Melting Point Read online

  Collier glanced at the report. “This says she took the qualifying course for her permit at DRT Gun Range. Let’s call and see if they can tell us anything before we go talk to her.”

  The owner-manager of the gun range informed Kiley and Collier that Raye was a regular long-time member and a crack shot. With both handguns and rifles.

  Not sure where they’d find Raye Ballinger on a Saturday, they drove first to her home. She wasn’t there, so they went to her law office, a bungalow-style building of buff-colored stucco and a wide front porch framed by twin white columns. It was late afternoon when Collier held the door and Kiley preceded him inside. A light buzz announced their arrival.

  The interior was done in dark, elegant wood. Misty greens and blues in paintings, chairs and carpet kept the reception area from being too pretentious. It was understated and elegant, much like the woman whose name was on the door.

  Pausing at Kiley’s side, Collier reached over and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. Even that small touch had heat sliding under her skin and she gave him a look as Raye swept out of an office just behind a large reception counter. She stopped short at the sight of them, her welcoming smile fading.

  Dressed more casually than Kiley had ever seen her, Raye still looked chic in a pale yellow sweater and slacks. Her blond hair was pulled back in a low ponytail.

  “Collier, Detective,” she said coolly, quickly masking the surprise in her dark eyes. “What brings you here?”

  Kiley saw no reason for small talk. “We’re following up on some information.”

  “Regarding?” Raye arched a brow.

  “Our current investigation,” she said smoothly. “I need to read you your rights. As a matter of SOP, you understand.”

  “Standard operating procedure. Of course.” The other woman folded her arms and listened with a neutral look on her face.

  When Raye said she understood what had been cited to her, Kiley reached inside the pocket of her black wool coat for her small notebook. “We got a tip that you might have information about these firefighter murders.”

  “Me? Ridiculous.” She laughed. “Who told you that?”

  “They didn’t give a name.” Collier shifted, not touching Kiley, but close enough that she could feel his warmth. It was both reassuring and disconcerting.

  The other woman’s gaze sharpened, slid from him to Kiley. “Whoever it was gave you wrong information. The only thing I know about those dead firefighters is that they’re dead. And, of course, that you suspect one of my clients of killing them.”

  “All four of them worked the scene of your brother’s suicide.” Collier watched her closely.

  Pain tightened her refined features. “I still don’t know anything.”

  “We found out you have a conceal and carry permit,” Kiley said.

  “So what? Half the people in this state carry guns.” The attorney skimmed her gaze slowly over Collier. “Besides, you’ve seen some of the people I represent. I feel better having one.”

  Not liking the flare of irritation she felt at the hungry look Raye had given Collier, Kiley made a note of the lawyer’s statements. Everything needed to be on the record, by the book. “We spoke to the owner-manager of DRT Gun Range. According to him, you spend a lot of time there.”

  “Well, the two of you have been busy,” Raye murmured. “So?”

  Collier fixed Raye with a stare. “That makes us think you’re more knowledgeable about guns than someone who just wants to be prepared in case of trouble.”

  Kiley studied the other woman. “You shoot in monthly rifle competitions, and you’re a superior marksman.”

  “What are you implying, Detective Russell? I know how to shoot a gun. So what?”

  “Those murdered firefighters were killed with a sniper rifle.”

  “I know that.” The other woman stiffened. “Are you saying…you think I killed them? Because I know how to use a gun?”

  “You know how to use a rifle,” Kiley reminded.

  “I’m an attorney. Why would I do anything that might get me disbarred? Or sent to prison?”

  “Revenge makes people do things.”

  “Revenge?” Her gaze went from Collier to Kiley, then comprehension swept her features. “Oh, you mean for my brother’s death.”

  “All the murdered firefighters did respond to that call.”

  “Well, I imagine some others did, too.” She folded her arms, her eyes glittering as if she were enjoying every bit of this.

