Free The Red Roots by Andrea Johnson Beck Page B

Injuries
    MIAMI—A fire, which leveled a three-story mansion, claimed the lives of nine people. The office of the chief medical examiner released Wednesday its findings to investigators but not to the public.
    The inferno reduced a 15,000 square-foot waterfront mansion to ashes.
    Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire. Special Agent Bruce Atkins released a statement saying, “We are dedicating our efforts to determine what caused the fire to spread so rapidly.”
    Hot spots continued to spring up.

“ARE YOU LOST?”
    “Yes, Reed.”
    “Are you scared?”
    “Yes.”
    His fingers brushed along Isla’s cheek. “I’ll come back.”
    “You won’t?”
    A trail of hope brightened his eyes. “I’m always with you.”
    Isla drifted from her sleep-deprived hallucination. She sipped the bitter coffee and leaned against the wood-paneled wall of Meg’s Café fighting back her sadness. No one ever bothered her, and the waitresses sat her in the back. The cook’s potato and corn casserole was crack in Pyrex.
    The prattle of small town gossip and clanks of silverware faded. A yellowish water stain in the shape of an elephant occupied one of the ceiling tiles.
    She stared at the discolored pachyderm. Isla had problems. Big problems.
    Joe—bless his heart—thought he’d found the perfect hiding place. Determined, Isla located him with time to spare. Joe settled into middle-of-nowhere Alabama. She’d frequented the town knowing he was close. One of the waitresses recognized a photo of him. Lucky for her, he was a lousy tipper and Isla wasn’t. Within a few days, she was a welcomed stranger.
    The rusted silver bell chimed above the café door. Isla turned her attention away from the ceiling. Her lips stiffened as Joe reached inside of his suit coat and pulled out a white handkerchief. He wiped his hands and scanned the room for an open table.
    At first he didn’t notice her tucked back into the corner but when he did, Joe tried to leave. Keyword tried. Two lovely gentlemen Isla befriended her first day in town blocked him. He protested, but the men escorted him to her table. She insisted on him joining her. Glancing around for someone to help him, he finally sat down across from her.
    The waitress approached, asked if he would like coffee. He did with a scowl. Isla requested another refill.
    “Isla.”
    “Joe, how nice to see you.”
    “Why are you here?”
    “I’d ask you the same question. What does a man like you do in a town like this? Harriet Township is a long ways away from New York. “
    Joe raked his fingers through his oily hair. “None of your business.”
    “You made it my business. How much did you pocket to kill Ellis? How much to set me up? How much to burn Pierce kingdom to the ground?”
    Joe glanced over his shoulder. “Keep your voice down.”
    “Fuck you. I should kill you right here for what you did.”
    “I did nothing of the sort.”
    The waitress with her pressed white apron served Joe his coffee, pouring it into the ivory cup. She filled Isla’s to the brim and pulled her order pad out but Joe waved her off. With a nod, she walked back behind the counter.
    “Reed’s missing.” Isla took a breath. “Did Martin and Vinny form an alliance? Clearly someone has paid off the medical examiner to keep the story under wraps. Be a man for once and tell the truth. Is Reed dead?”
    “Not that I know of.” He sipped the coffee. “What I do know is Amaranthine is up for grabs. Martin wants control, he knows who you are, and what happened with Ronan Walker.”
    Her stomach clenched into a fist. “You’re telling me he knows about Jules?”
    “He knows everything. ”
    “He wants my shares. He wants it all. And, Zargotta—did he set us up for massacre? My innocent daughter to be slaughtered . . .”
    Joe coughed. “There’s another player.”
    “Who?”
    “I don’t know. He or she is a ghost pinning family against family. The trust has been broken. War is