BREATHE

“Fear is excitement without breath.”

-

Robert Heller

Porterville, Wyoming

Immediately after the Lom Trevors returns with the Amnesty offer from the Governor

Hannibal Heyes stepped out of what was left of the sheriff office his mind working on a thousand different questions barely taking in the organized chaos that was going on around them.

Deputy Harker and Miss Porter had organized an impromptu money gathering group, which was now combing trees and roof tops to get the bills that had never made it to earth after being launched into the air. His men, the Devil’s Hole Gang, were nowhere to be seen, but secretly he felt relieved they probably had escaped with enough money in their pockets to get them back to the Hole with supplies.

He glanced over at his partner, Kid Curry, who still looked a bit dazed and was watching the bedlam with quiet amusement and wonder. Heyes wasn’t sure if it was the amnesty offer or the bank exploding from two ends that had him so bedazzled.

To the right the saloon, which had caught the backlash of the underground explosion, burned merrily. A group of patrons had saved enough liquor to set up a “Watch it Burn’ party across the street, now as drunk as the flames were high.

Catching the reins of his horse to obey Lom’s demand that they not stay another moment in his town Heyes paused as something caught his eye.

In the alley across from the saloon, a small lone figure of a girl lit up by the light from the fire. She couldn’t have been much more than fourteen clad in her flannel nightgown, hair braided down her back and something familiar about her made him frown until he saw Miss Porter notice her and start fussing.

Younger sister, he smiled and getting on his horse he slowly moved past the fire casting a glance at her as she was being reluctantly led away still looking back at the fire.

And what he saw in her eyes made him swallow and kick his horse into a trot.

****************************

The small boy fell back into the corner clutching a book to him as if it would offer some magical protection against the flames crackling at the bottom of the stairs.

Looking up he swallowed as he tried to make his mind work. The small attic windows were painted over and nailed shut. Besides they were four stories high and even if he could get out, where would he go? The smoke was beginning now to close in on him and it made it harder to think.

Angrily he tried to make his frozen wits come to life. Someone would come, Jed, Jed would miss him.

13 year old Hannibal Heyes felt tears forming in his eyes, knowing even if his cousin had missed him, the fight they had hours ago would have hardly left Jedediah in a mood to look for him.

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He hadn’t meant to yell at Jed like that. He had regretted the cruel cutting words as soon as he had said them. But sometimes, sometimes being oldest just got too hard. He knew he was suppose to look after the younger boy, but who looked after him?

Partners, they had been arguing over who Heyes would make his partner when he left the Home. It was a stupid meaningless fight, but Jed had taken Heyes’s declaration that he wanted the best partner in the world, a partner who could take care of him to heart and had gone off head down, feet shuffling.

Hugging himself Heyes startled as the fire became visible at the top of the steps. Wouldn’t be long now before it reached him. He hadn’t noticed at first. He had snuck up to the attic to read and escape, something he did a lot, usually when he and Jed had been fighting. How the fire had started he had no idea, but he had quickly realized it was far enough along to keep him from retreating down the back stairs.

He shuddered remembering another fire and its memory terrorized him into submission.

The farm, burning behind the bodies of his parents dead on the hard Kansas landscape. How long had he stared at it, flinching as the roof crashed in on itself?

He might have been able to save things, but nothing; nothing could make his feet move towards the burning structure past his parents. It was like the fire was a living creature taunting him and trying to lure him in.

With a sob the boy put his head on his arms. The fire had reached him.

*************************************

PORTERVILLE, WYOMING

A Year after the Amnesty

Hannibal Heyes awoke with a start in the rocking chair as he heard the horse ride up.

Swallowing he unclenched his grasp on the arms of the chair and ran a hand through his hair trying to calm his ragging breathing as he walked to the door.

It was Kid Curry, he had been expecting him, but after riding 8 hours straight he had drifted off reading Lom’s notes about the fires and wasn’t comfortable with where the descriptive narrative had taken his subconscious. Usually he did a pretty good job at keeping the past at bay, but that dream had brought it all back too clearly and he was shaken whether he admitted it or not.

Blinking he tried to brush off the dream from his face as he stepped out the door.

“How bad is it?” Kid asked swinging off his horse in one swift graceful motion and meeting his cousin’s eyes as he stood at the gate of the small wooden house.

“Still unconscious too soon to tell,” Heyes said calmly.

But something gave him away and despite having ridden all night his cousin didn’t miss it.

“You okay?” Kid said casually pulling off his saddlebags, but his eyes not leaving Heyes.

“Yea, just a little weary, worried about Lom,” Heyes lied and Kid knew it.

“He been staying here?” Kid asked looking up at the old house their friend had lived in before moving to Cheyenne with his family. The haunted look in Heyes’ eyes worried him but he had learned a long time ago one never got Heyes to tell you anything by going in the front door.

“No, Doc thought it best to keep him at the hospital.”

“They know how it happened?”

“No, but it seems to be happening a lot,” Heyes said leading him into the house.