  Which she probably was, Kiley thought. She did like to play games.

  The attorney leaned back in her chair, resting her elbows on the thick arms and steepling her fingers beneath her chin. “You must be desperate for suspects if you’re checking me out.”

  “We didn’t say you were a suspect, Counselor,” Collier pointed out silkily. “We’re simply following up on a tip we got.”

  “Ah, yes, from some anonymous person.” Her gaze flickered from him to Kiley, weighed them both as a sly smile curved her lips. “Take a tip from me. You should be more concerned with your own personal business. Last time I saw you, the two of you weren’t nearly so…cozy.”

  “Meaning what?” Kiley really did not like this woman.

  “You are supposed to be conducting a murder investigation, but it’s apparent what kind of business you’re really conducting. I’m sure the mayor, along with your bosses, would be very interested to learn that the two of you are involved.”

  Kiley gave the lawyer a flat stare, struggling to keep heat from rising in her cheeks and trying to breathe past the knot of alarm that coiled in her gut. She didn’t look at Collier.

  Raye folded her arms and studied them. “What other suspects do you have?”

  “We’re here to get information, Raye,” he said evenly. “Not give it.”

  “Well, how about this for information? Whoever gave you that tip could be setting me up to look bad. Anyone who knows about my brother’s death wouldn’t be far off in assuming I have issues with the fire department.”

  “Why would someone set you up?” Kiley asked baldly.

  “The same motive you just cited. Revenge.”

  “Who would want revenge against you?”

  “There are plenty of people who hate me for doing my job, Detective, just as I’m sure there are those who hate you for the same reason.”

  Kiley arched a brow and stared expectantly at the blonde.

  Raye shrugged. “Some of those people are my clients. Maybe I didn’t get them the deal they wanted or a not-guilty verdict. Any one of them could be pissed at me. I’ve been threatened by my own clients before, as well as others.”

  “And you think one of them hates you enough to go to the trouble of framing you?”

  Collier sounded as disbelieving as Kiley felt. Her gaze met his.

  Raye shifted her attention to him. “I don’t have to tell the two of you how revenge drives people. Some of my clients are pretty vicious, filled with hate. And any one of them could find out what happened to my brother. Killing the firefighters who let my brother die would be the perfect way to set me up.”

  Collier clenched a fist at the blame she assigned to the people who had tried to save Jamie Ballinger. As much as he hated to consider the possibility, he silently agreed that someone could use Raye’s very well-known anger against the fire department to make it look as if she were the one killing these public servants.

  “I do blame those firefighters for failing to catch my brother when he fell off the ladder, and that is why I’ve already filed a lawsuit against the fire department. Their public humiliation and a hefty settlement will be a sweet enough revenge for me.”

  Collier glanced at Kiley, noted her rigid posture, the cool disdain just beneath the surface. He knew she was too professional to let her personal dislike of Raye show; he just hoped the attorney didn’t catch on.

  “It’s not that far-fetched, is it, Collier?” Raye asked softly. “Why don’t you put the taxpayers’ dollars to be
tter use and find out if someone’s trying to make me look bad?”

  “Give us some names and we will,” Kiley said quickly.

  Good call, Collier thought. To put the burden on Raye. Although she certainly didn’t act like a person who was guilty.

  The attorney smiled. “I’ll make some inquiries on my own first. I believe people are innocent until proven guilty, which is just the opposite of how you law enforcement types operate. If you don’t have any other questions, I’m expected at my mother’s.”

  Kiley nodded. “We’ll let you know if anything comes of this.”

  “Thank you.”

  “We may have more questions, Raye,” Collier said quietly. “Stay available.”

  “I’m an officer of the court, Collier.” Her voice dripped sweetness. “Of course I will.”

  They stepped out into the frigid January air. Evening settled around them in a wash of pale blue and gray. Neither of them spoke until they were in Collier’s truck. As he drove out of the parking lot, Kiley shifted toward him. “Do you think she’s our suspect?”

