The Hunk Next Door(34)

“Sometimes when we care so much about a cause, we’re willing to hurt the people and places we love,” she continued.

Filmore flinched and tried to pull free of Abby’s grip, but she held firm. “I don’t know what you mean,” he protested. “Release me.”

“Mr. Filmore, I can’t do that.” With her free hand, she motioned to one of the men across the street. “Martin Filmore, you are under arrest for arson.”

She started to read him his rights, but he interrupted. “Stop this at once. This is absurd.” He rubbed his gloved hands together. “I—I was in the police station when the fire started.”

“So I’ve been told,” she said, and then continued reading his rights.

“Chief Jensen, I love that old building. You know I could never do such a heinous thing.”

Riley noticed tears rolling down the older man’s cheeks as he was crying in earnest now. The denials were tumbling free. If Filmore was guilty, he did a fine job portraying an emotionally distraught innocent bystander. He would have to send this up the line to Director Casey immediately.

“I know you’d never want to.” Abby let him ramble as another officer stepped up to cuff him and help him gently into the back of a cruiser. With the police station on fire, where they would question him was anyone’s guess.

When Filmore was gone and the firefighters finished a final walk-through, Abby returned to the truck. “You stayed.”

He opened the passenger door for her. “Said I would.”

“I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” He closed her door and walked around the hood, slid in behind the steering wheel. Throughout the ordeal, she hadn’t shown any of the weariness she clearly felt now. “Why did you arrest him?”

“The officers on duty said he was squirrely and he kept eyeing my office where they believe the fire started.”

Riley’s jaw clenched. Everyone in town knew she frequently worked late. Did she realize Filmore might’ve killed her? And if she hadn’t been in the office, starting the fire there would reflect badly on her, further damaging her reputation.

“On top of those circumstantial points,” she continued, “he’d been at the station this morning for a meeting about the graffiti. He had access to the office and he doesn’t usually bother me twice in one week, much less in a day.”

Riley thought about the detonators. “Did you see him plant anything in your office?”

“No, but I was effectively distracted by a few other issues.”

“Filmore strikes me as a high-maintenance kind of guy.”

“If he did set the fire, and that seems likely, that makes him the kind of guy who’s managed to deceive me for years.” He heard the sorrow in her voice, knew she was wondering who else was fooling her. “While I’m happy to remove a problem, it’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that Filmore was arranging drug deals and hurling those other threats at me.”

“I can’t see him toppling Calder’s ladder,” Riley said.

“Agreed.”

“What’s next?” She looked so tired he wished he could take her home.

“First a warrant for Filmore’s house,” she explained, her voice weary. “Then, as soon as we have any real evidence, I’ll have to write up something for the feds.”

“Do you want me to take you to Filmore’s?”

“No. They don’t need me hovering. My officers are good at what they do.” She sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. “Right now I just want to get home and sink into a tub full of bubbles.”

Well, there was an image that would be haunting him all night. Developments and reports could only offer so much distraction from the thought of Abby’s naked body covered only by fragile bubbles. Right next door. At least, she was calling it a night. A good night’s sleep would go a long way. Not that he’d be getting any shut-eye.

There were other questions he could ask, but he kept them to himself. He didn’t want to pile on any more than he already had, even in the role of curious neighbor. He would leave the nosing around to Mrs. Wilks. For tonight anyway.

Arresting Filmore, admitting Homeland Security might be right about a homegrown terrorist cell operating in Belclare wouldn’t be easy developments for Abby to accept. This was her town, after all. No one wanted to believe they didn’t recognize evil when they saw it.

But Riley knew for certain that evil was sometimes the last suspect on the list.





Chapter Nine


The comfortable silence on the drive home soothed Abby, offering a blissful relief after the noise of the firefighters, the concerns of her officers and the erratic ramblings of Filmore. She hoped the search warrant turned up something conclusive and useful. As much as she hated the idea that Martin Filmore had fooled her all these years, it would be news to celebrate and reassure her town, as well as the tourists they hoped would come out for the weekend.