Kid frowned at this cryptic statement. When he had received the telegram from Heyes that their friend Lom Trevors had been injured in a fire he had wrapped up the case he was on quickly and taken the first train out of Denver and rode non-stop to see what help he could be.

The three ex outlaws had always been friends but had become even closer since the deal for the Amnesty had finally come through with Heyes acting as best man at his wedding and Kid being asked to be his son’s godfather.

“You wanna elaborate a little on that?” Kid said wearily sinking into a chair as Heyes handed him coffee.

“Four fires in three months, 2 deaths.”

Kid whistled, “Don’t sound like accidents.”

“They aren’t. I’ve been reading Lom’s notes,” Heyes said sitting back down at the man’s desk. “He’s got evidence all were deliberately set and always when people were inside.”

“So this is murder.”

“Yea, especially when you consider all the doors were jammed not to open from the outside. The worse part is it doesn’t look like the person doing it has any plans to stop anytime soon, there was another one last night.”

“What?”

“Dress shop, woman and her daughter live above it and barely got out alive.”

“Are they always at night?”

“No.”

Kid looked surprised, “And no one has seen anything?”

“Makes you wonder doesn’t it?” Heyes said leaning back.

Kid looked up sharply, “You know something.”

“Maybe, I just got here and it was a long time ago and its still pretty far fetched, but I think we need to talk to the Porters.”

“You really think they are gonna see us? I mean ever since the amnesty came through and they heard the story of who we were and that night…”

“Yea, sure was glad Lom was working for the Governor by then. Hate to see him lose a job over us,” Heyes stood up as a knock came at the door. “Put your gear in there, you hungry?”

“Starved,” Kid answer rising with a stretch and picking up his saddle bag and then stopped at Heyes’s surprise pause as he opened the door, not missing the way he casually hid unhooking his gun with the door.

“Who are you?” the well dressed older man huffed with suspicious eyes.

“Who’s asking?” Heyes said pleasantly.

“Josiah Porter, where’s Trevors?”

“Hospital, there was a fire…”

“I know about that you fool, thought he’d be out by now,” the man moved to brush past Heyes and enter.

Unfortunately he was unaware of who he was attempting to brush past.

“Who did you say you were?” the man said his eyes narrowing at being denied entry.

“I didn’t, but I’m a friend of Marshal Trevors.”

“All his friends are outlaws,” the man spat unaware of how he had hit the nail on the head. “He was doing some work for me, I want his report.”

“I’ll give him the message once he’s conscious,” Heyes said dryly.

“You do not understand I want it now.”

“And you do not understand I’m not going to give it to you,” Heyes said folding his arms with a pleasant smile that made Kid close his eyes fearing for the banker’s life.

“Just who are you?”

“Detectives,” Heyes said growing weary of the game. “Here to check out what happened.”

The man looked up interested, but Heyes didn’t miss the worry in his eyes as well.

“Then you might as well work for me, Trevors was.”

“Marshall Trevors works for the Governor,” Kid said coming over to stand beside his partner.

The man stared at the formidable blockade and a little of the air went out of him, “As a friend he was working for me as a friend. He was trying to find out who was starting those fires. So you want the job?”

“Yea well were a little choosy about who we work for,” Kid said.

“And were expensive,” Heyes lied.

“Cost doesn’t matter, I just want answers quickly and quietly. So you gonna take it?”

“Mr. Porter we took it the moment we learned our friend had been hurt, what we haven’t decided is if we are going to include letting you in on what we find. Now my partner just got here and we need to go over and see our friend so how about we let you know tomorrow?” Heyes said dismissing the man with his eyes.

The man stared at him in amazement.

“Young man do you have any idea who I am?”

“Actually I do, I blew up your bank,” Heyes said. “Good evening.” And shutting the door turned to look at his partner. “Well that was interesting.”

“I liked the part about us being expensive,” Kid said looking out the window to see the banker march away in a huff.

“I thought the choosy part was nice as well. You know this might be just what we need.”

“What Porter’s money? We aren’t hungry.”

“No, access to that house and family! Kid let me tell you about that night the bank blew up…”

*****************************

“Heyes?” the voice asked more weary than anything else.

The ex-outlaw smiled at the lawman in the bed hiding his concern over the heavy bandage that covered most of his head.

“Yup, Kid’s here too, but they only let us in one at a time.”

“I need to get my files…” his attempt to sit up ended with a wince as Heyes gently forced him back down.

“Take it easy you about got your head stoved in,” Heyes smiled and then it ran away from his eyes. “Who did it Lom? Doc says you were hit by someone.”

“I was and left to die in that fire. They know who pulled me out?”

“No, but they saved your life whoever it was.”

“Heyes we got someone crazy, they are setting these fires on purpose.”

“Porter’s daughter?”

Lom looked up like he was a magician.

“How the hell did you know about Amelia?”

“Just noticed something once, Porter stopped by as well, seemed surprised you weren’t up and around. Offered us a job to work for him.”

