Ghost River Jon Coon (free reads TXT) 📖

“No dress and flowers?”

“Clothing optional. Ring and cake nonnegotiable. Neither, by the way, is your pass to the bedroom. Emily needs to know we live by the rules we expect her to follow.”

“Deal.” He took her hand and kissed it. Guess that’s not how proposals are supposed to go. I’m glad she didn’t have a gun. They rode in silence a while longer, until they arrived at the dirt drive into the camp.

“Now what else do I need to know?”

“Soon, I promise. I have to meet with the DA in the morning and pick up the warrants she’s supposed to have for us. If they’re ready life is going to get real interesting. We need to find the evidence in Peterson’s mansion, find Nancy and that briefcase, and round up the rest of the crew on this sinking ship. Now I need food and sleep. You did a great job tonight, and I couldn’t be happier to have shared the truth with you.”

“Thanks. I’m happy too. But it is weird. You have to admit.”

“I do.”

“‘I do.’ Those are good words. Don’t forget them.” She grinned and kissed him, and they crossed the partially completed new deck to the creaking screen door.

CHAPTER 26

0700

Air quality warning: smoke and fire

Early the next morning Gabe called Alethea on his way to the dive locker.

“I wasn’t sure what to do. She told me she knew about my so-called gift and that Charlie knew it too.”

“What did you say to that?”

“At first I think she thought I was kidding, but she kept on pushing, so I told her. She came unglued for a while, but I convinced her to dive with me last night. We found Wilson Corbitt, the British engineer. She saw the whole thing. Angels and everything.”

“How did she process that?”

“She loved it. She wants to buy Stony’s property together and build a house. She’s willing to wait a while, but she wants a wedding with a ring and a cake. She says the rest is optional.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“I’ve thought about it a lot. It still spooks me, but if there’s ever going to be a chance for me, I think it will be with her. I never thought I’d be able to say this about anyone, but I think we need to be together. I can still breathe, even talking about the future.” He hesitated to tell her about his analysis with the Ben Franklin technology.

“You need to be certain sure, Gabriel. If a year from now you change your mind, that would be a real disaster for her and those kids, so please don’t rush. Give yourself plenty of time to think this through. Promise me. The last thing they need is for you to break their hearts.”

“I understand.” He knew she was thinking about Cas. “I’ll go slow.”

Zack and Mickey took Emily for burgers and a movie, giving Gabe and Carol a chance for their first real dinner date to a steakhouse followed up with an ice-cream stop. They were on the way home just at dusk. Gabe drove the winding sand road through the cypress trees toward the river. The trees blocked their view of the sky and the camp by the trees until they were almost home. However the stench reached them before they could see the flames.

Carol gasped when they came into the clearing, and she saw two fire trucks and two state police cars. The firefighters were rolling hoses and packing the trucks. Detective Bob Spencer waved as Gabe parked. Nothing remained of the house but smoldering ash and acrid smoke. Carol’s car was burned down to the frame, sitting in four puddles of stinking, melted rubber. Only the outhouse remained standing.

“What—! What happened?” Gabe shouted. He fought down his anger as he went around to Carol, expecting tears. Wrong. She was smoking mad too.

“Charlie gave me that Mustang. It wasn’t even a year old,” she growled. “And I was nearly done with that porch. What happened?”

Bob joined them shaking his head. He hugged Carol and then put a hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “Where are the kids?” he asked quietly.

“Movie. They’re safe,” Gabe answered

“Thank God, I was worried sick. Man, hate to tell you, but we can’t find Wesson. We found Smith. She’s been shot.”

“How bad?” Gabe’s anguished look said a book-full of his care for the dogs.

“She’s going to make it. It didn’t look that bad, I had a car take her to the vet. But we haven’t heard anything yet.”

“I left them outside, so no chance the fire got Wesson.” He paused. “Unless they shot her too. Who reported it?” Gabe asked.

“A news chopper called it in. But it was too late to save anything. Sorry, man, this is a bad deal.”

“Not an accident?” Carol asked.

“Not a chance. They left the gas cans as if they want us to know they did it. Might as well have put up a sign or posted a video on YouTube.”

“Corbitt’s warning,” Carol said.

“What?” Bob asked.

“Nothing,” she replied. Gabe caught her eye and nodded.

The fire was out, and the trucks left. After assurances from Gabe and Carol that they were okay, Bob and the other patrol car left as well.

“The kids are due back from the theater. I’ll wait here,” she said. “I’ll be okay. Go and find Wesson.”

“Come with me. They’ll see the car and know we’re here. Wesson is probably scared out of her mind. And I’d just as soon not leave you here alone.”

“Okay,” she answered. “Do you suppose there’s insurance?” she asked as they walked the wooded trail.

Gabe was calling Wesson and scanning the riverbank. “I doubt it. I can’t imagine it was insurable. I’ll need to visit the prison and let Stony know.” He called loudly and whistled again.

“Will you ask him about selling?” she asked.

“Still interested?”

“Starting from scratch will be easier than a remodel. I had a look at the floor joists when I was working on the deck. Wasn’t pretty. Getting the whole place up to code and