"At least it didn't spread to the chapel," a burly man in a fire hat said to the deputy standing beside him. "You two need medical attention?"
"No," said Lori. "A huge hospital bill is the last thing I need."
"I'm fine."
"Me, too," said Deck.
"You sure?"
"Totally."
They stood looking at the smoldering ruins. By the time the volunteer fire truck arrived, there was nothing left for the firemen to douse but a pile of cinders. The little hut was a total loss.
"There's a car in front of the church," Jamie said.
"What's it look like?" Lori asked.
Jamie described it.
"That's mine," said Lori.
"I'm afraid it's got a flat," he said. "Must have run over a nail or something."
Lori's shoulders slumped.
"I don't have a spare," she said.
"She's got nowhere to stay," Deck said.
"How 'bout your place," the deputy suggested.
"No," Deck said. "That's impossible."
Deck looked impatiently at his watch.
"Listen," he said, "you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah," Lori said.
"Let the deputy take care of you. That's his job," Deck said. "I really got to go."
"Are you serious?"
"You said you're alright. I'm fine. My bike's okay. And I've got somewhere I gotta be. So, I'll see you later."
Lori wanted to cry, but at the moment, she was too enraged to give Deck the satisfaction of seeing one more teardrop roll down her cheek.
Bastard.
He put his helmet on and cranked the bike. He talked with the deputy for a few moments and was gone.
Lori shivered. She'd never felt so alone.
"Well," said the deputy, "the jail's not too crowded if you don't mind spending the night there. We'll see what we can do about finding you other accommodations in the morning."
"Jail? Isn't there a cheap motel or rooming house where I can spend the night?"
"It's not as bad as all that," Jamie said. "This is a rural area. Sticksville. We're really more like the jail at Mayberry than a maximum security outfit in the state capital."
He had a nice smile, she thought.
"Are you Opie?" Lori asked.
"Barney, I suppose."
YOU ARE READING
In Hell: When Love Kills A Small Town Mystery
Mystery / ThrillerWhen love kills, it leaves more questions than answers. Cash Matstock's mother was murdered when he was a small child. When his drunken uncle is found beaten to death in the home they share, suspicion falls on Cash. Maybe murder really does run in...