“Porter offered Heyes and Curry a job? Heyes don’t mess with that man. He owns everyone in town and they all report back to him.”

“Well he didn’t know at the time who we were. Look I’ll come back tomorrow you rest.”

“Heyes wait, there’s a folder, some notes on all this in my safe, not that it will be a problem for you…”

Heyes smiled, “Rest, we’ll find out who did this.”

************************

“You talk to him?” Kid asked rising as Heyes left the lawman’s room.

“Yea.”

“Well? What did he say?”

“He wants me to break into his safe.”

****************************

“Heyes did you sleep at all last night?” Kid asked shuffling into the kitchen and stretching.

“What? Yea coffee would be great,” he said appearing oblivious to what had actually been said but in truth didn’t want to admit he had flinched from sleep and the dreams it might produce.

“How long it take you to open it?” Kid grinned lighting the stove.

“Two hours,” Heyes said not taking his eyes off the notes he had made from the file.

“Getting old,” Kid said with a tsk, tsk.

His partner spun around to glare at him. “Kid that is a Brooker 606 wall combination….” He stopped at his cousin’s grin and one of his own slipped out as he realized his partner had been joking. “I ever tell you how annoying you are?”

“Occasionally,” Kid grinned. “Look why don’t you get some sleep and maybe all this will have jelled by the time you get up.”

“Yea might have something there,” Heyes stretched and noticed his partner was fully dressed. “Where are you off too?”

“Do a little detecting myself. I think it’s about time I met this Amelia.”

*********************************

Kid Curry quickly learned that Miss Amelia did not receive visitors. The grand house at the edge of town was surrounded by a high stonewall connected with an ornate gate that barred visitors before they even reached the house.

He had been lucky to catch a maid leaving for her day off and she had been agreeable to him falling into step with her not immune to either his smile or his charms.

Letting her complain about her employers quickly opened the door to questions about them and he learned a good deal.

Josiah Porter had inherited controlling interest in the bank and family fortune five years ago after a tragic fire had killed his older brother and son. Josiah, a widower with two daughters, Susan who they had met and Amelia had turned around and married his brother’s widow only after a mourning period of several months.

It had been seen as a business move as it put her share of the family fortune back in the control of a Porter. Jessica Porter had retreated from society at the death of her immediate family and spent most of her time with her sister and nephew. The nephew, the maid had sniffed, was a lecher and the female staff spent most of their time avoiding his clammy grasp and ambushes.

Talk got around to the fires when he learned that Susan Porter had lost her fiancée in one a month back and had been devastated and was currently on a grand tour of Europe. Fire it seemed had the family marked. Some, the girl said with a catty smile, even said certain members enjoyed it.

Bidding her good day, much to her chagrin, he immediately turned and walked back to the house and began walking the length of the wall curious if the gate was the only way out.

He was not disappointed in either his presumption or his luck for just moments after moving around the back he saw a wall of shrubs growing along the wall push aside and a figure appear.

She was lovely, dark long hair, willowy built and as she turned and saw him smiling she gasped in fear and took a step back.

“Hello Amelia,” Kid said.

****************************

Heyes was beginning to lose consciousness, the smoke swirling around him covering him like a blanket, bidding him to surrender. Just as his eyes began to close the tapping jarred him awake.

*****************************

The knocking at the front door was persistent enough to get inside Heyes’s sleep and finally force him to acknowledge it. Sleepily he stumbled to the door and blinked at the two women standing there.

They were early forties, eastern fashion, slender and similar in features so that his first thought was sisters.

“Can I help you?” he said with a yawn pushing back his hair and realizing they were clearly shocked to be met by a man in just his pants and Henley.

“Mr. Heyes?” the older one said clearly making it known how she was lowering herself talking to him.

Heyes took in the measure of her and thought about it and moved to shut the door.

“I don’t think so.”

“So Mr. Heyes please, wait I need you help.”

There was a catch in her voice and she placed a hand on the door stopping him and forcing him to look at the other woman.

“I’m Jessica Porter, this is my sister Natalie.”

He took in the trembling hand and the pale, nervous birdlike movements of the woman. She was clearly distraught and when he met her eyes the pain there forced him re-open the door.

“I’m Hannibal Heyes,” he said. “Come in. I won’t be a minute.”

He showed them to the parlor and returned two minutes later fully dressed and looking every inch an outlaw.

“I would have thought your husband would not approve of you visiting after our meeting last night,” Heyes said taking a seat.

“Josiah does not know I am here,” Jessica said looking down at her hands in her lap.

“I see,” Heyes said leaning back to study the pair. The older sister met his eyes defiantly. This one is spit and vinegar he decided. I bet she gives Josiah a run for his money.

“Mr. Heyes we want to hire you,” Natalie said and waited for him to be properly appreciative of the honor.

“And why is that?” Heyes said with infuriating lack of interest.

“ Josiah came in last night ranting and raving about you, he said you and your partner are detectives,” Natalie went on.

