The Fire Went Wild (Home is a Fire Book 2) Read online

Whereas Lana was all angles and hard edges, Amber was curvy and soft, a 1980’s pinup brought to life, complete with hazy photo lens. Wild red hair led her to believe her own fiery fairy tales, and the moment she entered Parkville High she set her sights on Luke. Their romance was legendary. The jock and the cheerleader, always smiling and holding hands in the halls. “Mr. and Mrs. Parkville,” for three years running. But even though she was pretty and popular and well liked, she lacked that laser focus. She wasn’t as feared as Lana, so she ended up taking a back seat to her bestie, but together they were unstoppable and ruled the school, handily.

  Amber and Luke dated throughout high school and were well on the road to marriage, but a few bumps in their first year of college quickly derailed that fantasy. While Luke was preoccupied with his studies and the gridiron, Amber was busy having the party of her life, and on (more than) one of those wild nights, she ended up in another man’s bed. It took awhile for Luke to catch on, but once the whispers caught up to him, the romance was over and they went their separate ways. Amber ended up getting pregnant and marrying the guy, but that marriage didn’t last long. Neither did the next one. Or the next. Throughout three marriages she chose to keep her maiden name, Winthrop, for herself and her son, as if she knew they were only temporary road stops to refill her bank account.

  “Anyway,” Lana continued, “I was just thinking about you and here you are! It’s like fate. I just love that. Don’t you?”

  But Luke didn’t love it. I could see it in his eyes. Small beads of sweat started gathering on his brow, and he began shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He flashed me a look of fear and I knew the problem, instantly. He had come out to Red and Rosa, but he hadn’t had the conversation with his sister, yet. Is this the kind of thing you want to do in the Tater Tot? I didn’t think so.

  “Luke, honey, you are so quiet!” said Lana, continuing to ignore my very presence, as if she and Amber and Luke were the only ones in the room who mattered. “You haven’t even said hello to Amber. She’s single again, by the way.” Stage whispered singsong, followed by a wink. Unbelievable. Did Amber still have love in her eyes? I needed to act, and act fast, if I was going to rescue my boyfriend from this horrible nightmare. They say that bad things come in threes, but two was enough for me tonight.

  “Luke,” I interrupted. “Sorry, buddy, but we’re going to need to get a move on if we’re going to make that movie with the guys.” Three heads slowly turned in unison and stared at me.

  “The movie?” He looked confused. It took him a moment. “Oh! Yes, the movie. With the guys. Yeah. Uh, sorry, Lana, can we catch up later? I really need to talk to you about something, but it’s gonna have to wait for another time.” He folded his napkin and placed it on the table.

  “Well, sure,” she said, dejectedly. “But I haven’t seen you in ages, and I’m sure Amber would just love to talk to you. Isn’t that right, Amber?” Amber nodded and smiled seductively. “Are you sure you have to run? Now what’s one little drink gonna hurt? You can meet up with those silly boys later, isn’t that right?” Not getting an immediate response, her eyes wandered down to catch mine. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Lana Walcott.” Cold. Precise. She didn’t extend her hand, as one should, but just stared down her nose at me and expected me to nod and agree with her wishes, like every other love-struck man who had fallen in her presence.

  “Lana, this is Derek, my…” Luke stumbled.

  “Co-worker,” I said, filling in the blank and staring straight at him. “We both teach at the high school. Luke and I were in the same graduating class actually.” I turned to look at her. “Derek Walter. You probably don’t remember me.”

  “No,” she answered, dully but with a smile. “Can’t say that I do.” Bored, she turned back to her brother and her smile lit up again. “Well, listen Luke, if you want to choose the guys over me, you just run along. I’m sure Amber and I can find plenty of trouble without you. Come along, Amber.” And they walked towards the bar, purses swaying over their half extended arms, Tyrannosaurus Rex meets Prada.

  “Babe, I…” Luke was stuck without words.

  “It’s okay,” I reassured him. “Let’s just get out of here. I just didn’t think you could handle a scene in public like this.”

  “Thank you.” He looked at me, apologetically. “Can we just go home, please?”

  “Come on,” I said. I needed to try and snap him out of this. “If we go home, we’ll just crash. We need a little boost. I have just the thing.”