  “Hard to know.” He could feel tension pulsing from her. “What do you think about her theory that she’s being set up?”

  “Someone would really have to hate her in order to go to all that trouble. And, brace yourself, it’s not that hard for me to imagine that someone could hate her enough to do it.”

  He grinned. “I feel like it’s a wild-goose chase, but we can’t ignore it. Especially since we haven’t found anything new on Embry or Vail.”

  “What do you think is the best way to find out the names of her clients? Asking Raye for a list would’ve been a waste of time.” Kiley pushed her hair over her shoulder as she snapped her seat belt into place.

  Collier wanted to sink his hands into the thick cloud of fire. And the urge to touch her that he’d felt since first seeing her this morning hadn’t abated just because they’d been tending to business. “Would the D.A.’s office have a record of that? Files on cases they prosecuted that also give the names of opposing counsel?”

  “I can check. If not, I think we’ll have to go to the courthouse and dig through a load of records. By hand.” She groaned. “That will take forever.”

  “Yeah. I don’t know how high on our to-do list that should be, especially since we’re only guessing that it was one of Raye’s clients who called Crime Stoppers and snitched on her. We don’t know she’s involved at all or has any connection to the victims other than her brother’s suicide call.”

  “Whatever we do, we can’t do it until Monday.”

  He glanced over, found her staring intently out the window. He tickled a spot behind her ear. “Don’t let her get to you, Blaze.”

  Could he read every thought in her head? How had Raye figured out that she and Collier were involved? It wasn’t as if either of them were walking around panting after each other. Not in public, anyway. “How could she tell?”

  “She couldn’t.” Collier stopped at a red light. “She was fishing, same as we were. She only made that insinuation to deflect our questions, get our focus off her. She does it in the courtroom, too.”

  Raye had questioned Kiley on the stand before, so she knew he was right. Still she was shaken. “I wish she was our murderer. Jail would be a good place for her.”

  “She doesn’t know anything about us.”

  “We can’t be sure.” If Raye could tell the two of them had a personal relationship, couldn’t everyone else? If not, they soon would. That would terrify Collier. It terrified Kiley.

  “So what if she does know something? We’re not breaking any laws. We are consenting adults, Blaze.”

  “You heard what she said. That sounded like a threat. What if she tells the Chief of Police? The Fire Chief? What if this case gets to court?”

  He took her hand, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin between her thumb and index finger. “Don’t be jumpy. Everything’s gonna be all right.”

  “I wish I felt as sure as you do.”

  “Wanna grab some dinner? Or if you’re feeling brave, I can make pancakes.”

  Something warm fluttered in her chest. She was afraid she was falling for him, and she was not going to let that happen. Talk about asking for heartbreak.

  Their relationship had shifted in a huge way. A scary, meaningful way. Last night they hadn’t even made love. They’d just fallen asleep together on her couch. That was too comfortable, too…intimate. “I…kind of need to see my sister tonight.”

  “Kiley—”

  “I missed our weekly breakfast again this morning, plus I have things to catch up on. I’m sure you do, too.”

  He studied her, protest darkening his eyes.

  “I need a little time to myself. Just for tonight, okay?”

  “Okay,” he finally said.

  The understanding in his eyes caused her throat to tighten.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “All right.”

  He leaned over and ran a knuckle along the line of her jaw. “I’ve got a safety inspection first thing Monday morning. I’ll meet you at the D.A.’s office around nine-thirty. Maybe by then you’ll have compiled a list of Raye’s clients.”

  “Trying to get out of your share of the work, McClain?”

  “You know it.” She smiled and he cupped her nape, pulling her to him. “I want you to think about me tonight, because I’ll be thinking about you.”

  His mouth covered hers, hot and sweet, melting her from the inside out. He hadn’t kissed her like this before. Hungry but tender, causing her whole body to ache. He didn’t stop until she was dizzy and breathing hard, trying to remember why she thought it was a good idea to go home without him.

