Margaret Daley - Gold in the Fire

“That must be Joshua Markham.” Darcy rose from the couch when she heard the sound of an approaching vehicle.

Sean hopped up. “I’ll get it.”

Her father watched him race from the room. “Where does he get all that energy? I could use some.”

“He’s excited that Joshua’s visiting.”

“I expected he would have questions, especially since the Andersons’ and Bakers’ barns burned.”

“Why didn’t you tell me two other barns have burned down in the past month?”

“Didn’t think it pertained to us.” Beneath his usual tanned features, his skin had a sickly pallor. “Guess I was wrong. Don’t see why anyone would want to go around killing horses.”

Darcy heard her son’s chattering as he escorted Joshua toward the den. “Shh, Dad. I don’t want to frighten Sean any more than he already is. He took the mare’s death hard.”

“Then he shouldn’t be here for the interview,” her father murmured in a gruff voice, shifting in his chair as both Joshua and Sean entered the room.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Flanaghan. I hope you’re feeling better.”

“Shamus, please. Mr. Flanaghan makes me sound so old, and I refuse to acknowledge I’m a day over thirty.” Her father waved Joshua to the couch next to Darcy. “Sean, weren’t you going to help Ken with the tack?”

“Yes, but—”

“No buts, young man. Scoot.”

“I want to show Joshua the new filly.”

“I’ll bring Joshua down to the barn before he leaves so you can show him the foal,” Darcy said, aware of the man sitting only a few inches from her. The couch suddenly seemed small with Joshua’s large frame next to her.

Sean stuck out his lower lip and trudged toward the door, dragging his feet. “Okay, but don’t forget.”

“I won’t let her,” Joshua said as her son disappeared into the hallway. Joshua removed a small pad of paper from his pocket along with a pen. “I have a few questions—”

Shamus held up his hand, then placed his forefinger over his lips. “Wait a sec,” he whispered. After a few seconds they heard the sound of the front door closing, and he continued. “Little boys have big ears, and Darcy doesn’t want to discuss the fire in front of Sean. If you ask me, she’s overprotecting him, but I’ll respect her wishes.”

“Dad!” A blush singed her cheeks. “I just don’t think discussions about fires and horses dying is what he needs to hear.”

“You have a smart boy there, Darcy. He knows exactly what happened last night.”

She angled toward Joshua. “What do you want to know?” This was neither the time nor the place to get into an argument with her father concerning her methods of raising Sean. In the short time she’d been home, he’d made it plain he thought she was overprotective. There wasn’t much she could say to change her father’s mind.

Joshua’s gaze riveted to hers, a serious expression in his eyes. “Where were you when the fire broke out?”

Joshua’s question brought Darcy firmly back to the business at hand—the fire. “As I said earlier, I was in the other broodmare barn helping to deliver a foal.” She knew the query was necessary, but it still bothered her.

Joshua wrote something on his pad, then asked her father, “And you, sir?”

Shamus’s mouth twisted into a frown as he peered away. “I was working in the office on the books.”

“Dad! You were supposed to be asleep.”

“Well, I wasn’t. I was just checking to make sure all the orders were made.”

“I did those yesterday morning, Dad—” Darcy snapped her mouth closed, suddenly remembering they had an audience.

Silence hung in the air until her father cleared his throat and said, “I didn’t know anything was happening at the barn until the alarm sounded. By the time I arrived, it was engulfed in flames.”

Joshua shifted toward Darcy. “What did the fire look like when you arrived?”

“Not much better. Smoke was everywhere and flames were beginning to shoot out the east side.”

“And you went into the barn to get the horses out?”

“Yes. Jake was already bringing a few out. I managed to open the stall doors so the mares would at least have a chance to run to safety.” The sounds of the frightened horses filled her mind all over again. Memories of the smoke-laden barn, the scent of fire everywhere, made her hug her arms to warm her chilled body.

“Did you see anything unusual or anyone who shouldn’t have been there?”

Darcy shook her head, having gone over the scene many times in the past few hours, trying to come up with something that would explain the fire.

“Are you having any financial problems?”

Darcy was about to answer when her father cut in with a chuckle and said, “I wondered when you would ask me that. No, Shamrock Stables is doing fine. You may look at my books anytime. I don’t need insurance money to pay my bills.”

Surprised by her father’s calm answer, Darcy pressed her lips together to keep from expressing her astonishment.

“Can you think of anyone, sir, who might have a grudge against you and the farm?”

“I try to do right by people, but I’ve made a few enemies in my lifetime.” Her father drummed his fingers on the arm of the leather-padded chair, a distant look in his gray eyes. “Have Ray Anderson or John Baker thought of anyone?”

“A few disgruntled employees, but no one who has worked for both of them. Do any of your employees smoke?”

“Not around my barns. I have strict rules about that. I had to fire a groom back about six months ago because he kept forgetting it. Caught him smoking while he was mucking out a stall. Sent him packing that very minute.”

“Who was that, sir?”

“Angus Feehan.”

Joshua jotted down the name.

“Was it started with a cigarette?” Darcy asked, thinking back to how fast the fire had developed and spread. It had only been seven, maybe eight minutes before she’d had to escape the barn or be trapped inside.

“I found a butt near where I think the fire started, but I don’t think it was the sole cause.” Joshua rose, sliding the notepad into his pants pocket. “That’s all for the time being.”

Shamus started to stand, seemed to decide against it and remained seated, a pinch to his mouth indicating exhaustion. “I’d like to be kept informed of your investigation. I want to know if there’s a connection to the other two fires.”

“I’ll let you know when I get the reports back from the lab. But from what I’ve seen so far, it looks like there is a connection.”

Darcy came to her feet. “Let me show you the foal.”

“I can find my way to the barn if you’re busy.”

“That’s okay. I need to check on the mares we stabled in that barn. Make sure they’re settled into their new home.”

Out on the front veranda Darcy paused and took a deep breath. There was still a hint of burned wood in the air, but mostly the scent of grass, flowers and earth laced the breeze. She looked toward the horizon and noticed the sun beginning its descent. A few streaks of orange and pink threaded through the blue sky like pieces of ribbon carelessly tossed about.

“It’s getting close to dinnertime, Mr. Markham. Would you like to stay and eat with us?”

“Please, call me Joshua, and yes, I would like that. I don’t particularly care for my own cooking.”

“Neither do I.” Chuckling, Darcy blushed. “I mean my cooking, not yours.”

“You wouldn’t care for mine, either.”

“I think we have established we’re both lousy cooks.” Darcy led the way toward the broodmare barn set off to the left and farthest from the house. “I promised myself when I came this summer to have Lizzy teach me some of her dishes. Of course, now I’m wondering when I’ll find the time, what with the fire and all.”