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

bag. Maybe they’d been poisoned. That would explain why neither moved when the house caught on fire. But if so, why would the killer leave the evidence behind? Nothing was adding up, and yet so far, he saw no sign of arson. There weren’t the usual fire lines associated with an accelerant. Regardless, he took samples of what was left of the bed and drapes and would ask the lab to analyze it. The bedroom clearly was the origin, but how the fire started confused him. To someone who didn’t know the Tanners, they’d conclude the cigarette caught the bed on fire. Even if that were the case, two people would not watch the bed go up in flames and not move. Nope, this case was anything but cut-and-dry.
    By the time he actually finished, it was almost too dark to see. He spotted Cody on the other side of the house talking to one of the cops and made his way over there.
    “I’m through here for now.”
    Cody finished his questioning, joined him, and scrunched up his nose. “You stink.”
    “The hazards of the job. You’re no sweet peach either.”
    Cody shrugged. “You want to get something to eat?”
    Shane laughed. “Like this? What planet are you from?”
    “I meant after you and I clean up, dork.”
    Cody’s teasing was his way of lightening the mood. His roommate knew all too well that after a fire investigation, he’d be in a bear of a mood. “Works for me.”
    Shane took one last look at the house. Half of the structure still stood, but the roof was mostly gone. Good thing Andy’s room was on the side that was still standing. If Jessie hadn’t spotted the fire when she did and called the department, Andy would be dead.
    With the arson investigation on hold until he got the lab results back, he let his mind wander to the now-grown-up woman. He smiled. She never knew it, but she’d been the one who’d changed his life.

Chapter Two

    Shane and Cody watched the late-night replay of the Tanner house burning down. Seeing the horror from the cameraman’s point of view brought more dismay. A few more minutes of hesitation and Andy might have been dead. Flames had shot out the window just as Andy had jumped.
    Shane leaned forward and kept close watch on the background to see if anyone might have been lingering, admiring his handiwork. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d caught sight of the offender waiting around to see the panic ensue.
    He bet his best pair of boots that if someone had set the fire, the arsonist never would have expected a news team to be nearby. Working during the daylight hours made sense. A fire at night would have been noticed sooner.
    The story on the TV changed to the citywide Labor Day festival this weekend, but he didn’t listen to the details.
    “What’s bugging you?”
    Cody always could read him. “What were Greg and Rhonda doing in bed in the middle of a Saturday afternoon?”
    His roommate leaned back in his chair. “What do you think two people do in bed in the middle of the day?”
    He knew his favorite pastime. Of late, he and Cody had been so involved in their jobs, they hadn’t engaged in any sharing activity. Duh . “They were having sex.” Shane rested his elbows on his knees. “Could they have been so caught up in the act that they didn’t notice the flames licking the bed?”
    Cody polished off the rest of his beer. “Hard to believe.” He turned back to the tube and nodded. “She looked good, didn’t she?”
    Shane didn’t need to ask who she was. He also appreciated Cody’s attempt to get his mind off the horrific situation. “Jessie was hot in high school.” That was why they’d both asked her out. Too bad she wanted nothing to do with the rich boys , as she called them. “Still is.”
    Cody shook his head. “We should have worked harder to win her back then.”
    Jessie was the type of woman they’d both wanted. She was beautiful, smart, and aggressive. Because she was raised by a single mom who held two jobs, Jessie worked harder than most people