“We are,” Heyes said fascinated. “But I don’t think Mr. Porter would approve of you seeking to hire us after we turned him down.”

Jessica looked up suddenly as if he had hit a nerve, “But that’s the very reason we want you Mr. Heyes! I’ve heard my stepdaughter talk about you two. She said you were amazing and resourceful men and the fact you stood up to my husband, well it says a great deal about your character. I need men who won’t be afraid to tell me the truth.”

“You think your husband is protecting his daughter Amelia?” Heyes asked casually.

The two women stared at him shocked. It was obvious such a thing had never been suggested aloud, at least not outside the family.

“What have you heard?” Jessica whispered horrified.

“That Miss Amelia likes fires, shows up at most of them despite her families best efforts to keep her inside. She was also there the night your first husband and your son died wasn’t she?”

“She was just a child,” Jessica said twisting the handkerchief in her hands into a rag. “Thomas and Stephen were working in their project room, sort of a shed out back behind the stable. They loved to tinker on inventions. Amelia liked to sit and watch them. The fire just happened so quickly, the men were only able to get her out…” the woman dissolved into silent tears.

“What we want to know Mr. Heyes is if Amelia caused that fire and these others,” Natalie said rolling her eyes at her sister’s show of emotion. “Honestly Jessica control yourself.”

“Ladies I am going to find out who did this because it involves my friend and no matter who it incriminates I am going to make what I learn known to the authorities,” Heyes said rising.

“You almost make that sound like a threat,” Natalie spat at him as she sailed past.

“No ma’am, unless a body has something to fear.”

************************

“Go away,” Amelia said waving her hand like he was a stray dog. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Pretty clever way of sneaking out you got there ma’am,” Kid said pushing the brush aside to reveal the small hole in the wall also hidden by brush from the other side.

“They don’t let me play!” she said childishly stamping her foot. “Amelia doesn’t like to stay inside.”

“Amelia likes to be outside,” Kid smiled suddenly understanding what Heyes meant about the girl’s eyes. They were haunting and almost frightening in there vacant hollowness.

“Amelia has secrets,” she said coquettishly hands behind her back swaying back and force.

“I bet she does,” Kid said wishing Heyes were there. “I have secrets too, would you like to hear one?”

She looked up eagerly and nodded.

“No wait not so fast, you have to tell me one.”

She frowned and pouted and then finally smiled slyly, “Joey gave Miss Fremont a baby!”

“Who’s Joey, Amelia?”

“Just Joey. He says I can have one too. I like babies, except when they cry, when they cry they sound like Stephen…Stephen cried. Aunt Jessica cries too. Now what is your secret?”

“I’m an outlaw.”

She frowned, “My secret is better.”

“You know your right it is.”

“Amelia!”

They both turned startled to see Josiah Porter, his grounds man and a younger well-dressed man bearing down on him.

“What is going on here! Did you touch her!” Josiah said pulling the girl behind him. “Krager!’ he barked to his grounds keeper. “Get his gun.”

Krager considered this and paused on Kid’s look. He was obvious loyal to a fault, but not stupid.

“No sir I did not,” Kid said with quiet dignity. “I caught her going over the wall and thought you might be concerned.”

“Amelia sweetheart did he hurt you?” Josiah said grabbing her by the shoulders in such a way that took any warmth from his concern.

“No daddy, we just talked about babies.”

“I should have you horse whipped,” Josiah roared motioning his man forward, but Kid’s gun was instantly in his hand.

“Sir I told you nothing happened. The lady was just telling me about someone named Joey and something he offered to give her, like he had a Miss Fremont?” Kid smiled pleasantly and waited for the reaction.

“Joseph my study now!” roared Porter to the young man.

“But sir this cad is obviously lying to save himself!”

“You told!” Amelia said stamping her foot and sticking her tongue out at Kid.

“Sorry Amelia, you can tell my secret because I did.”

She smiled, “It’s all right I have lots of secrets.”

Porter seeing he was clearly in a no win situation quickly grabbed the girl by the arm and began dragging her towards the gate.

“I want you to stay away from my family Curry!”

“Yes sir I bet you do,” Kid said holstering his gun.

********************************

“Yea Lom’s got it right here, Miss Fremont, had to leave town suddenly, she was Amelia’s governess,” Heyes said. “Seems Mrs. Porter’s nephew is a real lady’s man,” Heyes said disgusted.

“Heyes I don’t think she did it.”

“What? Amelia?”

“Yea, she’s clearly… not well, but I don’t think she’s dangerous.”

“Then how come she gets to the fires before the fire brigade?”

“What?”

“Lom’s notes say she’s always first on the scene, just watching.”

“Then why hasn’t anyone arrested her?”

“No evidence and who her dad is makes a big difference. So if you believe she’s innocent why didn’t you tell Porter about her little escape route?” Heyes smiled.

“Because I’m gonna be watching it tonight, where she goes I follow,” Kid asked.

“Good, but first we have a date with a lady.”

“We do?” Kid said interested.

