American Heroes Series - 03 - Purgatory by Kathryn Le Veque Page A

watched her, his heart just
about breaking.  He wasn’t sure what to say to the woman. Silently, he went
over to her and sat down next to her on the stairs. He watched her gently
heaving shoulders, the hands over her face, and did the only thing he could
think of. He put his big arm around her shoulders and hugged her gently.
    “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
    Elliot felt his hand on her
shoulder and she reached up, clasping the warm fingers, taking strength from
the reassurance.
    “It’s not your fault,” she wept
softly. “But what in the hell… why would somebody do that? They don’t even know
us. Why would they firebomb my house?”
    Nash shook his head and gave her
another squeeze, holding on to the warm fingers that were clasping his.
    “I don’t know, darlin’,” he said
softly, hearing the distant scream of sirens draw closer. Looking up, he could
see at least three squad cars barreling down the quarter-mile long gravel driveway.
“I’m sure they weren’t after you personally. I told you that this house
attracts freaks. Maybe that’s all this was, somebody trying to scare you away.”
    She sobbed into her hand,
struggling to compose herself. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m not usually
such a cry baby. But I just finished a three-day drive across the country, found
out that the house I bought is full of ghosts and pirate treasure, and now
somebody tries to burn it down. I guess… I guess it’s just been a big day.”
    Nash didn’t say a word. He just
sat there with his arm around her shoulders, watching the police units pull
into the circular drive in front of the house. There were actually four units,
two City of Sorrento police units and two sheriff units.  He gave her a quick
squeeze before rising to his feet, facing the officers now bailing out of their
cars.
    “Someone prowled the place and
then threw a Molotov cocktail into the front window,” he pointed out the broken
parlor window to the arriving officers.  “Better see what we can come up with.”
    The two Sorrento officers called
for a watch commander while the two deputies moved closer to Nash. They were
both experienced and crisp in their pressed uniforms, looking to their sheriff
and awaiting orders.
    “Hey, Nash,” a big blond man
propped his boot on the first step of the porch, looking around. “What do you
want us to do?”
    Nash pointed to the rear of the
house. “Someone was prowling back there,” he said. “Dust the kitchen windows
and doors and see if we can pull some prints.”
    The blond deputy nodded.
“Anything else?”
    Nash nodded his head, glancing
over at Elliot, who had since composed herself and now stood up on the porch,
struggling to look like she wasn’t deeply upset. He motioned his deputies with
him.
    “Come here,” he said quietly.
    The men followed him up on the
porch.  Nash smiled at Elliot when he approached, indicating her to his
deputies.
    “This is Elliot Jentry,” he told
them. “She and her son just moved in today.  If she calls, you jump. I don’t
care what time of day it is or what ya’ll are doing at the time. If she needs
you, ya’ll come running. Understood?”
    The men nodded seriously, looking
at the beautiful blond woman with the big blue eyes. The blond deputy tipped
his hat at her.
    “Ma’am,” he greeted.
    Nash indicated his deputies. “Elliot,
this is Ken Havereau,” he indicated the blond, “and his tall counterpart over
there is Steve Pitot. They work out of the substation in Brittany, about four
miles up the highway.  If you need anything, anything at all, you call over
there and ask for them by name.”
    Elliot forced a smile. “Please
call me Ellie,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you both.”
    “A pleasure, Ms. Ellie,” Steve,
the very tall deputy with bright blue eyes, looked at Nash. “We’re going to
check around back, Nash.”
    Nash nodded, watching the men
disappear around the side of the house. When they were out of his line