“A faulty heater supposedly started the fire.”
“So they bought a faulty heater.” Heidi’s eyes were narrowed in confusion. “I don’t catch why that’s relevant.”
“Because Naomi says her mom told her that they didn’t have a new heater,” he filled their boss in.
“Is Naomi sure that the heater she saw was new?”
“She seems to be. She remembers that it wasn't scratched up, she said their heater was because her brothers played with it. She said she asked her mom if they could have the new heater in their room that night because she would get cold at night, and her mom told her they didn’t have a new heater.”
“And then that night their house burns down because of this new heater that mysteriously turned up that no one knows about. I don’t like that.” Heidi picked up a stress ball in the shape of a snowman and began to squeeze it vigorously. “So how did the heater get into that house?”
“That’s the million-dollar question,” Allina said.
“The stalker is leaving photos from just before the fire. Are we thinking that he actually started that fire?”
“A definite possibility. He tampers with a heater then breaks into the home and swaps them out, hoping no one notices before it has a chance to do its job and burn down the house,” Jonathon said.
“But why latch on to Naomi now?”
“It’s not the anniversary of the fire,” Jonathon answered his partner. “That was last November.”
“Yeah, but whyNaomi?” Allina clarified. “She wasn't the only one to survive the fire, so why latch on to her?”
“Well, her brother is out for obvious reasons. And her sister, well again I can see why he’d go after Naomi instead of Ruth. That just leaves her mom and stepdad, but once more, I can see why Naomi would be the obvious choice if he decided to go after their family again. And maybe once he’s finished playing with her and kills her, he will move on to the rest of them.”
“Is he tired of her already? Do we think that the fire today was an attempt on her life or an accident?”
“We won't know until the fire investigators get in there, but there was a window open in the kitchen where the fire started, and both Sam and Naomi confirmed that the windows were all closed.”
“Maybe they got it wrong?”
“Sam? Get something wrong? Especially something like this. Especially when it’s Naomi who he’s protecting. If he says the windows were closed then they were closed,” Jonathon said firmly.
“But neither of them saw anything?”
“Naomi was asleep, she’s still recovering from a concussion, plus the emotional turmoil of the last few days and she was pretty much passed out. Sam was down in the basement. He said he didn’t hear anything, and he deliberately didn’t put any music on so he could keep an ear out in case Naomi needed him. He had the TV down there set to display the feed from the security cameras, but they only cover the front and back doors. This guy, assuming the fire really was deliberately lit, knew that, and avoided them.”
“So, I ask again, do we think that he started the fire and intended to kill Naomi now?”
“If he was going to kill her this quickly then why bother killing her friends and leaving the threatening messages on the photos? If he really did start the fire twenty years ago then maybe he wants to recreate that now. Further terrorize Naomi but not kill her. Ali?” He looked to his partner to get her thoughts.
“It’s a big risk, but he seems like a risk taker. He doesn’t want her dead until she knows it’s him.”
“Let’s take another look at the old fire, see if we can get anything to corroborate Naomi’s story of the heater. Maybe take another go at her too, see if she remembers anything else unusual from that day. Let’s check out Naomi’s property. If someone was there, there should be evidence of it. It’s winter, Naomi’s house is fairly secluded, there should be tire tracks, footprints, something to indicate the presence of another person.”
“A lot of people were there, fire trucks, cops, paramedics, most of the evidence would have been destroyed,” Jonathon reminded his boss.
“Then work your way out from the house, if he was there then there has to be evidence of him somewhere,” Heidi snapped. “I want this over. Now. Before anyone else dies. He’s circling in closer to Naomi, I don’t want to know what he’s going to do next.”
Neither did Jonathon.
Because his boss was right.
The stalkerwascircling closer to Naomi, and what scared him was just how close he was going to get. His fiancée was closer to Naomi than anyone else, making Clara a perfect target.
* * * * *
10:56 A.M.