mood. The atmosphere was lively and contagious and helped me get out of my funk.

I continued walking through the park and even had a little dance to my step, enjoying the music that they were playing. Then suddenly there was an explosion next to me. My mind went on automatic, and I started yelling. I could hear myself, but it felt like I was separate and this was happening to someone else. I was yelling for someone to call 911, and I found a cooler full of ice and I dumped it on top of what looked like a raging fire. I ran to find a hose, and I remember yelling for help, yelling for someone for a hose.

The next thing I remembered was a soothing voice telling me that the police had already been called and the fire was already out. Somehow, the sound of her voice calmed me, reassured me. I heard her say that I was okay, and that I was safe, and I knew it was true. I let her guide me inside a building, and she sat me down and gave me a glass of water. I could hear her talking to me, but her voice seemed so far away, like I was in a small room and she was calling to me through a locked door. I couldn’t distinguish the words, but a sense of calm pervaded me.