“Yea I think it’s high time we thanked Miss Birdy Pickett for handing you a certain flyer.”

***********************

“I can’t tell you what a delight it is to see you boys again!” the elderly spinster said happily as she poured tea and the two men tried their best to relax in the haven for lace doilies and breakables they had entered.

“Well ma’am we meant to get to you sooner,” Heyes said removing a cat from his lap for the third time. How did the animals know he didn’t like them?

“Oh I always knew that running from the law took up most of your time, but I kept you in my prayers. Would you like another cake Mr. Curry?”

Kid looked at the pink confectionary heart still on his plate. Normally food was not a problem, but the last one had stuck in his throat and was no in danger of returning back up if he even thought about adding to it.

“Ah no ma’am, but thank you, wonderful, just not used to such refinements,” he lied pleasantly.

Heyes swallowed a smile and then turned back to the woman who had handed Kid that amnesty flier so long ago.

“We’ve been asked by Mr. Porter to help with the fire problem,” Heyes said quietly.

“Oh my terrible tragedies! He certainly would know about how that feels.”

“That’s right he lost his brother and nephew in a fire didn’t he?” Kid prodded.

“Yes and if only that was the end of it.”

The two men sat forward.

“End of it?” Heyes asked.

“Well I don’t like to gossip,” she lied.

“Oh well this is just giving us information that might help us with the case,” Heyes said patting her hand. “You’d be doing the entire town a service, but then a lady like you is always helping people just like you did us.”

He gave her his best adoring smile and she blushed.

“Well everyone knew, you see Josiah loved Jessica and when she married his brother he was devastated. He even, they say, had an affair with her sister Natalie! Well when Josiah’s wife died Natalie presumed he would marry her, but then suddenly Jessica was free and to the amazement of all he persuades Jessica to marry him!”

“You don’t say?” Heyes said stealing a glance at Kid who was using the moment to hide his pink cake in the flowerpot beside him.

“Oh yes! Why some people even say that Joseph is his and Natalie’s son! Of course Josiah has never owned up to that, but there is bad blood there mark my words.”

“So that fire that killed those two Porters, was it an accident?” Kid said.

“No one knows for sure. Amelia, poor dear was never the same after it. Kept screaming to go back in for her uncle and cousin, they had to sedate her for weeks. She was always a strange child, but that totally unbalanced her.”

“There are some people that think Amelia may be starting the fires,” Heyes ventured.

“Oh lands sake no! Why there has been a child in every one of those fires. Amelia loves children, no I can’t believe that.”

Heyes frowned, “A child? You’re sure?”

“Oh yes that’s what is so terrible about them.”

******************************

“You really think that’s important, that kids are always in the building?” Kid asked as they walked back through the quiet streets to Trevor’s house.

“Well it might be coincidence, but at least it narrows down possible targets, say we don’t have to worry about the saloon or the cat house.”

“Shame I wouldn’t mind guarding them.”

Heyes gave him a look, “So far its been a dress shop, hat shop, general store and a confectionary shop….Kid you notice anything funny about all these places?”

“No.”

“Look at the type of shops they are, all places a woman could go without seeming out of place.”

“Which leads us right back to Amelia and Heyes I told you I don’t think she capable…”

“Well maybe I’ll get chance to meet Amelia,” Heyes said stopping in his tracks.

“Why?” Kid said.

Heyes pointed at the smoke rising up into the sky. It was coming from the Doctor’s office and his clinic where Lom was and they started to run.

**********************************

“The doors!” Heyes yelled as they raced up to the burning building and understanding Kid ran around back as Heyes pulled the wedge against the door free and kicked it open.

A huddle of people fell out on top of him and he pulled them out counting as he did.

“Who’s left?” he demanded of the nurse.

“The Doctor and your friend and the Martin boy, his leg is broken,” she gasped terrified.

Heyes nodded and seeing a bucket brigade forming dived back inside.

“KID!” he yelled trying to see through the smoke.

“Over here!” his partner yelled back and following the voice he stumbled over to a doorway where Kid was holding a young boy in his arms while trying to lead the Doctor and Trevors to the door.

“Here I got him you head out Doc,” Heyes said swinging Lom’s arm over his and retracing his steps as best he could to the door.

People were waiting to help him and Heyes was quickly relieved of his burden and turned to make sure Kid and the Doctor were safe.

“That everyone?” Kid coughed at the medical practitioner.

“Yes, yes, we couldn’t get the doors open,” he said in shock.

The two cousins looked at each other.

“Same as before,” Kid sighed grabbing a bucket. “Always jams the doors so people can’t get out.”

“Come on lets see if we can help them save it,” Heyes said and as he turned he caught sight of her. Just off beyond the alley across watching with those same haunted eyes.

“Amelia!” Kid said catching up to her as she turned to run. “I want you to meet a friend of mine.”

She turned and looked at Heyes, eyes large and empty.

“I see what you see,” she said quietly and turned and walked away.

