Gideon banged his fist on the trailer door, and a man shouted for him to come inside. Joan went first and found herself facing down a trio of men gathered around blueprints spread out on a long, wide table.
“I’m looking for Mr. Pollock,” she said.
The men looked at each other and then back at her, grinning.
“Who wants to know, doll?” the oldest of the three asked.
“Detective Joan Mason.”
“And Detective Bailey.” Gideon’s voice reverberated directly behind her.
She had seen Pollock’s kind before on the streets of Philadelphia. They were quick to underestimate a female, especially one with a small frame. Almost all had shit-eating grins on their faces right up until the moment she clicked handcuffs on their wrists.
“We’re here to talk to you about the fire,” Gideon said.
The older of the men stepped away from the trio and came around the table. He moved past Joan toward Gideon. “The fire was more than a year and a half ago.”
“We understand. But walk me through what happened again.”
“What’s bringing all this up now?” Pollock challenged.
“I have a similar case in Missoula. Perhaps there’s a common thread,” Gideon said.
“I don’t see how one has to do with the other. Besides, my fire was ruled an accident.”
“Then you won’t mind answering a few questions. Otherwise I can take it up with your insurance carrier, if you’re too busy for me,” Gideon said.
Pollock motioned the other two men to leave the trailer, and once they’d closed the door behind them, Pollock said, “There’s not much more I can tell you. I was out of town. San Francisco. On business.”
Joan could picture him standing in front of a mirror saying the words. I am innocent. I was out of town.
“Sergeant McCabe told me exactly that,” Gideon said. “Did you receive any threats or have any trouble before the fire?”
“No,” Pollock said. “One minute I’m staring at the Golden Gate Bridge and the next I’m getting a call from the police.”
Joan shifted her stance, already knowing this guy was going to feed them a story vetted by his attorney. “What would have happened if the insurance company didn’t pay out?”
Pollock’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that mean?”
“How much of a financial hit would it have been if they clawed back the payout?” Joan pressed.
“Something tells me you know the answer,” Pollock said.
“A million dollars is a fortune for some and pocket change for others. Which one are you?” she said, studying the blueprints.
Pollock’s grin looked feral. “I don’t like your tone. And unless you have proof to back up whatever it is that you’re suggesting, then I suggest you back off. In fact, who do you work for? I want to file a complaint.”
That prompted a smirk from Joan. She was already in hot water, likely would not get her job back, and knew her boss would welcome a complaint out of another jurisdiction that would be the final nail in her coffin. He had her name, and he could dig for the captain’s name if he wanted it.
“What was the cause of the fire?” Gideon asked, redirecting him.
“Electrical,” Pollock said, his gaze still on Joan.
Gideon looked out the window toward the fresh slab of concrete. “There were two ignition sites.”
“It was a surge in power that overloaded the old wiring,” Pollock said. “Read the fire report.”
“Was it as large as this new project?”
“No. The new building is twice the size. The area is booming, and I have the land to expand. Now’s as good a time as any to go bigger.”
“The old warehouse would have cost a fortune to renovate or tear down,” Joan said. “The fire was a stroke of luck.”
“Time for you both to leave,” Pollock said. “If you have any more questions, you can talk to my attorney.”
“You think you need an attorney?” Joan asked.
“I don’t cross the street without one,” Pollock replied. “Now leave.”
Both stood their ground, ignoring the bluff.
Gideon searched his phone and then held up a picture of Lana Long. “Do you know her?”
“No.”
“Take a long look,” Gideon said.
“I don’t know her.”
“If we need to come back, we will,” Gideon said as he handed his card to Pollock. “Might want to give your attorney a heads-up.”
Outside, neither spoke until they’d crossed to his SUV. “Not sure if it’s my winning personality, but I torqued him up,” Joan said.
“You always had a knack for irritating people. Direct as an ax,” he said.
“Pissed-off people usually open their mouths and incriminate themselves.”
Gideon drove them back to Missoula, and both sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts. When he pulled into town, he asked, “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
“I know a place.” He pulled up in front of Tucker’s Diner.
“Ah Jesus, Gideon. Is there no other place to eat?”
“Old times’ sake,” he said with a grin.
“The good old days weren’t that great. I worked my ass off here.”
“My treat. Indulge me.”
Joan stared at the door she had pushed through so many times. “I’m afraid I’ll end up in that pink uniform again and behind the counter.”
Gideon opened it for her. “You won’t.”
The diner was quiet, but she knew it was the lull before the usual lunch crowd. They each grabbed menus from a star-shaped holder and gave their order to a waitress dressed in the restaurant’s traditional pink uniform. The pretty young woman returned quickly with their drinks and a smile.
“This your first time back here?” Gideon asked.
She sipped her soda. “Yes. I’ve avoided it since my return.”
He shook his head as he stirred the ice in his soda with the straw. “You put in some long hours. Holidays, too.”
“I had no choice.”
He looked toward the counter. “Did Elijah eat here often?”
“At least four or five times a week. He always ordered the same thing. Pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Never varied once.”
He studied her over his cup. “I’m surprised you would remember that.”
“I liked him. He was a nice guy. I know he didn’t fit in well with most, but that’s probably why I liked him.”
“What did you talk about?”
“Everyday stuff. Classes and books mostly. We never talked about life beyond graduation. I just assumed we would find a way and it would work out.”
“It did. In its own way.”
His silence felt troubled until finally he shifted back to the case. “What do you think of Pollock?”
“Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he’s been through the wringer the last year. Fire generates a lot of paperwork and is a pain in the ass. He could just be tired of the questions.”
“Now tell me what you really think.”
She grinned. “Arson is an accepted business practice in some communities. It can be the most cost-effective strategy in the long run, assuming you don’t get caught.”
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and see similarities between the Halpern and Pollock books.”
Ignoring the we, Joan sipped her soda. “He sincerely seemed to not recognize Lana Long’s face.”
“She was in Denver when his place burned. But I thought it was worth a try.”
“Assuming the Beau-T-Shop and warehouse fires are connected. Are you saying we’re dealing with an arsonist for hire? Someone has a problem with a building and hires our boy?”
Their burgers arrived, and each said little as they ate. Finally, Joan said, “Elijah could not have set the Pollock fire.”
“Agreed.” He shoved out a breath and sat back.
“And it would have been a hell of a stretch for him to set the Beau-T-Shop fire.”
“Maybe he had a proxy,” Gideon said.
“Lana Long.”
“This guy turned on his charm, and according to her former boyfriend, Ryan, Lana fell for it hook, line, and sinker.”
“Sounds like Elijah.”
“You need to watch yourself around him.”
She arched a brow. “Do you think I’ve fallen for Elijah’s charm as well?”
“You did come halfway across the country twenty-four hours after his release.” He sat back, balling his paper napkin and then setting it on the plate.
She leaned forward, not knowing whether to slap him or laugh. Finally, she said, “You really think I’m that gullible?”
“When you spent time with Elijah at the diner, what did you talk about?”
“School. I was the teaching assistant in his class. Books. Gossip.”
“You didn’t date?”
“You mean, did I cheat on you? No. I did not. And since we’re being very honest, when did you start to date Helen? Was it really after I left, or had you two taken up before?”
His face hardened into a stiff mask. Her comment had hit its mark, and she was glad. Hit her and she hit back.