Finding Fire Read Online Free PDF Page A

the station. We're right behind you." He spun
on his heel and marched to Randy's truck, a satisfied smile on his
face.
    "We got him, partner," Kovak said. "But can
I be the bad cop next time?"
    "No problem," Randy said and turned on the
ignition.

    *****
     
    An hour passed, then two. Frustration turned
to anger, anger turned to worry. Half a dozen times, Sarah picked
up the phone, then put it back. If Randy needed to be alone
tonight, so be it. But she vowed this would be the last time he
shut her out.
    The telephone rang and her stomach flipped
at Kovak's voice.
    "Oh, God. Has something happened to
Randy?"
    "No, no. Randy's fine. We had a lead on the
kidnapper, and I dragged him away from the track. Things happened
pretty fast, and we've been preoccupied. The suspect's in custody.
Randy's fine, but cleaning this all up will take a while. Tons of
paperwork. He'll be late, and he didn't want you to worry." His
voice was grim.
    She feared the answer, but asked anyway.
"Did you find Amanda?"
    "That we did. And another one. They're both
okay. Gotta get back to work. Randy said not to wait up."
    She clenched the handset. It was all she
could do to control her voice. She forced a lightness to her
response. "Thanks. I'm sure everyone will be relieved."
    "You're upset," Kovak said. "Look, I've
known Randy a long time. He builds walls. He's not a talker. This
was a tough one for him."
    She might have known she couldn't fool
Kovak. "Thanks for calling," she said before her voice gave way,
and she broke the connection.
    She stood holding the phone for a long
moment. The lump in her throat disappeared, and a cold fury
suffused her. How dare Randy blow her off and have Kovak call? He
could put the phone on speaker and talk while he filled out the
damn paperwork. It was called multitasking.
    She shook it off. Getting
angry was not the answer. Randy loved her. He just hadn't figured
out how to let her into the cop part of his life yet. She'd have to
help him. Tomorrow, she'd insist they talk it out. Right now, she
would take a long, hot bubble bath. One of her coping mechanisms.
    Steam filled the bathroom as Sarah ran the
water. One of the luxuries of being married to a very tall man with
a custom built bathroom was a tub she could lose herself in. She
poked through the cabinet for candles and arranged them all around
the tub ledge. After slipping out of her clothes, she pulled the
box of matches from a drawer. The flickering glow of the candles
and the soft popping of bubbles soothed her.
    Sarah climbed the three steps to the tub and
lowered herself into its enveloping warmth, felt the tension flow
out of her body. She concentrated on slowing her breathing, and did
some of the relaxation exercises she'd learned at the support group
sessions after her kidnapping. Memories of those days were buried
deep within her, but she could remember how Randy had blamed
himself for her abduction. It hadn't been his fault. Pine Hills was
usually a quiet town. On a normal day, Randy would deal with petty
theft, malicious mischief, kids getting drunk. Even though whatever
had happened to Amanda was nothing like her own experience, she
could understand how Randy must have felt.
    The rational side of her said Randy wanted
to be alone. He'd call it a 'guy thing.' But simply being in
Randy's arms calmed her as nothing else could. His touch brought so
much comfort. Didn't it work that way for him? Couldn't he open up
enough to let her try? Just be there? She wiped her face and soapy
bubbles stung her eyes. Or so she told herself as tears began to
flow. She covered her face with a washcloth until the tears
stopped. She released the drain and toweled off. The satin and lace
nightgown she'd set out to wear tonight didn't seem right. She
grabbed one of Randy's t-shirts from his drawer and pulled it
on.
    A rumbling from her stomach belied her lack
of appetite. She fixed herself a mug of hot chocolate and took the
mystery novel she'd been reading to the couch,