Arson & Ache (Surrender to Them 8)

“No?” I titled my head to the side. “Isn’t Janine still living with you guys?”

“She moved out a few months ago and I haven’t been able to get in touch with her since your Dad was admitted.” Abby pulled out cell phone and checked it. “Maybe she’ll answer if you call.”

Damn, it really has been a while since I’ve visited my Dad.

I tried to call Janine, but it just went to voicemail. Sandy and I used to be really close when we were kids, but we drifted apart as we got older. I moved to New York City after high school and eventually ended up at the fire department. She decided to come stay with me after she graduated and ended up working at Livingston Capital. She was always really good with numbers, so I wasn’t surprised that she was drawn to the stock market and the potential to make real money utilizing what came naturally to her. She just didn’t have tough skin, and a woman like Victoria Stone was able to easily get under her skin. After she decided to leave Livingston Capital, she ended up in therapy, and moved back in with my Dad. That’s where I thought she still was, so I was a little concerned when I found out that she moved—especially since I didn’t even know she was gone.

“Yeah, I got her voicemail too.” I walked back over to Abby and sat down. “I’m sure she’ll get the message when she checks her phone.”

Outside of Janine, all of the people who still cared about my Dad were present in the emergency room. I had no idea where my Mom was. She left when we were kids and while I was over the resentment I used to feel, I had never really tried to look for her. Not that she would have come—unless she wanted to cheer on my Dad’s untimely demise. She was just one of many broken hearts he left along the way, but I never understood how she could abandon her children after her husband cheated on her. I blamed my Dad for destroying our family when I was old enough to understand what happened, but I still cared about him. At least he was there and did the best he could to provide us with what we needed, as long as we didn’t need a fucking role model. That was one thing he would neve

r be.

The next day

My Dad was moved to a room late in the evening, and we were finally able to go and see him. It was after visiting hours, but the hospital staff was kind enough to make an exception. He seemed to be in good spirits, despite the circumstances. The doctor decided that the valve didn’t need to be operated on immediately but wanted to see him in again in three months to make sure things weren’t getting any worse. If he changed his diet and stopped smoking, it might be manageable with medication. I wasn’t sure if my Dad was going to actually follow the doctor’s orders, but I made him swear that he would. I even made a quick trip to a store nearby and bought him an electronic cigarette so that he could at least wean himself off the cancer sticks if he really wanted to. Abby promised that she would lock him in a cage if he didn’t follow the doctor’s orders—he might have finally found a woman that was his match. I just hoped he treated her better than the last women he gave his last name too.

“Your sister just called me. She’ll be here this afternoon.” Abby walked into the concession area near my father’s room and poured a cup of coffee.

“Good.” I let out a sigh of relief and checked my phone. “I wonder why she didn’t call me back?”

“She said she was busy last night. Honestly? She sounded hungover.” Abby’s face twisted into a grimace.

“Great…” I shook my head back and forth. “As much as I’d like to see her, I need to get back to the city. I’m working on a big case and I can’t stay away too long.”

“I’ll call you if anything changes with your Dad. I think he’ll be fine now.” She nodded and walked over for a hug. “Thank you so much for coming. He really does love you, even if he doesn’t say it much. He tells me all the time that he’s proud of the man you’ve become.”

“Take care of him, and if he starts treating you like shit, just give me a call.” I hugged her and sighed. “I’ll try to come stay with you guys on Christmas Eve.”

“It would be good to have everyone together for the holidays.” She leaned back and nodded. “I know I’m not your Mom, but I still consider you family.”

My Dad didn’t deserve a woman like Abby, but I was glad that she would be the one looking out for him. I had to get to back to New York City and keep banging my head against the wall while we tried to find more clues about Fireball. I was also looking forward to the weekend, and our next date with Marissa. Kissing her and tasting those beautiful lips had set something off inside me that I couldn’t ignore. I needed more—and I knew the same desire was flourishing inside her. The situation with my Dad gave me a clarity that made me realize how precious life really was. I needed to think about the future, and even though I had just met Marissa, I wanted her to be a part of mine. I didn’t care how crazy that seemed. I waited my whole life to feel a spark like that, and I didn’t even realize it was possible. Perhaps that’s why I never allowed myself to commit to anyone else.

“Any new updates?” I walked up to Kincaid’s desk as soon as I arrived at the station.

“No, I’m afraid not.” He shook his head back and forth. “How’s your Dad?”

“He’s a tough old bastard, so he’ll probably outlive us.” I chuckled to myself and sat down. “What are you working on right now?”

“I’ve been going back through the old case files and looking at the owners of every building that was hit. Fireball’s messages have made references to greed, but that never really made any sense when he was burning down abandoned buildings. I might be onto something.” Kincaid grabbed a dry erase marker and stood.

“Oh shit? Really?” I blinked in surprise as he walked to the white board behind his desk.

“Let’s take Livingston Capital first. I’m sure you know that a company like that doesn’t just operate under one name. They’ve got shell companies to minimize risk when they make their investments.” Kincaid drew a big circle in the middle of the board.

“Right, that makes sense.” I nodded and tried to follow.

“So, if you use Livingston Capital as the center and start branching out—then things get interesting.” Kincaid drew lines out from the big circle in the middle of the board.

“Alfred Livingston didn’t start out as a hedge fund manager. He was a billionaire before he ever started investing other people’s money. He got most of his wealth from imports and exports. Can you guess what those warehouses were used for?” Kincaid looked over his shoulder.

“Oh shit!” I nodded quickly. “Didn’t Fireball say something about monuments? Monuments to wealth?”

“Exactly.” Kincaid smiled slightly and turned back towards the board. “He said they fall to ruin before the greed is satisfied.”

“Meaning—they’re abandoned.” My eyes got wide. “Holy fuck.”

“Livingston Capital doesn’t own all of the abandoned buildings that were hit, which is why there was no original connection, but when you start using that as the focal point, things become a little clearer.” Kincaid tapped the board. “They were all pieces of empires when they were in their infancy—tools that served a purpose and were left behind when they were no longer needed.”