  He asked me to drive as we left the Tater Tot. He was dazed and confused, torn between wanting to tell his sister everything and wanting to just run away and hide. I knew he felt guilty about the way I jumped in as his “co-worker,” but the way I looked at it was twofold: first, it was the truth, and second, it saved my man from a surefire public disaster. Coming out stories are best done in private and not in a busy restaurant filled with everyone you went to church with and all their kids. There’s only so much that we can pretend doesn’t exist in the South, but coming out of the closet with so many witnesses present is just crossing a line. He wasn’t ready for a public flogging.

  “Well, if it isn’t my two favorite men!” Peaches greeted us at the door to Chesty Cheese, Parkville’s very own combination strip joint and pizza parlor. “Y’all aren’t normally here on a Saturday. To what do I owe the pleasure?” asked the proprietress. Her sleeveless silk romper showed off every asset of that stunning, ebony body that had the locals clamoring for more when she used to work the stage. Now that she owned the place, she just liked showing ‘em what they could no longer have.

  “Just a little life crisis, Peaches,” I answered. “But nothing a few martinis and a pole can’t cure.”

  “I like the way you boys think,” she said, laughing. “Come on in and I’ll hook y’all up.”

  We followed her inside and she led us right up front to the best table in the room. “Y’all don’t mind sharing, do you?” and she winked at us and nodded at two people already enjoying the best view in the house.

  It was Kit and Shawn! They jumped up and gave us both big hugs, and suddenly it felt like all that craziness at the Tater Tot was melting away.

  “Oh. My. God!” cried Kit. “I love this! Martinis and my three favorite men. How lucky can a girl get?! Shawn didn’t have a gig tonight, but we didn’t think to call you. Sorry! Where have y’all been?” Kit was working a 70s theme tonight with a daring black pantsuit and a plunging neckline. She was rocking a turban and gold hoop earrings. Very Studio 54.

  “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” said Luke. He still looked defeated.

  “You look amazing!” I said, eyeing her up and down, “but this one’s had a rough night,” and I pointed my thumb at my boyfriend. “I think he needs the Chesty Cheese VIP Package. I may even buy him a lap dance or three.”

  “Pass one over this way, if you’re feeling generous!” said Shawn, laughing. Kit wrinkled her nose and poked him in the ribs.

  Our friend Tammy was on stage performing. She had actually taken our advice and added sparklers to her routine. Girl was on fire. Literally! She eyeballed us and made her way across the stage, hopping off and ending up in Luke’s lap. She took his hands and placed them firmly on her butt cheeks, shaking everything God gave her as she finished up her set to wild applause. To say she was the most popular girl in Chesty’s was an understatement.

  “Whew!” she exclaimed, as she swung her legs around and continued to sit on my boyfriend’s lap. “That was fun, y’all! Where my singles at?” We laughed and helped her stack her money on the table. Kit threw in an extra twenty-dollar bill from her clutch purse, from all of us. Shawn held his arm around Kit, tightly. Who could ask for a better girlfriend?

  “What are y’all celebrating tonight?” asked Tammy, stuffing her loot inside her bra.

  “Freedom,” I said. “Because there is no light behind a closed door.”

  “Well, I’ll drink to that,” she said, reaching over and sucking down one of o
ur martinis. “But I kinda like those closed doors. A lot of these people are a hell of a lot more attractive in the dark!”

  “You. Were. Awesome!” Kit smiled, clasping her hands together in front of her. She was like a little kid in a candy store at Chesty’s.

  “Thanks, sugar,” said Tammy. “But speaking of closed doors, I love y’all, but I gotta run. There’s a high roller in the Champagne Room, and his wallet has my name on it. Y’all have fun, now!” And she was off.

  We ordered fresh pitchers of martinis and proceeded to tell Kit and Shawn about running into Lana and Amber at the Tater Tot. Basically, we all agreed that Luke and I had avoided a disaster, but in reality, we knew that we just postponed the inevitable. Luke had already taken baby steps out of the closet, and now it was up to him to decide when and where and how to continue that journey. I knew I couldn’t push him. I understood that all too well, considering my putting pressure on him was how I lost him a few months ago. Now that I had him back, I was going to be as supportive as all get out.

