Playing With Fire Read Online Free PDF Page B

took his arm. He stopped for a moment but wouldn’t look at me.
    I glanced at the crowd around us. I knew I would once again be the topic of gossip at Tommy’s Café the next day. “I didn’t want our time together to end like this,” I said.
    “Tell that to Trevor.”
    “Please, Matt. I really like you. I’d like the chance to get to know you better.”
    He paused. “I’d like that too, Claire. But you’ve got a choice to make.” He lifted his chin at Trevor, watching us from the smoking bin. “It’s either him or me.”
    Matt turned on his heel and marched to his truck. I followed him for a few steps, then gave up. He drove off without looking back.

EIGHT
    T revor caught up with me as I watched Matt drive away. Behind him, the fire chief and his crew cleaned up after the fire.
    “Did I just ruin your date?” Trevor asked. He grinned sideways, like he was okay with that.
    “No,” I said. “Things went sour before you got here.”
    He held me gently by the shoulders. “I know for a fact we’ll have a lot more fun tomorrow night,” he told me. He held my gaze to make it clear what he had in mind. I turned away, blushing.
    That’s when I saw her. The redhead, Devon’s girlfriend, watched us from the corner of the next building. Kayla put a finger to her lips, telling me to keep quiet. Then she waved me over. She disappeared behind the building so no one else would see her.
    “Trevor,” I said. “You mind giving me a minute? I’ll be right back.”
    “Sure,” he said. “Where are you going?”
    “Following up on a hunch,” I told him.
    I walked to the next building and looked around. Kayla stood in front of the gas station across the street, hugging herself. She waved me over again.
    When I reached her, she looked around nervously. The smoke from the bin fire still hung above the restaurant building. “Did anyone follow you?” she said.
    I looked back with her. I couldn’t see Trevor or the crowd from where I stood. The next building was in the way. “No, I don’t think so.”
    “Good.”
    “Why would anyone follow me?” I asked. “What’s going on?” When she didn’t answer, I demanded, “What’s this about?”
    “Devon couldn’t have started that fire, could he?” she asked.
    “No, he’s in custody. The cops locked him up in a cell at the police station.”
    “So who did set it?”
    “I don’t know.” I paused. “Did you?”
    “Would I be talking to you, a reporter, if I did?”
    “I don’t know, Kayla. I did see you holding a jerry can at the last fire.”
    “In a vision,” she said.
    “Yes, in a vision. But you are here, at this fire.”
    “I didn’t start this fire,” Kayla told me. “I didn’t start the fire at the hardware store. Neither did Devon. He hasn’t started any of these fires.”
    “Then who did?”
    “I can’t tell you that.”
    “You can’t tell me, or you won’t?”
    She looked away, caught. “I’m just saying you’ve got to keep looking into this,” she said. “The arsonist is still out there. He’ll keep setting fires in town until someone gets hurt.”
    “You know exactly who started those fires, don’t you?”
    Kayla bit her thumbnail but didn’t answer.
    “ Is it you?”
    “No!” Kayla cried. “It’s not me and it’s not Devon. You can’t let him go to prison for this.”
    “If someone else is responsible for these fires, you need to tell me who he is. If not me, then tell the chief. He cares about Devon.”
    She shook her head. “The chief would never believe me.”
    “If you saw someone start a fire, why didn’t you use your cell phone to take a photo of him?”
    “You don’t understand,” she said. “I can’t be the one—” She didn’t finish her sentence. Her attention was caught by something behind me. I looked back. Trevor strode toward us. “I’ve got to go,” said Kayla. With that, she turned and fled.
    “Wait!” I tried running after Kayla, but I was wearing heels. She wasn’t. I watched