But then he caught a glimpse of something that made his skin prickle and had him surging to his feet. Was that who he thought it was?
There was a pole light near the building, so it wasn’t completely dark around the property, even this far from town. But with all the headlights from the various vehicles pulling in, the haze created by the smoke and the frenetic activity of the firemen running to and fro in front of him, he couldn’t be sure.
But a car that looked like Noelle’s Honda turned in at the drive, then backed up and quickly took off.
21
Lourdes had put on some jeans and a sweater. She knew the firefighters didn’t need another person getting in the way during an emergency like this, but she was so worried about Kyle—whether he was safe and how he was coping with this tragedy—that she borrowed his heavy coat and walked over to the plant. She’d never been there before, but it wasn’t difficult to find with all the vehicles barreling down the road toward it.
By the time she arrived, the place was swarming with activity. Although the sirens had been silenced, lights still swirled on the fire trucks as well as a few police cars. Men rushed around to get a better footing or a more advantageous position. And she could hear one firefighter yelling at several others through a loudspeaker. “Take it higher, Pete. Right there at the top. That’s it.”
She frowned as she surveyed the damage. The front of the building had lost its roof, part of one wall and both windows. With the jagged and charred edges remaining, that section of the plant looked like the gaping maw of a monster, ready to take a bite out of any unwary passerby. The flames that danced behind the opening served as its devilish eyes. But at least there were plenty of firemen.
Knowing that Kyle had hurried over on his own before anyone else could get there made her anxious. This was a much bigger fire than she’d expected. But the first man she asked told her the building had been cleared of people and pointed her toward a solitary figure who stood off to one side, hands jammed in his pockets as he watched the water from the firefighters’ hoses damage what the fire itself hadn’t already burned beyond recognition.
“Are you okay?” she asked when she reached him.
He combed his fingers through his hair but continued to stare at his burning plant. “Yeah.”
She wasn’t convinced. “The good thing is no one was hurt,” she said, trying to make him feel better. “That’s what’s most important. If this had broken out during the day when all your employees were inside, who knows—”
“Broken out?” He bit off each word as if he could barely speak for the stiffness of his jaw. “It didn’t start on its own.”
“It could have. I’ve heard of—”
“No. That isn’t what happened.”
Lourdes felt her jaw drop. “You’re saying someone set this on purpose? That it was...arson?”
His eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t be surprised. The timing’s suspicious, what with the threats Noelle’s been making. And I’m pretty sure I saw her here earlier.”
Lourdes looked more carefully at all the people who’d gathered. Some were probably friends or family of the firefighters. Others had very likely followed the trucks. Certain people did that sort of thing. But the firefighters definitely had an audience—much to the displeasure of the three police officers who were trying to keep them from getting too close to the burning plant.
“Surely Noelle wouldn’t go this far,” she said. “You told me yourself that she’d be unlikely to do anything seriously harmful. And destroying your plant—that’s serious.”
He heaved a sigh. “Maybe it was an accident. Warren could’ve been smoking over here instead of at his place. He could’ve tossed a butt where he shouldn’t have. But that Honda I saw...”
“It was Noelle’s car?” Lourdes asked. “Noelle drives a Honda?”
“Yes.”
“When did you notice it?”
“Right after the first wave of firefighters arrived.”