Chapter 13 - THE FIRE AT LANGFORD ESTATE
They heard the sirens before they reached Langford Estate.
Smoke rose over the trees.
“No,” Maya whispered.
Ethan drove faster.
“Call 911.”
“They’re already there.”
The wedding venue appeared around the curve.
Fire trucks crowded the entrance.
Guests weren’t there yet, but workers ran across the lawn.
Smoke poured from the small reception pavilion behind the main mansion.
Maya jumped from the car before Ethan fully stopped.
“Maya!”
She ran.
A firefighter blocked her.
“You can’t go through.”
“My friend is inside!”
“No one’s inside.”
“Caroline!”
“I’m here!”
Maya turned.
Caroline ran toward her, coughing.
Maya grabbed her.
“What happened?”
“She showed up ten minutes ago. Started screaming at the coordinator.”
“Victoria?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see her start the fire?”
“No. But after she went into the pavilion, the smoke alarm went off.”
Ethan’s face hardened.
“Where is she?”
Caroline pointed toward the parking lot.
“She left.”
Richard pulled in behind them.
He got out slowly.
He looked at the smoke.
Then he sat on the hood of his car.
“My God.”
Maya’s wedding decorations were inside that pavilion.
Flowers.
Menus.
Photos.
The handmade table numbers she and Caroline had worked on for weeks.
Maya should have felt devastated.
Instead, she felt strangely calm.
“It’s stuff,” she said.
Ethan looked at her.
“What?”
“It’s stuff.”
“Maya—”
“If nobody got hurt, it’s stuff.”
Caroline stared at her.
Then started crying.
Maya hugged her.
Ethan’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Hello?”
Victoria’s voice.
Maya knew from his expression.
“Where are you?” Ethan demanded.
“I’m sorry.”
His anger turned to fear.
“Mom.”
“I only wanted to scare them.”
“Where are you?”
“The fire wasn’t supposed to spread.”
Ethan looked at Maya.
“Tell me where you are.”
Victoria started crying.
“You were supposed to marry someone better.”
“Where are you?”
“You deserved everything.”
“Mom!”
The line went dead.
Ethan immediately called back.
No answer.
Richard walked over.
“What did she say?”
“She admitted she started it.”
Richard looked toward the firefighters.
“Jesus.”
Maya saw police cars arriving.
One officer approached.
“We need to speak with you about Victoria Brooks.”
Ethan nodded.
“I have a recorded call.”
“Good. Do you know where she might go?”
Richard and Ethan exchanged a look.
“The lake house,” they said together.
Twenty minutes away.
Police moved fast.
Maya and Ethan were told to stay.
They didn’t.
They followed at a distance.
By the time they reached the Brooks family lake house, two patrol cars were already outside.
The front door stood open.
An officer came running out.
“Stay back!”
Ethan ignored him.
“Is she inside?”
The officer grabbed his shoulder.
“Sir!”
Then a scream came from behind the house.
Everyone ran.
Victoria stood at the end of the dock.
Wind whipped her hair.
In one hand she held the black case from the storage unit.
In the other, a lighter.
Ethan stopped.
“Mom.”
Victoria looked at him.
Tears streamed down her face.
“You should have let me protect you.”
Ethan stepped onto the dock.
“Put the lighter down.”
“You don’t understand what’s in here.”
“What?”
Victoria held up the case.
“The last thing that can destroy me.”
Maya stood behind the officers.
Victoria saw her.
Her face twisted.
“This is because of you.”
Maya didn’t answer.
Ethan took another step.
“No, Mom. This is because of you.”
Victoria opened the case.
Inside were documents.
And a small digital recorder.
She flicked the lighter.
A flame appeared.
Ethan froze.
“Don’t.”
May you like
Victoria whispered, “I can still fix this.”
Then she dropped the flame toward the papers.