  We were enjoying our martinis when suddenly a piercing scream rang out in the air, and everyone jumped. Peaches ran into the main room from the front door with a double barrel shotgun in her hand and signaled for the DJ to stop the music.

  “Hold up y’all,” she yelled. “What’s going on in here?” Everyone froze in place.

  It was Tammy. She was standing by the entrance to the Champagne Room, black mascara tears streaming down her face, her chest heaving as she sobbed, gulping for air.

  “Tammy! Girl, did he hurt you?” Peaches ran over to Tammy and placed a free hand on her shoulder. We were all shocked, unsure of what to do or how to react. “Cuz if he hurt you, I swear…”

  “No.” Tammy’s voice was meek, soft, almost a whisper. “No. He didn’t hurt me.” Her lip trembled. “He… he can’t. He’s dead. Oh, Lord. Mayor Tazewell is dead!”

  5

  THE BELLE OF THE BALL

  When the very conservative mayor of your small Southern town ends up dying in the local strip club/pizza parlor, word spreads fast.

  The Parkville Police and the emergency response team showed up within minutes of each other. We were all told to stay put until they determined what to do with us. I guess we were all suspects or witnesses, depending on the cause of death.

  Tammy was quite shaken up. Peaches had called in Tammy’s boyfriend, Scooter, and the police allowed him to enter the crime scene, thankfully. I’m pretty sure she would have been more of mess without him, and they needed her to be calm enough to answer questions. (Sure, we shouldn’t have all been in the same room when they questioned her, but hey, this was Parkville, after all.)

  “Now, Tammy,” the police detective said calmly, “I’m gonna ask you to just tell us what happened, from the beginning.”

  Scooter removed his camouflage trucker hat and handed Tammy a glass of water. Visibly shaking, she took a big gulp before handing it back to him. She was seated at a small circular table by the edge of the stage. Her fellow strippers had gathered at the pole behind her, while we, the audience, all sat quietly nearby, listening to her tale.

  “Well,” she started quietly, “it was just like my normal Saturday. Mayor Tazewell comes in pretty regular like, so I was expecting him. He comes in the back entrance and usually watches my 9 o’clock set from behind the curtain, so no one bothers him, you know? Then when I finish, I come off the stage and say hello to my friends and fans and what not, but I know he doesn’t like to be kept waiting, so I hightail it back to the Champagne Room as quick as I can. He was there waiting for me tonight, as usual. He used to see another girl, Roberta, every Saturday, but since she retired he and I have been pretty much a steady thing. Well, not a ‘thing.’ Aw, heck. Y’all know what I mean. Scooter, honey, don’t get upset with me. It’s just work, baby.”

  Scooter smiled softly and held on to her hand a little tighter. “It’s all right, Tammy,” he said. “Just finish the story so we can get you out of here, now.” It was his job to keep her focused.

  “Right,” she continued. “So, yeah. Like I said, he’s been coming by every Saturday night for just over a year now. It’s pretty much what you’d expect. He likes to see me dance, do some pole work. Nothing really kinky or anything, like some of those creepy guys who can wander in from the truck stop down the road. Just nice, like. Heck, he even chats about his wife, sometimes. They been having some problems, but who doesn’t, right? Well, tonight wasn’t anything different. I come off the pole and sat on his lap. We were having a glass of champagne. He always gets the good stuff, so I like that. He was talkin’ about work, nothing I can really remember. Sayin’ his wife was gettin’ fed up with something or the other. She was tryin’ to make him pass some new law. I wasn’t really listening. I mean, I was smiling, just making him feel good, you know? Like, I was pretendin’ to listen? That sounds bad, don’t it? Anyway, like I said, I was on his lap, having a glass of champagne, when suddenly he looks at me with this kinda fear in his eyes. Like, he was sad. It all happened sorta quick, like. I was sittin’ there, and he just kinda froze. His champagne glass fell out of his hand and it smashed on the floor, and that sorta snapped me back to reality, you know? He looked up at me and grabbed his heart, his chest, you know, like they do in the movies? And well, it all happened so fast, then. I jumped up and he just fell out of the chair and right onto the floor. And I’m standin’ there just holding my champagne, lookin’ down at him. I just didn’t, I mean, I just didn’t know what…”

  She started sobbing again, and Scooter comforted her as best as he could. He put his arm around her and held her, gently.

