Jamie Garrett - Riley Reid 02 - Fire and Lies Read Free

ever met.

    “They killed him!” Lisa started to cry.

    Truth was that when I heard the reason that Lisa was so upset was due to a dead dog, I was relieved. Does that make me a bad person? I loved dogs but I loved my best friend more. At least nothing had happened to her.

    “Someone killed Wilson?” I leaned in and hugged my best friend. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry.” We separated and I asked, “How? When?”

    Lisa wiped her eyes and nose. She took a moment to regain her composure the best she could. “I was at physical therapy, working on my back. My parents came to pick me up. I wanted to just go back to my apartment but they insisted. You know how my folks can be.”

    I forced a smile and the hint of a nod.

    Lisa continued. “Anyway, they took me to our house. And when we got there the lights were out…”

    I don’t remember every word Lisa said that night. Her story was long and my memory was good but not supernatural. But I can summarize what she told me had happened.

    The Williams family arrived back at their house to find power out. Lisa’s dad, Mr. Williams, went out to the garage to check the fuse box while his wife and daughter were inside.

    There was a smell inside that reminded Lisa of rotting meat and rancid milk. Signs of a break-in were everywhere. One of the windows in their living room was shattered. It looked as if someone had gone through every drawer and closet.

    Mr. Williams figured out what was wrong. Someone had physically removed several of the fuses. Before he knew it, the sixty-eight year old man was struck from behind. I later learned he was at the same hospital where Lisa was receiving her physical therapy, for stitches.

    Inside the house, Lisa and her mom looked for any flashlights. At some point, they separated. Lisa was downstairs and her mom went out to find her husband who wasn’t answering his phone.

    Lisa said she felt like she wasn’t alone in the house. She’d heard things like footsteps or wood creaking. It wasn’t until she saw a shadow dart from her living room to her dining room that she got scared.

    The Williams residence had a balcony on the second floor that loomed over the vestibule. Before Lisa could get out the front door to join her parents, she heard a wet thud. Having not found any flashlights, Lisa used the flash on her phone’s camera.

    “…and, see for yourself,” Lisa handed me her phone. I took it. There was a picture of her dog, Wilson, dead. It appeared that he had been beaten to death. I had really liked that pup.

    “Who the hell would do something like that?” Loretta was disgusted. The question was rhetorical.

    “Is your dad all right?” I asked.

    “He’s over at Saint Mercy’s. It’s nothing serious, thank God. They’re going to give him some stitches. That’s about it.”

    “And your mom?”

    “She’s there with him.”

    I stood up. Without breaking eye contact with Lisa, I asked, “Do you need somewhere to stay tonight. You shouldn’t be alone.”

    “Thanks, Riley, but I don’t know. I think I’m gonna stay here. It’s probably safer. You should stay here too. Sam thinks the guys who did this are the same ones who attacked us at your office.”

    “Why does he think that?”

    I hadn’t heard Sam walk up behind me. “They left this behind.” He dropped a white plastic rabbit mask on Loretta’s desk. “Looks like someone out there doesn’t want to forgive and forget.”

Heresy
     
    I ended up spending the night with Lisa at the Stone Harbor Police Station. The following morning, I went home and slept through the day. Lisa and her parents returned to their house with police protection.

    When I woke up, it was night time, and I had several missed calls. Most of them were from Lisa. One was from Richard Greyson. I decided to call my surrogate father back first.

    Richard wanted to double check that I was going to go to the Fourth of July barbeque. Pastor Pritchard would hold one annually at his church. The