  He dropped her at the police station, and she got into her car, more confused than ever.

  Chapter 12

  Collier had missed her like crazy last night. He’d been reminded of life before her, and he didn’t like it. If Terra’s comments last week had made Kiley uncertain of continuing, Raye’s remarks had probably spooked her.

  He figured she’d spent the night thinking about calling things off between them. But Collier didn’t want to call things off.

  They weren’t supposed to see each other until tomorrow, when they had agreed to meet at the D.A.’s. Telling himself to give her some space, he decided to wait until this evening to call her. They both had things they needed to do, at the office and around the house. Walker was coming over later to help Collier start tearing up the hallway floor in preparation for the new one.

  Just before noon, as he was pulling in to get the oil in his truck changed, a call came over his radio about a fire at one of Presley’s newest apartment complexes. The one where Dominic Narr lived. The apartment number was his.

  It might be nothing, but Collier’s instincts said go. He called Kiley and she agreed to meet him there. He drove west across town, reaching the complex in about ten minutes.

  He maneuvered his truck through the parking lot to the affected building and parked behind an engine from Station One. The blaze was out, puffy white-gray smoke pluming over the complex.

  Police cruisers blocked off every entrance to the complex. A news van from a nearby Oklahoma City station pulled up to the edge of the scene. Collier had initially responded to this call because of Narr, and now that he was here, he’d investigate. The chances were slim that a do-wrong implicated in their investigation would just happen to lose his home to fire so soon after coming to their attention.

  The entire building was evacuated as were the ones on either side of it. If the flames had jumped, the close placement and position of the structures would have had them burning like a fuse. Dozens of people milled about.

  Collier pulled on his boots and turnout coat, then closed his truck door. As he tugged on his heavy gloves, Kiley drove up and got out of her car. Her hair was down, the way he liked it best, and Collier wanted to bury his hands in it. Wanted to get his hands on her.

  It was all he could do not to pull
her into a dark corner somewhere and kiss her until they both gave out. Her warm cinnamon scent teased him. Beneath her long coat, she looked sleek and professional in a slim-fitting black pants suit. Her gun and badge were clipped to the waistband of her slacks. The pale green silk blouse she wore made her eyes more green than blue.

  Her greeting was professional, no different from any other day since they’d gotten involved, but he saw a glimpse of something undefinable in her eyes. Regret? Whatever it was ratcheted up the restlessness he already felt.

  He stuck to their agreement, partners only while on the job, and tried to narrow his focus to the blaze. Handing her a pair of steel-soled boots, he waited while she put them on. After speaking to the cop who was logging in personnel and learning that the apartment’s resident, Dominic Narr, was at work, Kiley and Collier ducked under the crime-scene tape blocking off the affected area.

  Each two-story structure was tan frame with colored shutters that varied from building to building. The ones on Narr’s building were green. Flags of smoke and soot streamed black on the exterior walls.

  Stations One, Two and Four had responded, as well as two engines from Oklahoma City. Some firefighters moved away from the building, pulling off their helmets and Nomex hoods. Others squished through ash-gray water, rolling up hoses.

  Captain Sandusky from Station Two saw Collier and Kiley, and waved them over to where he stood next to the building. He shook hands with them both, then asked Collier, “Somebody call you?”

  “I heard it over the radio. The guy who lives in that apartment is a suspect in our arson-murders.”

  The captain’s flinty eyes narrowed. “I went through the scene. From what I saw, the iron was left on the high setting with no water in the fill port. The iron overheated and started the fire. It looks like an accident, but after what you’ve just told me, I gotta wonder. Let me know if you reach the same conclusion I did.”

  Collier nodded.

  Sandusky stepped a few feet away and hollered up at the firefighters on the second floor. “Stop overhaul! McClain needs to get in there and take a look around.”