Page 141 of Sunkissed Colorado
The security camera footage from Hearthstone. Chief Nichols said the police were going to review it. But do you still have access to it?
“Probably. You and I both had the app for the security system on our phones.”
“I want…to see the video…from the fire,” I said, fighting the urge to cough.
“You and I were both there. We already know Ian and Tommy were at the scene. Beyond that, don’t you think we should leave the visuals to the police?”
I understood what Callum was doing. Trying to protect me from seeing the fire and drowning in that fear all over again. Or maybehedidn’t want to have to see it.
I can watch it myself.I need to do this.
“We’ll watch it together,” he said in response to what I’d written. “I just wanted you to be sure.” He pulled up the security app and logged on.
I was worried at first that the police might’ve taken away our access. But the video clips appeared.
“Now I have to look for the time everything started,” Callum said. “And check the different camera angles.”
The cameras were set up to record when there was motion. During business hours, that would mean a ton of recorded time. But in the middle of the night, it was much easier to narrow down to just what we needed.
I was also thankful Callum had added an additional camera on the parking lot after I’d gotten that creepy note. Now, it was coming in handy.
A dark silhouette drove into the frame. This was from the camera with the best view of the rear parking lot. A sleek sports car pulled into the lot, a clash of light and shadows.
A man got out of the car and strolled toward the brewery. I knew from his bearing that he was Ian.
Then a few minutes later, another person appeared. Stumbling around between the cars.
“Pickering.” Callum jabbed a finger at the screen. “That asshole. Iknewhe had something to do with this.”
Tommy stumbled across the frame, acting like he was drunk. This wasn’t the first time he’d been lurking in the parking lot after closing. But he hadn’t been drinking at Hearthstone that night. Everyone knew not to serve him after Callum had banned him.
So, what was he doing there?
A different camera focused on the back door of the building, and we switched to that feed. In the video, we saw Ian forcing the door open. Ian must’ve gone straight to Manny’s office just as I’d walked out. He’d only been to Hearthstone a couple of times in the years we were dating, but it seemed that had been enough togive him the layout. Typical of him, since he had a habit of acting like he owned everything.
We kept watching the video. Yet another figure appeared, someone smaller, dressed in black. The figure slipped through the back door that Ian had left open.
My heart raced. That had to be the person who’d set the fire. They’d come inside the brewery after Ian. But it definitely wasn’t Tommy.
“Let’s go back to the parking lot,” Callum said. “That third person had to come from somewhere. Maybe we can find some video showing their face.”
But there was no luck. Just a view of that same small figure slipping out of the brewery and disappearing again into the shadows.
I imagined the minutes passing. The fire must’ve caught fast in that back storage room with all the paper products stuffing the shelves. The old wood and plaster. Ian and I had been arguing, with no clue that the flames were spreading near the back of the building.
We saw Tommy again in the footage. He’d kept to one side of the parking lot, bending over behind the dumpster. Was he drunk and confused, or had Tommy beenwatchingthat person who set the brewery on fire? Had he seen the smoke?
Callum put his hand on my back. “We’re almost up to the minute that I drive into the parking lot. Right there.”
His truck appeared in view just as Ian streaked across the screen.
“Hate watching this.” Callum’s fingers slid into my hair, massaging my scalp. “When I realized you were inside… Z, that wrecked me. Like I was splitting into pieces.”
I turned to kiss him. “I’m okay,” I whispered. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.” His nose nudged against mine.
I wanted to keep kissing him. Maybe I’d been wrong to want to see this video. It was making me feel nauseous, remembering the smoke and the heat. And it was awful for Callum too.
