As the two men grappled on the still smoking ash, other firefighters came running to pull them apart. But not before Noah had wrenched Cody’s helmet off and thumped him with his fist a couple of times, demanding, “Where is she? Where?”
Regaining his feet with the help of two of his fellow firefighters, Cody pulled off a heavy hair glove and wiped at the blood on his face. “What the hell, Glover? You been drinking?”
Durvan and Mark had Noah by the arms, but Noah was angry enough to make holding him back a test. “Where’s Carly?”
“Who? Oh, you mean Ms. Reese. Haven’t seen her since yesterday when she gave me a list of work she wanted done on her store. I got it somewhere back in my truck.” He bent to pick up his helmet. “Now I got to get back to the fire.”
As Cody turned away, Noah shook free of his friends. “I know it was you who tried to kill me.”
He took a step toward the man though both Durvan and Mark flanked him, ready to intervene again. He looked back at them and they paused at the expression on his face. It was a cop’s face. He was back in control. He’d released just enough of his rage to master the rest. There’d be no more brawling.
He turned the full force of his personality into the stare he focused on the man. “It’s over, J.W. We’ve got video of you last Friday night, coming out of the store where you left me and Harley to die. You drove off in my truck.”
Cody scowled. “That’s a lie.”
Noah took another measured step closer. “You forgot about the security cameras in other nearby parking lots. The senior citizens apartments, for instance. I know you started those other fires, too. The one that killed the homeless man is going to send you to prison.”
“You’ve lost it, Glover.” Cody was still smiling, certain he was Teflon-coated against all accusations.
Noah’s voice lowered to a snarl. “I’ve been to your place. I saw the pictures.”
He was hammering J.W. with everything he had. Looking for a crack in the man’s facade. They were so close again he could smell the man’s stale breath despite the choking smoke of the nearby blaze. “You’ve been stalking Carly. Where is she?”
He saw uncertainty, finally, in J.W.’s blink and kept bringing it. “You want me in prison? I’ll definitely be going there—for your murder—if you don’t tell me where Carly is. Now.”
“That’s enough, Noah.” Durvan grabbed Noah’s shoulder from the rear.
Noah jerked his head toward his friend with a snarl.
Freed of Noah’s menacing gaze, Cody turned to his two colleagues who had come to his aid. “You hear that? This man’s threatened to kill me.” He turned back to Noah. “I got witnesses you already attacked me.”
Harley, who had been sitting tensely by Mark’s side, suddenly ran up to Cody, sniffing him. Cody bent over to pet him. “Hey there, boy.”
Harley sidestepped, sniffed the man’s hand, and then sat and looked back at his handler.
A chill ran down Noah’s spine. Harley had just alerted on J.W. That meant the man had recently handled explosive materials of some sort.
Noah grabbed him by the front of his jacket. “What’s on your hands, Cody?”
“I don’t have any idea what you mean.” Cody flicked a heavy glove at Harley as the dog tried again to catch the vital scent. “Get off me.” Cody swung away. “I’m going back to work.”
“Not today.” Durvan stepped out and said, “I’m placing you in protective custody until this matter is settled.”
“You can’t do that. You don’t have any jurisdiction in Edgecliff Village.”
“So sue me.” Durvan produced handcuffs and cuffed Cody. He pulled Cody over to where two Edgecliff police officers were keeping gawkers away and spoke to them.
Cody was shouting and swearing, threatening to sue Noah, the FWFD, the city, and anything else he could think of. But it was the voice of a scared man.
Mark looked at Noah. “Now what?”
“Harley signed on J.W. That means he’s recently been around explosive chemicals.”
Mark’s face went grim. “You think he’s made an explosive device?”
Noah nodded. “He’s hoping to get rid of Carly in a way it will take a long time for forensics to identify. Come on.” He headed toward the rear of the fire where volunteers had parked the vehicles.
Just to be certain Harley’s actions hadn’t been precipitated by his fight with J.W., Noah led his K9 past several other vehicles first, allowing Harley to sniff them thoroughly. Working him quickly so that he wouldn’t accidently sign to Harley which vehicle he was concerned around, they wound their way back and forth between cars and trucks and vans.