Page 59 of Hot For You

But it was too late. Carilyn continued to see the image of the woman burning, could hear her muffled screams. The scene was burned into her brain and tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Was that real?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.

“I’m afraid it was.” He put an arm around her and held her close. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

She clenched her eyes shut but opened them again when the scene played even more vividly behind her eyelids. She felt panic rise inside her like a flock of birds. What if Firebug did come after her? What if he set her on fire, too?

Cody pressed a speed dial number on his phone and put it to his ear. “Reese,” he said a moment later. “Are you near a computer? It’s urgent.”

For a few seconds Cody listened, then said, “Go to YouTube and type in this phrase.” He paused, clearly waiting for Reese. “Okay. The phrase is ‘You’re next, redhead.’”

A moment later, Reese’s voice was so loud with anger that she heard him say, “Sonofabitch.” He sounded like he wanted to punch something. “How did you get this link?”

“Carilyn got another email.” Cody’s voice was hard. “But that’s not all.” Cody looked at Carilyn as he said, “There’s another video uploaded by the same user who calls himself Firebug.” Cody waited a moment. “Got it? Good.”

A minute’s pause and then Carilyn heard Reese curse even louder.

Cody listened. “I’ll meet you there.” He disconnected the call then punched in an address on his cell phone’s map application. He faced Carilyn. “I’m going to meet Reese. He has an idea where the second video was shot.”

She put her hand on Cody’s arm, trying not to show the panic that had her on edge. “Be careful.”

“I will.” He looked at her. “Stay in the hotel room, okay?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” She had an arsonist to track.

They both stood from where they’d been sitting on the bed and she left her laptop on the mattress.

He gave her a big hug. “Everything’s going to be okay,” he murmured before giving her a gentle. He walked out of the hotel room, closing the door behind him.

Chapter 22

Cody had to force himself to slow down as he drove to the address outside of town that Reese had given him. His rage had been multiplying with every additional thing that happened with the arsonist.

The warehouse was fifteen minutes from the hotel he and Carilyn were staying in. When he reached the warehouse, he recognized Reese’s unmarked vehicle along with a police cruiser. Cody parked off to the side and walked into the open warehouse door. Reese met Cody at the entrance as he walked in.

“I’ve got backup on the way.” Reese nodded to a corner of the warehouse where his partner, Detective Kelley Petrova, was examining the scene with two uniformed officers. “There’s evidence that something was burned in here recently.” He looked like he had to control his expression. “If the video is as real as we think it is, that bastard is a real sicko.”

Two more police cruisers and another car pulled up as they were talking. Reese said, “Wait here.”

While Reese spoke with the officers, Cody stepped further into the dim warehouse. He caught a charred sickly sweet odor that could only be the remnants of the stench of burnt flesh.

In moments, Reese returned to where Cody waited and the newly arrived police officers started working over the scene. They walked to where two forensics guys were examining the floor. The petite and pretty Detective Petrova stood close by.

Reese started to speak when something metal banged hard on the concrete floor, the harsh sound echoing through the warehouse. Both Cody and Reese looked to see one officer with a crowbar beside a fifty-gallon drum and another with a flashlight pointed down as he looked into a barrel. He drew back, coughing, looking like he was ready to puke, but managed to hold back. Cody recognized the officer as his cousin and Reese’s brother, John.

“Reese.” John motioned Reese and Petrova to come to him. “I think there’s a body here, wrapped in a tarp. It sure as hell smells like it.”

John nodded to two officers who pulled the tarp-covered object out of the drum and placed it on the concrete floor. When the officers had untied the rope, they let the tarp fall open.

“Looks like we found the victim,” John said. “Or what’s left of her.”

Detective Petrova, Reese, and Cody looked at the body. The stench was so powerful that Cody’s stomach convulsed and he came close to vomiting. Seeing the body—burnt beyond recognition—didn’t help. If he hadn’t seen the video earlier, he might have lost his lunch.

“Call the M.E.,” Reese said.

John had his radio out. “Already on it.”

A hard cold rage swelled up inside Cody. “That’s probably her.”

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