  “He was a good man, you know?” she said, finally, as she found her voice again. “He was always kind to me. Sweet. I wasn’t too keen on his politics, but I didn’t hold that against him. I was just doing my job.” She looked up at the detective taking her statement, her eyes filling with tears.

  The police seemed satisfied by her story, and they thanked her and told her she could go. We all started to get up, one by one and we each gave her a reassuring hug, as the emergency response team wheeled the mayor’s body out through the crowd on a stretcher, covered in a white sheet.

  Oh, how the mighty have fallen. But what a way to go.

  I headed over to the high school office on Monday morning, looking for Bammy.

  “Good morning, Miss Mabel,” I said as I walked in, holding two cups of coffee.

  “She ain’t back there, Derek,” she said, tapping away at her keyboard but not looking up, as usual. “Principal Bellman hauled her off for a meeting this morning. Said they won’t be back till after lunch.”

  “So you do know where everybody is at all times, don’t you?” I teased.

  “I done told you,” she said, “that ain’t my job. But just ‘cause it ain’t, don’t mean that I’m not interested. Now how ‘bout you give me that extra coffee? Seems to me you won’t be needing two, now.”

  I laughed and placed one of the coffees on her desk. “All right,” I said, “I’ll come find Bammy after lunch.”

  “I guess you got lots to catch up on, after the night you had,” Mabel said, knowingly.

  I slowed my step and turned to look at her from the door. “Miss Mabel, how’d you know I was at Chesty’s?” I asked.

  “Derek Walter, if you think there are many secrets left in this town that I don’t know, you got a heckuva lot of surprises ahead.” She reached into her desk to retrieve a small flask, the contents of which she quickly added to her cup, then banished to the back of the drawer again, with a flick of her bony wrist.

  Bammy sent me a quick text after lunch. It was my planning period, and Luke and I weren’t going for a run today. He and I had decided to play it as low key as possible this week, after our uncomfortable encounter with Jett at the lake.

  “Behind the theatre. NOW!” the message said. Behind the theatre? We only went back there to sneak smokes when we were students. What on Earth could she be up to?

  I rounded t
he corner, and sure enough, Bammy was inhaling a cigarette like her life depended on it. There was a newly opened pack in her free hand for back up.

  “Seriously, Bammy? What the hell is up? Where were you this morning? I have major gossip, and I needed you!” I said.

  She exhaled a huge cloud of smoke, and I suppressed a cough.

  “Derek,” she started, slowly and deliberately. “I’m gonna need you to start addressing me with a little more respect. You are looking at the acting principal of Parkville High!”

  “Shut the front door!” I said. “What did I miss? Did Bellman die, too? Oh, my god? Was it a love triangle murder-suicide pact?”

  “Honey, no!” she laughed. “You’ve been watching too much television. Parkville’s fun, but not that fun. The community board met with Principal Bellman early this morning.” She took another drag, and then exhaled. “They want him to run for mayor to replace Mayor Tazewell, due to his unfortunate passing. They need a ‘family man,’ a real pillar of the community. Someone solid, you know? So they picked Bellman. Which means…”

  “You get promoted?” I answered. “You get promoted! Oh my god, that is fantastic! Is that why you are chain smoking? Bammy, you’re going to be great. This school loves you!”

  “Derek, I about peed my pants when he told me. Gosh, this isn’t what I wanted. Or maybe it is? Heck, I don’t know. But I said yes. I’m running with it!”

  “So what does this mean, right now?” I asked. “When are they announcing it? I bet Miss Mabel already knows, right?” We laughed and I gave her a congratulatory hug.

  “We’re having a school assembly later today,” she said, flicking the ashes of her cigarette on the ground. “Principal Bellman is stepping down, to run his campaign full time. Not that he does much here, but I think he’s emotionally checked out already, anyway. They’re gonna schedule an interim election for the mayor’s office, but we all know that that is just a formality. There won’t be anyone else on the ballot.” Parkville was a decidedly one party town. “In the mean time, I have been appointed acting principal until Bellman is officially elected mayor. And then… that’s it. I’m the principal! And a nice fat raise, too!”