Page 54 of Devil's Hour
Sawyer looked confused. “You need me to call her?”
“The fire was at The Alley Cat.”
Sawyer’s eyes widened, remembering Holly had been called in to work the previous night. “Are you sure?” Royce nodded. He snatched up his phone from the nightstand and dialed, keeping his eyes locked on Royce’s the entire time. “Holls, call Royce or me as soon as you get this message.” Sawyer cupped Royce’s face and kissed his lips. “I’m sure she’s fine, but I’ll call Rigby back and see if they have IDs on the bodies yet. I need you to start getting ready, baby. I’ll be right back,” he said, then exited the room.
Royce padded to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face, then collected water in the cup of his hand to moisten his dry mouth. Sawyer entered the room with his phone pressed to one ear and carrying a bottle of water with the other. Royce took the bottle and downed it in two gulps. He could hear Rigby’s voice coming through the phone but couldn’t make out the words since Sawyer didn’t have her on speakerphone.
“She wasn’t supposed to work last night, but one of the women called in sick, so she had to fill in.” Royce watched Sawyer’s face for his reactions as he listened. “Let me put you on speakerphone, Chief.”
“I don’t know the identities of the victims yet,” she said. “The fire chief just deemed the structure safe enough for the ME to access the scene.” She took a deep breath. “I do know they found a male and a female victim inside a walk-in safe in a room at the rear of the building, which I believe is the owner’s office. Do not assume the worst, gentlemen. Just get here.”
What had once been a hot spot for horny locals and tourists alike was now a smoldering husk of its former self. Huge spotlights were aimed at the structure, and firefighters were bustling around doing various tasks. Acrid smoke rose from the charred remains, filling the air and burning Royce’s lungs. He spotted Rigby and Winegard standing off to the side speaking to Blue and Zeke. Rigby’s body language was stiff with tension, but Royce wouldn’t expect less from her.
Please don’t let it be Holly.
Panic started rising in Royce again, and he tried Sawyer’s breathing technique as they made their way toward the group. Royce inhaled deeply, then immediately regretted it when the smell of charred wood burned his nostrils and filled his lungs, making him cough.
“It’s going to be okay,” Sawyer said. “She’sokay.”
Royce wanted to believe him, but Holly hadn’t returned either of their calls. She could’ve been sleeping since the bar closed at one thirty and it was nearing five, but he wouldn’t rest until he knew.
“Detectives,” Winegard said when they reached the group. “The call came into 911 just after three o’clock.” Royce made a mental note to track down who had called it in. It wasn’t uncommon for a perp to report their crimes. “When crews arrived, the building was fully engulfed, making it unsafe for my men to enter the building.” Chief Winegard was old school. Royce hated how he referred to the firefighters as his men when he employed women too. “They battled the flames for a good ninety minutes before it was safe enough for them to search the premises.” He repeated what Rigby had told them as far as the gender and location of the bodies. “My preliminary report is that the fire started in the office, so the victims might have closed themselves in the safe thinking it would protect them, but the small space became an oven where good oxygen was replaced with carbon dioxide.”
Fuck.Royce shuddered. What a horrible fucking way to die.
“Chief said you’re worried the female victim is an undercover officer with your unit.”
“It’s a possibility, yes,” Royce croaked out. “I know for certain she was working undercover at this location last night.”
“The victims are identifiable,” Winegard said.
Rigby turned to face Royce. “I’ll go in—”
Royce’s phone rang before she could finish, and his knees almost buckled from relief when he saw Holly’s name on his screen.
“Holls,” Royce said in a rush. “Is that you?”
“Who the fuck else would be calling you from my phone?” she groused. “What the hell is going on?”
“Thank God you’re okay. There was a fire at The Alley Cat with two victims inside,” Royce explained. “I was just worried about you.”
“Fuck. Do you know who it is yet?”
Royce heard sheets rustling in the background, and a gruff voice said, “Hang up that phone and come over here.” Royce stiffened, recognizing Jace’s voice. He would give Holly a hard time later about falling back into his brother’s bed, but right then he was just so happy she was alive.
“We don’t. Fawkes is in there with her team. We’re about to enter the building too.”
“Keep me posted, yeah?”
“Sure will. Get some sleep, honey.”
They disconnected, and Royce smiled at Rigby. “It’s not our gal.”
“Thank God,” she said in relief. “Let’s do this.”
“Watch your step,” Winegard said, gesturing toward the building.
Where the front entrance used to be was now a misshapen, smoking hole resembling the maw of an angry beast. The fire chief passed out smoke masks for them to wear as a precaution before they entered, and they slipped nitrile gloves on too. The fire and water had most likely destroyed any trace evidence left behind, but they weren’t taking chances. Royce was so tense when they stepped inside he nearly jumped out of his skin when the first drops of water from the remaining rafters dripped onto his shoulder.