Night Smoke Read Free Page A

property, including several holdings in Urbana. But there were reasons that big companies, as well as small ones, resorted to arson.
    “You run Fletcher Industries?”
    “I oversee several of its interests. Including this one.” Most particularly this one, she thought. This one was her baby. “We’re opening several specialty boutiques countrywide in the spring, in addition to a catalog service. A large portion of my inventory was in that building.”
    “What sort of inventory?”
    Now she smiled. “Lingerie, Inspector. Bras, panties, negligees. Silks, satins, lace. You might be familiar with the concept.”
    “Enough to appreciate it.” She was shivering now, obviously struggling to keep her teeth from chattering. He imagined her feet would be blocks of ice in those thin, pricey shoes. “Look, you’re freezing out here. Get in the car. Go home. We’ll be in touch.”
    “I want to know what happened to my building. What’s left of my stock.”
    “Your building burned down, Miz Fletcher. And it’s unlikely there’s anything left of your stock that would raise a man’s blood pressure.” He opened the car door. “I’ve got a job to do. And I’d advise you to call your insurance agent.”
    “You’ve got a real knack for soothing the victims, don’t you, Piasecki?”
    “No, can’t say that I do.” He took a notebook and pencil stub from his shirt pocket. “Give me your address and phone number. Home and office.”
    Natalie took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, before she gave him the information he wanted. “You know.” she added. “I’ve always had a soft spot for public servants. My brother’s a cop in Denver.”
    “That so?”
    “Yes, that’s so.” She slid into the car. “You’ve managed, in one short meeting, to change my mind.” She slammed the door, sorry she didn’t do it quickly enough to catch his fingers. With one last glance at the ruined building, she drove away.
    Ry watched her taillights disappear and added another note to his book. Great legs. Not that he’d forget, he mused as he turned away. But a good inspector wrote everything down.
    *  *  *
    Natalie forced herself to sleep for two hours, then rose and took a stinging-cold shower. Wrapped in her robe, she called her assistant and arranged to have her morning appointments canceled or shifted. With her first cup of coffee, she phoned her parents in Colorado. She was on cup number two by thetime she had given them all the details she knew, soothed their concern and listened to their advice.
    With cup number three, she contacted her insurance agent and arranged to meet him at the site. After downing aspirin with the remains of that cup, she dressed for what promised to be a very long day.
    She was nearly out of the door when the phone stopped her.
    “You have a machine,” she reminded herself, even as she darted back to answer it. “Hello?”
    “Nat, it’s Deborah. I just heard.”
    “Oh.” Rubbing the back of her neck, Natalie sat on the arm of a chair. Deborah O’Roarke Guthrie was a double pleasure, both friend and family. “I guess it’s hit the news already.”
    There was a slight hesitation. “I’m sorry, Natalie, really sorry. How bad is it?”
    “I’m not sure. Last night it looked about as bad as it gets. But I’m going out now, meeting my insurance agent. Who knows, we may salvage something.”
    “Would you like me to come with you? I can reschedule my morning.”
    Natalie smiled. Deborah would do just that. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate with her husband, her baby, her job as assistant district attorney.
    “No, but thanks for asking. I’ll let you know something when I know something.”
    “Come to dinner tonight. You can relax, soak up some sympathy.”
    “I’d like that.”
    “If there’s anything else I can do, just tell me.”
    “Actually, you could call Denver. Keep your sister and my brother from riding east to the rescue.”
    “I’ll do that.”
    “Oh, one