*****************************

Two hours later darkness was beginning to fall and the two men wearily made their way into the café deciding despite how bad they looked they were not up to going home to clean up first. The one room restaurant was crowded, but room was made for them with several offers of thanks for what they had done.

“So what do you think?” Kid asked quietly about Amelia after their food was brought.

“I think she was there before we were.”

“And?”

“She scares me as much as she did that night,” Heyes said wearily.

“Heyes…”

“Kid don’t start with me. She is the prime suspect and…”

“And you aren’t convinced either!” Kid said triumphantly reading something in his partner’s eyes.

Heyes moaned in disgust, “If it turns out it is her I will kick myself.”

“So what’s the plan?”

Heyes stared at him, “What plan?”

“The one you got putting out the fire.”

“How do you know I got a plan putting out the fire?” Heyes said in amazement.

“Because you stopped about half way through and just stood there completely lost to where you were. I’ve seen that look a million times. One of these days your gonna do it with a woman and then you will be in trouble.”

“When I’m with a woman I’m usually not thinking out problems,” Heyes growled.

“Heyes you are always thinking,” Kid said amused his perceptions had annoyed his partner. “Now what is it?”

“We set a trap,” Heyes said resigned as the waitress poured them fresh coffee. “Were running out of places for our arsonist to burn down. I wanna get some of the boys into town so we can watch people’s coming and goings. I don’t intend to be surprised again,” he said firmly. “Hopefully we can have a few days reprieve to set a trap into motion.”

****************************

“Hello Amelia,” Kid said quietly stepping out of the dark.

The girl turned startled, “Why are you always here?”

“Just been waiting to see if you were going to watch a fire tonight,” Kid said coming up beside her.

“Go away,” she said hugging herself.

“There is going to be one isn’t there?” Kid said. “How do you know? Do you listen? Is that one of your secrets? You listen and hear when the person is getting read to leave?”

“I have lots of secrets.”

“You’re the one who saved the Marshall aren’t you?” Kid said softly.

She looked at him; “He would have burned like…Stephen…couldn’t open door for Stephen, jammed all tight. Stephen begged me, I tried,” she said turning to him tears pouring down her face. “But he had jammed the door too tight.”

“Who had jammed the door Amelia?” Kid asked resisting the urge to grab her shoulders and shake her. “Amelia who started the fire?”

“Joey, Joey made the fire and…he killed Stephen.”

Kid stared at her and then suddenly whirled as behind him from town the fire bell could be heard being banged rallying the town.

“Come on!” Kid said taking her hand and taking off at a run pulling her behind him.

He reached town and realized the action was being centered further out…out where Lom’s house was and where Heyes was sleeping.

Letting go of Amelia’s hand he tore down the street and skidded to a stop in horror.

The house had gone up like a tinderbox. Even now the roof was crashing in folding the building like a house of cards.

“Heyes!” Kid screamed throwing himself at the steps only to be caught by two of the men who had just given up filling their buckets.

“It’s useless son,” the older one said sympathetically.

“The door was open, we tried,” the second man said. “But it was too far along. I’m sorry.”

Kid just sank onto the ground and put his head in his hands.

“Sorry,” said a little voice beside him and Amelia laid her head on his shoulder.

*********************************

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Porter sputtered as Kid kicked open the doors to the man’s study. He had been stopped twice trying to reach the impressive circular room at the back of the house on the second floor, but was in no mood to have anyone deny him access.

“I want answers Porter,” he said pushing past Joseph who almost tripped to get out of his way.

“Yes well if you and your partner were better detectives perhaps he wouldn’t be in ashes now…”

The body leaping across his desk was a blur and the man gasped in terror as Kid pounded him into the wall.

“Funny you knowing that all ready isn’t it?” Kid said through gritted teeth. “I heard you had a spy network, but even it isn’t that good, unless of course one of the spies is the man who set the fire. Come on out Krager,” Kid said cocking his gun towards the closed curtains.

The servant stepped out and gave his employer a questioning look.

“Now you’re both going to answer my questions,” Kid said pushing the boy next to his uncle. “First off your brother’s death wasn’t an accident was it? Let me guess little Joey was jealous of his older cousin and decided to play a trick on him, only trouble was in jamming the door the boy and his father couldn’t get out. Amelia saw the whole thing, that’s what she’s been doing at all those fires, trying to rescue her uncle and cousin. But its funny when she was telling me what happened she made a distinction between Joey setting the fire and a ‘he’ killing them. Tell me Mr. Porter how did you sleep knowing you let your brother and nephew burn to death when you could have saved them?”

“You are mad! Help! Someone help!” Joseph said whimpering.

“Drop the gun Mr. Curry,” Natalie said quietly from the door.

Kid turned and groaned at the woman, gun ready in her hands and slowly let his gun drop onto the desk and raised his hands. Krager was quick to retrieve it as the woman entered to flank her son.

“You are not accusing my son of anything, what Joey did was an accident.”

