Monroe, Melody Snow - Truth and Seduction [The Callens 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read Free

building.
    “You got that right. If the bodies are the Tanners, I can’t imagine what Andy will do.” He ran a hand down his smoke-covered face.
    She waited for Shane or Cody to ask her to stay around. When they didn’t, she headed back to the van. Not only did her stomach churn and ache for the little boy, but from the way Shane seemed to be reining in his emotions, he, too, was battling with his demons.
    As she slipped into the van, she knew Intrigue was going to live up to its name.

    * * * *

    While Shane had investigated many fires over the years, knowing the people who’d died had to be the hardest burden to bear. Before the fire truck took off, he borrowed some heavy boots and gear so he could perform his arson investigation. Once he was convinced the structure was cool enough to go in, he carefully stepped onto the fallen boards, making sure to choose the sturdiest ones to stand on. He’d already photographed the outside and surrounding area for evidence of foul play. It would have been nice if the arsonist had left the gas can outside the front door with his fingerprints on it. Then his job would have been done.
    If he finished checking the scene before it got dark, he’d see if Andy felt like talking. He wouldn’t be surprised if the little guy was too traumatized to speak, at least for a while. When Shane was six, he’d found his mother dead in her bed. He’d shaken her but gotten no response. It wasn’t until his dad came home that he learned his mom had gone to heaven. His father told him later on that Shane hadn’t spoken another word for days. Andy might go through something similar. Poor little guy. He wished there was something he could do for him. He just hoped child services could find someone to take the boy.
    You might as well get this over with .
    Since Shane had visited Greg and Rhonda on numerous occasions, he basically knew the location of the bedroom. This was the worst part of the job. Seeing where they died always tied up his gut. As he approached, his stomach soured. The burning building smelled like sweet, rotten food, an odor he never got used to. With camera in hand, he photographed the destruction.
    When he came to the bedroom area, he pushed aside the angry thoughts swirling in his brain. The injustice of it tore him up. His father, who he’d kept at arm’s length since he graduated high school, had taught him one valuable lesson. Showing emotion was a sign of weakness. Shane inhaled and drew on his professional skills, telling himself he needed to stay focused for the sake of the Tanners.
    The roof had collapsed on top of the bed. He’d have to move the wreckage himself. While Cody was somewhere sniffing out clues, and a bunch of cops were either cordoning off the area or searching for what police looked for at crime scenes, he needed to work solo. He couldn’t afford to have any untrained men come into the burned-out shell.
    Shane donned his well-insulated gloves and managed to shove the trusses to the side. When he uncovered the bed, his heart sank. Greg and Rhonda were lying there peacefully, as if they were unaware the house had ever been on fire. To him, that implied they might have been killed before the blaze started. At least he hoped that was the case.
    He shot photos of the bodies. Something tugged at him. Greg’s hands were in a prayerlike position with the tips of his fingers nearly touching his left shoulder. Under normal circumstances, when people burned to death, their muscles shrank and the body curled up in the fetal position. In this case, Greg’s hands were together, and that wasn’t normal.
    He’d almost finished documenting the scene when he spotted some cigarette paper on the bed. In fact, part of the cigarette was still intact. The problem was that to his knowledge neither Greg nor Rhonda smoked. He bagged the stub, hoping the lab would give him some answers.
    A glass bottle sat on the nightstand. He picked it up and placed it in another evidence