Think Twice

Chapter Fifty-nine

Be

“I had nothing to do with the fire,” Be

Officer Villarreal scoffed. “We don’t know for sure what time the fire started, yet. As best the Chief can tell, it started last night, sometime after you were picked up.”

“If it started after I was picked up, I didn’t start it.”

“That’s not necessarily true. The fire started with an accelerant, but we don’t know what kind yet. Depending on how the fire was set and how fast it spread, the Chief told us it wouldn’t have gotten into high gear until two or three hours after you were gone. There’s nobody living around there, so nobody could see when it started. Nobody noticed it until it was blazing, full-blast. You could have set that fire.”

Officer Dayne leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest and saying nothing, but Be

“Look, I gave you a reasonable explanation for the fire. My sister started it to destroy the evidence of the box. Why would I start a fire? What possible reason would I have?”

“Why were you drinking?”

“I told you, I wasn’t. The farmer gave me the liquor.” Be

“I know Bradley and his wife, June. They’ve lived here forever, his father farmed the same land. My parents know them, too. They’re not the type of people to go around lying on other people.”

Be

“Yes.”

“With his wife?”

“No. Bradley was in the living room, June was in the kitchen.”

“Could she hear you two, talking?”

“I suppose so.”

“So Bradley didn’t want to tell the truth in front of his wife. He didn’t want to say that he gave some strange woman, who was half-naked, a flask of whiskey. He didn’t want to admit, to a couple of cops whose parents are friends of his, that he drinks and drives, or that he drinks at all. Maybe he has a drinking problem, he’s trying to quit, you don’t know.” Be

“I’m not calling the Philly cops.”

“Do it, or I will.” Be

“Fine. Good. You want me to call, we’ll call.” Officer Villarreal called information, reached the Homicide Division, and introduced himself. “I’m out here in Cambridge County and I wanted to talk to a Detective Azzic or Holland. Huh? They’re on vacation?”

Be

Officer Villarreal said into the telephone, “Can I talk to the inspector or the deputy inspector? I’ll hold, thanks.”

“I want this on speaker.” Be

“Deputy Inspector Johnson,” said a voice Be

“Deputy Johnson, this is Be

“No, I started last month. Relocated from the department in Milwaukee.”

“I’m a well-known lawyer, and I have a twin sister named Alice Co

“No. They’re on vacation until after Labor Day.”

“Can they be reached?”

“Don’t know. Why, what’s this about?”

“On Friday night, my sister drugged me and buried me alive, trying to kill me.”

“Excuse me?”

Officer Villarreal interjected, “Deputy, we’re trying to get to the bottom of this. We’re out in Cambridge County and we picked up Ms. Rosato, who seemed to think you could verify her bona fides.”

Be

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“No, not at all,” Be

Officer Villarreal turned, angrily. “We’re investigating, Ms. Rosato. We may not be big-time, but we manage. Why do you think I’m making this phone call? Why do you think I took the wineglasses? Why do you think we drove you all over Creation?”

“You’re accusing me of setting a fire. You’re investigating a fire, not attempted murder.”

“That fire caused major loss of property and damage to-”

“Folks?” On the speakerphone, Deputy Johnson cleared his throat. “Excuse me, can I break in? Ms. Rosato, you say that this woman tried to kill you by burying you alive. Where did this take place?”

“In a field, in Cambridge County.”

“Well, if you’re a lawyer, you would know that the Philadelphia police have no jurisdiction over an attempted murder in Cambridge County. Our jurisdiction ends at the city line.”

“I know you don’t have jurisdiction, but I’m out here with no way to convince these people that I’m not spi

“Even so, your friendship with two detectives doesn’t confer jurisdiction on your case.” Deputy Johnson paused. “Ms. Rosato, if you were attacked in Cambridge County, the local constabulary is who you need to be talking to. Thanks very much for your call. Take care, all.”

“Thank you, Deputy Johnson,” Officer Villarreal said, hanging up. He turned to Be

Officer Dayne stood up, his eyes narrowing. “Cut the crap, Ms. Rosato. You were found drunk in a hay field that burned up the next day. You set that fire. Maybe you did it for kicks, you’re a pyro, you got problems, I don’t know. Or maybe you and somebody else partied too hard and sparked it, by accident. It would be easy, with a cigarette and a bottle of whiskey.”

Be

“Where do you think you’re going?” Officer Villarreal asked, frowning.

“You don’t have enough to charge me on this fire. You have no evidence that I committed a crime.”

“We will when the Chief completes his investigation, in a day or two.”

“You won’t know if he finds a burned-up box out there, either. Not for a day or two.”