She drove on down the road, pulled off the side into a ditch, and cut the engine. She got out and glanced around, smelling an acrid scent. On either side of the lane stretched blackened land with tall tree stumps rising up like ghostly sentinels. Complete devastation as far as the eye could see. Instead of fear, she felt a deep sense of loss. All those vibrant green cedars grown over countless years had been waiting to be harvested and sent out into the world to adorn living rooms and make people, particularly children, happy at Christmas.
It was simply a flat-out horrible shame. How many innocent birds and animals had died in the flames? What if the fire had swept over ranch houses and into town to kill people? Hot indignation welled up in her. Now she was particularly glad she’d taken the job. She couldn’t right this terrible wrong, but she’d do her best to find the culprits and see they never did anything this devastating again.
She walked down the road, looking from left to right along the ground. She hoped to see something, anything that might be a clue. But of course, too much time had passed and not much could have been left in the wake of the fire. Still, she looked from ground to sky and back again. She’d read the fire investigation report. Arson by accelerant was suspected, but accidental conflagration by a tossed cigarette or campfire in the current intense heat and drought conditions could not be ruled out either.
It’d be easy for anyone to set a fire on the edge of the property or walk deep into the trees and start a blaze because there were no fences to keep people out. And there was no one around to see the culprits because no local folks were hired to work the Christmas tree farms. Crews were brought in from out of town to plant seedlings that were left to grow. Crews returned to harvest and haul the trees to market at the right time of year when the cedars were the correct size. The business was lucrative, growing, and competitive. Texas Timber owned other tree farms in East Texas. None of those had burned, so this fire could have been an accident.
But Texas Timber executives didn’t think so. And now that she was here, she didn’t think so either. Maybe she was having a flight of fancy, but something about this fire felt sinister. She walked farther down the road, wishing something, anything would speak to her. A black crow cawed loudly and flew over her head toward Wildcat Bluff. Now she understood the bad feeling. All vibrant life was gone. She shivered at the thought.
She’d seen enough. She walked back to her SUV and sat down inside. She realized that she felt no anxiety and had no breathing issues. Instead, she felt deep determination to take on this problem and win.
She drove back out to Wildcat Road and headed toward another of Texas Timber’s Christmas tree farms. She wished she’d learned more at the fire site, but at least she’d taken the first steps.
After a few miles, she turned down another good asphalt road. On the left she saw small green cedars growing in long rows into the distance. She felt a great sense of relief that these trees looked so alive and well. She glanced to the right. A barbwire fence enclosed ranchland with black cattle grazing on hay on the other side. Here peace and serenity and life reigned in contrast to the burned-out tree farm.
Once more, she’d seen enough. She swung her SUV around, turned left onto Wildcat Road, and headed north for Wildcat Bluff. She wanted to get a better sense of the town and its residents. Adelia’s Delights would be a good place to start since she’d already met Hedy at the fire station. And Hedy’d probably know where to get a high-grade fire extinguisher.
When Misty drove into town, she found a parking place in front of the Lone Star Saloon. She sat there a moment as she looked around Old Town. Lots of folks walked up and down the boardwalk, carrying packages in their hands. They laughed and talked with each other as they went in and out of stores. She could hear Christmas music playing on the outdoor sound system. All in all, nothing looked amiss. In fact, everyone appeared extremely happy.
She drank more coffee as she checked her phone for messages. Cindi Lou had texted a smiley face, so she returned it since there was nothing noteworthy to report. No calls from Trey, so he was probably doing whatever kept ranchers busy with cattle. She might as well get on with her day.
She put her phone in her purse, slung it over her shoulder, and stepped outside. Hot already. She could smell the enticing scent of cinnamon, apples, and caramel. Somebody down the block was luring customers into their store with the irresistible aroma of holiday food. Instead of following her nose, she headed toward Adelia’s Delights.