Chapter 3

Emerson parked his car on the thickly treed hill of otherwise vacant property overlooking the orchard. From here he had the perfect view of the farmhouse and its windows filled with warm lights. Without binoculars it would be impossible to make out any of the figures within, but he was without the creepy accompaniment. Instead he sat and looked tranquilly at the yellow blurbs, smoking another cigarette and another as one by one the lights in the house went out. For a moment he thought he glimpsed red hair in the upstairs window, but he couldn’t be sure as it was getting late and his eyes were tired. The air in the car was cold now, and his muscles felt stiff after sitting cramped in a car for so long, but he didn’t feel safe enough to leave its steel harbor. Instead he switched on the ignition and backed slowly down the mountainous dirt road. He wondered vaguely on whose property he had been trespassing, admitting slightly grudgingly that it probably belonged to the adjacent set of ranchlands and that likely its owners wouldn’t care to see him on their grounds. With a sigh he angled the car back out onto the paved road and headed downtown. He was mildly stressed about his inevitable arrival back at the house. After all, he couldn’t check into the motel prior to his faux discovery of his ravaged home. He hoped ardently that the fire had consumed the entire estate. He didn’t know what he would do if some well meaning neighbor had put the damn thing out before it collapsed the second story.

He was relieved to see the fire truck still parked on the street outside his childhood home, and slightly disappointed that part of it remained. He had really been wishing for a pile of ashes, but that neighborhood watch had clearly been at their finest tonight. He surreptitiously tucked his pack of cigarettes back down into the seat as he pulled to a stop in front of the property. On some level he knew they’d smell the cigarette smoke, and eventually trace the cause of the fire back to the butts, but he still didn’t feel right bringing the actual weapon back to the scene of the crime. He exited his vehicle and tried to paint a look of shock on his face.

“Excuse me, sir, but you’ll have to stay back,” said the first fireman he approached.

“But… I live here,” he said, mocking sincerity.

“You got i.d.?” the man asked, tilting his mask up higher on his head.

Em fished his wallet out of his back pocket and handed over his shiny new driver’s license.

“Just had it renewed, huh?” the guy grunted looking at the new card.

“Something like that,” he hedged. “Um, listen, what happened here?”

“Well, obviously there was a fire…” the man said; Emerson couldn’t tell if this remark was an attempt at humor or not. Fortunately he was spared making that call himself when a second fireman appeared at the first one’s side. The man handed over the driver’s license and said to the newcomer, “Hey, Cap, this is the resident.”

“You the owner?” Cap asked, his chubby face smeared with black ash.

“Yes,” Em said slowly.

“Well, we believe the fire started in the front garden and made its way through the front walls and most of the first and second stories. The detached garage suffered little in the way of damage, and we were able to stop the blaze before it reached any of the neighboring houses.”

“Thank goodness,” Emerson said, highly relieved that his plan hadn’t caused problems for anyone else. “Um… so… what should I do?”

“Well, for tonight you’ll have to stay someplace else, with a friend or neighbor or something,” Cap said. “Then in the morning we’ll let you know the cause and when you’ll be able to return to the dwelling. Unfortunately, I can tell you right now, that won’t be for a good long while. Call your insurance carrier and report it. They can probably help you arrange for temporary lodging and the usual necessities.”

“Thank you,” he said, “I will.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“You, too.”

The two firemen walked away, leaving Emerson amused on the sidewalk. So far his plan had come to perfect fruition. Now he was free to check into the motel and watch cable television until he fell asleep. It was a great relief to be free of this house.

His step was light as he returned to his car. Freedom was delicious.

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