Page 266 of Her Reluctant Hero
Who was he supposed to believe? His gut told him Doug was innocent, but those seeds of doubt Kevin planted were sprouting fast.
So he’d make a mental list. And when he got back from hell, he’d work through it.
*****
“God, I’m going crazy waiting to go out on the line.” Kim joined Peyton at a table in the mess tent.
Peyton was surprised by the girl’s second approach in a matter of hours. Maybe she figured she and Peyton shared a concern, and it made her feel closer to Gabe. Peyton smiled at her, toying with the crumbs of the cookie she’d wanted when she went through the line. “You sound like Gabe.”
The young woman scowled. “Yeah, well, he’s there, isn’t he?”
Jen approached. “Peyton, I have to talk to you.” She sent Kim a meaningful glance.
“I know why Peyton and Gabe went to Missoula, Jen.” Kim didn’t bother to hide the contempt in her voice.
Jen let her shoulders down, as if she couldn’t bear to wait on the news anymore, not even as long as it took to get rid of Kim. “What did you find out?”
Peyton waited for her to sit, then looked into Gabe’s ex’s exhausted eyes. Why did she feel compelled to help this woman? Because Gabe asked? Or just to stay close to him? Huh. She understood Kim more than she realized.
It wouldn’t do to examine motivation right now. “Once I saw the place, I realized it wouldn’t have been hard for someone at the base to frame Doug. Gabe doesn’t want to believe it’s a firefighter, but it’s got to be. No one else goes in the ready room, no one else would have access to Doug’s supplies.”
“But who?”
“That’s the thing. Gordon doesn’t think anyone has anything against Doug.”
“Gordon’s an idiot,” both women said together.
Peyton couldn’t stop a grin. “There’s that. But I’d hoped he’d have more information. Worse than Doug not having a motive is no one has a motive to hurt Doug.”
“Why is that worse?” Kim reached for a chunk of the cookie Peyton had abandoned.
“The FBI won’t consider another suspect if no one has a reason to set Doug up.”
“So now what?” Jen asked.
Peyton shook her head. “I wish I could talk to some of the other smokejumpers, but only Kim’s brother was there, and he told Gabe a whole different tale.”
Jen narrowed her eyes at Kim. “Kevin thinks Doug could have done this?”
“We aren’t all on the Doug bandwagon,” Kim retorted. “Some of us actually believe he did Gabe dirty.”
“That doesn’t mean he started the fire,” Peyton said. “Even Gabe doesn’t think he did.”
“Yeah, well, maybe Gabe’s trying to get back in Jen’s good graces.”
Ouch. That hurt more than it should, mostly because Peyton had considered it herself. “Or maybe he doesn’t want to see an innocent man go to prison,” she replied evenly. “Perhaps if I could talk to some other smokejumpers, get their take—”
“Everyone’s out on this fire,” Jen said, dejected.
“We could go to the point of origin,” Kim suggested.
Both women turned to her in surprise. “You know where it is?” Jen asked.
“I heard some firefighters talking about it. I could find it.”
Excitement fluttered in Peyton’s belly. She wished her photographer had gotten his clearance and could go with them. “When can we go?”
Jen appeared unconvinced. “I’m not sending just the two of you out. But I can’t spare anyone.”
