Page 42 of Burn With Me

“This seems like overkill for one person. Could the killer have known the victim or possibly hated them for another reason? I’m spit-balling here, but this one seemed personal to the arsonist.”

“Not to the arsonist,” Asher said.

I looked up at Asher, who was staring at the body, his eyes transfixed on what used to be the face of a living, breathing person. “Hey, you okay?”

Ash’s eyes turned to me, and I swallowed hard with the intensity of the stare.

“I will be. We found this with her body.” He nodded toward the remains, his weight shifting and the heavy boots crunching on debris. “And, yes, it does seem like overkill, which is what really worries me,” he said, holding out a small box.

“What’s this?”

“Her I.D.”

I took the box and stared at Asher’s face, suddenly unsure I wanted to open the blackened lid. “He left her I.D. in a fire-retardant box?”

“I’m pretty sure that was a purse and wallet and whatever else she had with her.” He pointed to the floor.

I hesitated a second longer, my pulse pounding hard in my throat. Lifting the lid, I stared down at the perfectly intact identification and sucked in a sharp breath.

“Oh my god, Asher.” I looked up into his eyes, and he looked away and blinked away unshed tears. “Are you sure it’s her, and this wasn’t just left here?”

“I’m not sure, but this is pretty deliberate if it’s just a sick prank. No, my gut tells me this is Britnay, and even though we were no longer together and didn’t have a…traditional relationship, she didn’t deserve this.”

“Do you think one of her followers did this, or do you think this has to do with something else?”

Asher’s heavy gaze found me again and I wanted to round the table and wrap him up in my arms. His eyes seemed to be holding up the weight of the world.

“I think it is a message to me or us. I think the arsonist knows that we are investigating him, and he’s warning us that he knows who we are close to and our habits.”

A shiver traveled down my spine, and I remembered the camera at the building that had ended up being a dead end, but at some point, it had been recording all the other scenes we’d been at recently. Was this guy actually targeting Asher and me? Was he angry or feeling threatened by us? That meant we had to be on to something, but I didn’t know what.

“Oh shit, Beck,” I mumbled under my breath. If he hurt one hair on her head, I would rip his balls off before he went to prison.

“Come here. I want to show you something else that is really fucking diabolical and creepy.”

“Like this wasn’t? Such a sales pitch.” I followed him to the backside of the building. At first, I didn’t understand, but then Ash wiped at a square area in the wall, and I gasped. “He was watching.”

I flicked my flashlight around for what I was sure I would find, and sure enough, a tiny glint in the corner had me walking closer. “Son of a bitch, this guy is sick. Look up there. That’s another camera. No wonder this guy has decided to make us his playthings. We are cats that are getting closer and focusing in on him. We need to figure out the connection that he’s worried about and fast.”

“Yeah, I see it.” Asher shook his head. “I got into firefighting to save lives, and Britnay may have lost hers for simply knowing me.” Asher turned back toward the body, his large shoulders slumping slightly.

Reaching out, I grabbed his arm, not sure where we were and what was allowed with our new relationship agreement, but Asher didn’t step away. “Don’t beat yourself up. First, we don’t know for certain that this kill was because of us, regardless of how much it feels like that. Second, even if this guy did target her because of you…Asher, the man has issues. There is no way you could’ve ever predicted this in a million years.”

“I know,” he said and laid his other hand over mine.

“So there was another reason I wanted you to come down here, and it is because of this.” He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out something small and round. I didn’t need to see the label to know what that was. I’d collected enough at the apartment fire to recognize the bug trap.

“So what, you think it’s now become his calling card and not just a way to get access to places?” I asked, taking the small piece of metal from his hand. My thumb gently brushed at the black surface.

“Honestly? I don’t know at this point, but even I can’t say it is a coincidence. It was beside the table.” Ash rubbed at his forehead with the back of his arm. “I do think that he no longer cares if we know. I’m not a psychologist, but that’s my best guess.”

“You know that is not a bad idea. I have an appointment with Kim and her psychologist tomorrow, I’m thinking maybe I can ask some questions about this arsonist’s behavior. Maybe they will have some extra insight that we’re missing.”

Asher’s face remained worried.

“What is it? Do you know something that I don’t? I feel like you’re holding back.”

“There’s something about this fire that seems so personal. I know that’s crazy, but I can’t shake the feeling that this guy is laughing at me.” He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. “You’re probably right, and it’s nothing. I’m just tired and overthinking it.”