Trail of Secrets. Sandra Robbins

of the yard before she stopped and stared at the house now engulfed in flames.

      Tears ran down her face as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed 911. “Nine-one-one,” the operator’s voice answered. “What is your emergency?”

      “My house is on fire!” she screamed.

      “Are you at 1901 Willow Springs Road?”

      “Yes.”

      “Help is already on the way. Someone called it in.”

      In the distance she could hear the sirens, and she relaxed. “Thank you. I hear them. They’re almost here.”

      Callie disconnected the call and stared at the house where she’d grown up being devoured by flames. Someone was determined to make Uncle Dan suffer. First they’d shot him, then tried to kill him in the Critical Care Unit, and now they’d burned his house down. What more could they do to him?

      Her eyes grew wide as the truth hit her like a bolt of lightning. Uncle Dan hadn’t been home, and they knew it. They hadn’t come with the intention of hurting him. She was the one they were after. She could identify the person who’d tried to kill her uncle, and someone didn’t intend for that to happen.

      What more could they do to Dan Lattimer? They could kill his niece.

      * * *

      Seth slammed on the brakes a block away from Dan’s house and jumped from the car. Fire trucks and police cars blocked the middle of the street, and he zigzagged through the obstacle course they created as he raced toward the burning house.

      He stumbled when his foot struck a fire hose, slamming him against the side of a hook and ladder fire truck parked next to the curb. Taking a deep breath, he pushed back to his feet and ran toward Dan’s front yard.

      Smoke poured from the burning building, and he stopped in the driveway of the house next door to survey the scene. In spite of the valiant efforts the Memphis firemen were waging, it was evident there was no way this house could be saved. At that moment the roof gave way and crashed to the ground.

      Seth scanned the gathered crowd, but he couldn’t spot Callie anywhere. Captain Wilson stood in a group of firefighters a few feet away, and he moved over to them. The captain acknowledged his arrival with a nod. “Can you believe this?” he said.

      Seth shook his head. “How much more is going to happen to Dan and Callie tonight?”

      The captain exhaled a deep breath. “I don’t know. This is the busiest night we’ve had in a long time, and a lot of what’s happened has centered on Dan.”

      “I know.” Seth glanced around the bystanders. “Where is Callie? I don’t see her anywhere.”

      Captain Wilson pointed toward his cruiser, which sat about halfway down the block. “She’s in my car. Of course she was wearing her robe and pajamas and wasn’t able to save any of her clothes. I told her to sit in there until we could figure out what to do.”

      “I’ll go check on her. Maybe I can help.”

      Captain Wilson nodded. “Thanks.”

      Seth jogged down the street and stopped at the squad car parked there. He opened the front door and leaned in on the driver’s side. Callie sat huddled against the front passenger side door, her head resting against the back of the seat.

      “Callie, are you all right?”

      She opened her eyes and sat up straighter. “Seth, what are you doing here? You should be home getting some rest.”

      He shook his head, climbed in the car and closed the door. “Captain Wilson called me when he got here, and I rushed right over. I wanted to check on you. How did you get out of the house?”

      “The way Uncle Dan taught me when I was a child. Out my window, across the garage roof and down the drainpipe to the ground. I used to get tired of him making me practice, but now I’m glad he did. Otherwise I might be burned to a crisp in that house.”

      “Do you know how the fire started?”

      She gave a wry chuckle. “Well, it wasn’t faulty wiring, that’s for sure.”

      He frowned. “What do you mean?”

      “I’m sure the firemen have already discovered the smell of accelerant in the flames.”

      His eyes grew wide. “Are you saying the fire was set deliberately?”

      “Yes.”

      For the next few minutes Seth listened as Callie related what had happened after he’d left her at the house. His heart sank when she described the flames racing across the entry and how she’d had to leap over some of them to get to the staircase. When she’d finished, she directed a somber stare at him.

      “I keep thinking about how Uncle Dan acted after he picked me up at the airport. It was as if he knew somebody was after him. Why else would he have tried to get me to stay at the Peabody Hotel rather than at home?”

      Seth nodded. “The fact that he said he needed to tell me something makes me think he probably had gotten some new information, something that might lead to solving this case. That would mean the shooting attempt was a way to keep him from ever revealing what he’d found out.”

      “Yes, but Uncle Dan didn’t die.”

      “And you foiled the second attempt on his life.”

      Callie let out a long breath. “And now somebody knows I can identify the man who tried to kill Uncle Dan tonight. They want to shut me up for good, too. If I hadn’t escaped the burning house, I’d be dead right now.”

      Seth raked his hand through his hair and he gritted his teeth. “This is my fault. I should never have left you alone. How could I ever face Dan again if I let anything happen to you?”

      Callie reached over and placed her hand on his arm. “None of this is your fault, Seth. I should have known I’d be in danger after seeing the scar and tattoo on that man in Uncle Dan’s room. But I have to admit, I’m glad I was able to find this before they torched the house.”

      He glanced at the notebook that sat in her lap. “You found Dan’s notebook.”

      “Yes. Have you ever looked at it?”

      “Yes. He showed it to me several times. He would be down in the dumps for days after finding out that his latest lead had gone nowhere. Sometimes I’d go over to his house, and he’d have it open to the woman’s picture. I think he spent a lot of time looking at it and wishing she could tell him her secrets. But of course she couldn’t.”

      “I’m glad I was able to save this. Maybe we can look through it tomorrow. There are several things I want to ask you about, but I’m too tired tonight.” She stifled a yawn. “I couldn’t go to sleep earlier, but I feel like I could now. The only problem is I have nowhere to sleep—not to mention no clothes and no money. My wallet burned in the fire. I have no idea where I’m going to stay.”

      “I do. You’re going home with me. My sister’s room is empty since she got married, and my mother and I would be happy to have you stay with us while you’re in Memphis.”

      Her eyes grew wide. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Your mother probably hates me because of what happened between us, and I’m sure it would make you feel uncomfortable to have me in the house, too.”

      His face grew warm, but he tried to laugh. “I thought we had this settled. Our relationship was over a long time ago. I accepted that and so did my mother. Besides, with all Mom’s activities, she’s gone quite a bit.”

      Callie smiled. “So she’s still trying to enjoy life to the fullest.”

      “Yeah. I never know what to expect next from her. I don’t know if she’ll be volunteering at one of the hospitals, going on a mission trip to Ecuador or off on a camping trip with her friends to the Smokies.”