Flamethrower - Maggie Estep [66]
“All right, but hurry up,” Ruby said. She opened the door and rushed out. A few feet away from the bungalow, she turned back and looked. The whole roof was engulfed in flames. Nearby, people were pointing and yelling. Some had taken out cell phones.
Ruby put Spike down and went back to the front door of the bungalow. “Jody,” she called. “It’s bad, come on, get out.” Ruby was about to open the door and go back in when there was a huge explosion of heat. Ruby took several steps backwards then tripped and fell, landing on her ass. Next thing she knew, she was staring at a smoldering piece of roofing, and Spike was licking her face. All around, people were shouting. The bungalow’s roof had caved in. Ruby felt someone lifting her by the armpits. She was dragged back a few hundred feet, and someone shoved a metal chair under her just before she collapsed. She found she was clutching Spike’s leash, and the dog was there, looking at her, confused.
Within a matter of seconds, fire extinguishers were being pointed at the blaze, but they had no effect.
It seemed like an eternity before two fire trucks and then an ambulance appeared. It was only then that Ruby realized Jody could not have survived.
Ruby vomited.
ANN JULIAN appeared and knelt down in front of Ruby.
“Who can I call for you?” she was asking.
Ruby shook her head. There wasn’t anyone to call.
“Can you get my dog some water?” she heard herself asking.
“Sure,” Ann said. She turned and melted off into the distance.
Other people came forward. Nancy Cooley A female security guard. Then Elliott. His lips were drawn and bluish, and his eyes took up most of his face.
“She wouldn’t come out?”
Ruby kept shaking her head. Elliott receded.
Eventually, someone brought water for both Spike and Ruby. Then a very short cop was asking Ruby if she was hurt.
“No,” Ruby murmured. “I’m fine. When can I leave?”
“Not for a while yet. I’m sorry,” the cop said, “the detectives are going to need to speak with you. We need you to identify a suspect.”
“Suspect?
“Security caught some idiot trying to speed out the stable gate the wrong way. Had accelerant in his car.”
“Oh,” said Ruby.
Spike had crawled under the chair Ruby was sitting on. He’d stretched out and was napping comfortably. Ruby closed her eyes. Maybe she could somehow nap too.
“Ruby.”
She’d actually drifted off for a few seconds, but the sound of that particular voice would have woken her from a coma. It was Ed. She stared at him, unsure if he was really there. “How did you get here?” was all she could think to ask.
“Drove.”
“But how’d you know I was here?”
“Violet called me a couple of hours ago, told me what you were up to, and talked some sense into me. Ruby, I’m sorry. I had a crisis. I’m over it. But I’ve been an idiot.”
“Yes,” Ruby said, “you have.” As Ruby looked up at Ed, Spike scrambled to his feet and started licking Ed’s hand.
“Whose puppy?
“Mine.”
“What?”
“I adopted him last night.”
Ed’s mouth opened half an inch, but he thought better of saying anything. He offered Ruby his hand and pulled her to her feet. As she looked up at him, he put his palms on top of her shoulders. She let him.
“Could we take you over to the security office now to identify a suspect?” A cop had come over.
“I didn’t see anyone, but sure, I’ll look,” Ruby said.
“Apparently you filed a complaint about this individual.”
Ruby was so dazed it took her a few seconds to put two and two together and realize it was her stalker.
She was glad Ed was with her as she walked into the small security office. One of the guards gave Spike a funny look but said nothing.
The black-haired guy she’d seen behind the wheel of the Honda so many times was sitting in a chair with his hands handcuffed behind him.
“Ruby Murphy,” he said, apparently unfazed by the fact that there were cops everywhere. “You don’t remember me, do you?” He stared at her. His eyes were cold blue marbles.
“Am I supposed to?”
“When you fuck up someone’s life, you should remember. Least, that’s the way I see it.”
In one awful moment, Ruby