“Maybe, but his uncle arriving in time to jam the door wasn’t. I bet you saw the possibilities the minute you saw the smoke and Joey running past. He didn’t want to get caught, and he knew he would because they could get out. That ever bother you Joey? Why your uncle and cousin didn’t escape? Ever wonder why Porter here wasn’t able to help them? Let me guess Porter you put the jams under the door and then you held on to Amelia and kept her from helping as your family went up in flames.”

“Your mad.”

“Oldest brother gone that left you his wife and his fortune,” Kid said disgusted.

“Josiah?” Natalie said gun wavering. “You said Joseph jammed the door…she said you couldn’t reach them in time.”

“I never locked the door!” Joseph said whirling tears streaming down his face. “Mommy you believed I would do that?”

“It doesn’t matter what anyone believes, Natalie give me the gun. This man is a notorious outlaw, won’t be hard to blame the fires on him.”

“You made me convince Jessica to marry you to protect Joseph…you bought my silence on his being your son to protect him and all these years…” Natalie stared at him horrified.

“All these years he knew he had killed my baby…” Jessica said softly from the door. She was in her nightgown and her hair hung wild around her shoulders lit up by the oil lamp she carried.

“Jessica get back to your room,” Porter ordered.

Kid saw his chance and dived for the gun, but Krager instantly slammed the butt of his gun against his temple sending him to the floor hard.

“Joseph go for the sheriff, tell him we have the arsonist…”

“No you don’t Porter,” Heyes said from the doorway besides Jessica his gun drawn. “Help him up,” he ordered Joseph who quickly pulled Kid onto a settee by the far wall.

“How did you get in here?” Porter snarled.

“Your daughter Amelia. She knows every secret passage and listening hole in this house.”

“How dare you!” Porter bellowed.

“We knew there were two arsonists. One was your man Krager, I saw him after he started the fire to kill me. He didn’t jam the doors, guess he wasn’t sick enough to think of it or you forgot to tell him. He set that fire and the one that almost killed Marshall Trevors. Your attempt to get rid of anyone who might be on to the truth. But that still left the original arsonist didn’t it Mrs. Porter,” Heyes said turning around and looking at Jessica.

“What are you saying!” Natalie gasped. “Surely you don’t think…”

“They still had their babies. They laughed at me, all those high society town ladies, all those women who still had their babies, it wasn’t fair,” she looked up at Porter eyes completely mad. “And you could have saved mine. You made me, things you made me do…and you could have saved them…” on the last line her voice grew harsh and cold as a blind fury took hold of her. “Go to hell Josiah!”

She threw the lantern and it hit him mid center exploding down him in a ball of flames.

Terrified he began to run catching the drapes as he did, which went up like tinder.

“Let him die!” Jessica screamed stopping Heyes from diving into the room with a strength that surprised him. She tore at him like a wild cat and his first instinct not to hit a lady was quickly replaced with one of survival and finally he managed to a blow to the jaw, which send her down unconscious just as Natalie and Joseph ran out in horror. Heyes turned back just as Krager came past ignoring his employer’s cries to help him. Heyes caught him in an upper cut and downed him solidly.

“Get them outside!” Heyes ordered the servants running up and turned back to enter the room. It was a mass of flames now as the carpet had caught as Josiah fell creating a wall of flames between him and Kid who lay slumped unconscious.

“Kid!” Heyes yelled trying to roust him and taking a step forward only to have the heat and flames beat him back.

Suddenly he was a child again and the fear from so long ago shouted at him to run and save himself.

“Heyes?” Kid mumbled trying to sit up and in doing so almost tumbled into the flames around him.

“Hang on!” Heyes yelled desperate for a way to reach him.

“This way!” a little hand grabbed his arm and he looked down to see Amelia tugging at him. “I know a way.”

“Kid I’m coming don’t move!” Heyes yelled following the child out the door and into the adjoining room where she quickly slid a panel aside and pulled him into a passageway. From inside it he could feel the heat and smell the smoke from the fire and knew they were close.

“It’s jammed!’ she suddenly whimpered pulling on a lever on the side of the wall.

“Not this time honey!” Heyes said and with all his strength leaned down on the mechanism and was rewarded with a creak and a groan and then smoke blew in and he realized he was right behind Kid.

“Easy,” he said grabbing his partner’s arm and together with Amelia he pulled his cousin free and into the cool passageway.

“Where did you come from?” Kid asked confused trying to stand and nearly collapsing.

“It’s all right Stephen” Amelia said hugging him. “I saved you! I told you I would!”

Quickly Heyes dragged his partner out of the building and together they collapsed on the grass just content to breathe.

“You all right?” Heyes gasped as people began running past them with water.

“Wonderful,” Kid said gulping in air. “But do you think next time you get a brilliant plan about coming back from the dead you could manage it a little sooner?”

Heyes grinned as Kid gave him one back. “It’s a promise.”

*****************************

“Well boys I gotta admit that was one fine bit of detecting,” Lom said stepping out of the Doctor’s office.

“What’s going to happen to Mrs. Porter?” Kid asked concerned.

“Well she’s mad as a hatter, but with what she went through its not surprising. Jury will no doubt confine her to a sanatorium and the Porters have the money for the best.”

“And Amelia?” Heyes asked as they began walking down the street.

“Natalie Porter is going to look after her until her sister gets home. Poor Susan it isn’t going to help coming home to find out her fiancée was killed by her aunt. As for Joseph everyone agreed he has suffered enough so I don’t think any charges will be brought.”

“Ah Lom how about a drink to celebrate your recovery,” Heyes said giving Kid a look as he noticed the direction they were headed.

“No I just want to go home. I just need to get my things.”

“Oh we have your things!” Heyes said a little too quickly. “Safe and sound at the hotel.”

“Well then I want to check the house before I leave. Pity I can’t find a buyer.”

“Now Lom the Doc didn’t think it was a good idea you being up so soon,” Kid tried following the Marshall as he walked briskly down the road.

“Yea I mean you don’t want to have a relapse,” Heyes added shooting Kid a worried look.

“Will you two stop mother henning me,” he stopped staring at the charred ruins of what had once been his house. “What the…”

“It sort of burned down,” Kid said softly.

“My house…”

“Now Lom before you go getting upset you have to understand it was the only way we could catch the killer, I even used myself as bait,” Heyes said with his best wounded hero look.

“You burned down my house?”

“Well its not completely burned down,” Kid tried. “Gates still up.”

“And the chimney!” Heyes added. “Why you just slap a few walls on that and it be good as new.”

“Out!”

“Now Lom…” Kid grinned.

“Out of my town!”

“Lom we got some reward coming and were gonna give it to you…”

“Every time you come to my town you burn it down. First my office then the saloon, now my house.”

“Lom it’s a big reward,” Kid tried again.

“GO!” the Marshall roared.

The two grabbed the reins of their horses and quickly boarded them.

“Ah the check is at the bank Lom,” Heyes tried.

“Maybe I’ll just shoot you both and save the town from your next visit…”

“Bye Lom,” Kid said nudging his horse into a gallop.

***************************

Tapping, persistent tapping growing louder and then suddenly a crash and a rush of air jarring him to consciousness.

“Han!”

The boy turned to the window to see his 11-year-old cousin outside of it and the shock was enough to rally him into standing in his concern. Was Jed crazy! They were four floors up.

By the time he staggered over to the window Jed had managed to kick out the window.

“Give me your hand Han!” Jed ordered in a voice that cut through the fire and the smoke.

“What are you doing?” Han said dazed.

“Getting you out, they won’t come up they said its too dangerous, so I came up the drain pipe, please Han before the fire reaches you,” the boy’s blue eyes were pleading.

“No, its too high,” Heyes shivered.

“Han!” Jed said frustrated. “They got a blanket, they said they’ll catch us, we just gotta jump. It’s just like when we jumped from Sugar rock into the river back home remember? Remember how I was scared cause it was so high, but you jumped with me so I wouldn’t be scared?”

Heyes stood there.

“Please Han I can’t hold on much longer,” the small grimy face with its wide blue eyes pleaded.

It worked like no other tactic would. Heyes instinctively moved to help his cousin and catching both his hands Jed pulled with all the force he could and didn’t let go.

It was enough to propel Heyes out the window and with a yell the two tumbled off the ledge and into the air.

Heyes didn’t get chance to think, a moment later he was bouncing in a blanket and being set on the ground.

Startled he turned to see if Jed was all right and found his cousin grinning at him.

“You can go back to being mad at me now,” Jed said practically and got up wearily.

Heyes sat there for a moment and then said, “Jed?”

The younger boy turned.

And with a grin his cousin offered him a hand, “Ya know you might turn out all right as a partner after all.”

If he had offered the boy gold the smile couldn’t have been bigger.

*******************************

“Boy ole Lom sure has gotten sensitive lately,” Kid said an hour later as they slowed their horses. They had ridden several miles with Heyes lost in thought and the silence was becoming oppressive.

“Yea a fire has a way of sticking to a man,” Heyes said and shivered in the sunlight.

“You all right?” Kid said quietly. “I mean what with the fire and all and…” he let the words drop off.

Heyes looked over at the man who knew him better than he knew himself at times and managed a smile to drive the worry from his blue eyes. “Kid I am like the Phoenix, I rise from the ashes of my own demise.”

“What’s this got to do with Arizona?”

“Not the city, a bird, keeps getting killed and rises back up better than ever.”

“You ever see this bird?”

“No,” Heyes said exasperated. “It’s an imaginary bird.”

“That lives in Arizona?”

“No the bird’s name…why do I bother, you got no culture you know that?”

“Least I ain’t got dead birds from Arizona on the brain,” Kid said rolling his eyes.

Heyes suddenly began to laugh the dark mood threatening to sink him into melancholy chased away by the man beside him.

“Kid I’m glad I was right.”

“About what?” Kid said suspicious.

Heyes grinned, “Oh nothing partner, nothing.”