Logan’s brow creased. “Then how do you know it’s him?”
She frowned. “I just know.”
“Okay, let’s say it is from your ex,” Logan said thoughtfully. “What do you think he’s really trying to say? Does he want to see you burned? Was it a genuine threat?”
Mallory was still a little unsure of Logan but knew she had to trust someone. “I do believe it was a threat.” She watched him carefully, gauging his reaction.
“A death threat to you?”
“I know it sounds a little crazy...especially when you don’t know the whole story...but that’s what I believe.”
Logan looked uneasy or maybe confused. “So, let’s be crystal clear. You’re saying that Brock Dennison, your ex-boyfriend, probably sent you that text?” He pulled out a little notebook, flipping it open to write something. “About a burned corpse not being pretty?”
She simply nodded.
“And you’re suggesting that the same Brock Dennison, the anchorman for Channel Six, has been threatening you, Mallory?”
“Look, this isn’t easy,” she told him. “And I feel like I’m stepping out on a limb every time I tell someone that I suspect Brock has threatened me. But it’s true. I do believe he’s involved. Even if this morning’s text didn’t come directly from him, I believe he’s behind it. He started sending me a lot of veiled threats right after I broke up with him. Unfortunately, I didn’t take them seriously. I just ignored them and dumped them.”
He looked at his own phone. “Looks like it hit your phone at 4:27 this morning. About an hour after you called in the fire.” Logan scribbled more notes. “Do you know Mr. Dennison’s whereabouts right now?”
“Is this an official inquiry?” She knew she sounded defensive. Not for Brock’s sake, of course, but simply to protect herself. All she needed was to get caught up in a false accusation in the small town of Clover—especially with her dad so far away. Never mind that no one in Portland took her other accusations against Brock seriously. But she knew that Brock had friends all over the place. In high places and in low. Brock Dennison was everybody’s buddy. And he’d already threatened legal action against her if she “slandered” his name. He’d told her she could lose her job.
“That’s right.” Logan’s mouth twisted to one side as he continued to write. “This is part of my investigation, Mallory. Official.”
“Do I need a lawyer?” Her question was part sarcasm and part sincere. One of her hopes in coming home was to get some advice from her dad’s best friend, Al Brandt. Al was a decent guy and a respected attorney.
“Lawyer?” Logan frowned. “Why would you need that?”
Mallory rubbed her forehead and groaned. “I don’t know. And, honestly, I don’t know if I can do this, Logan. I mean, I haven’t slept in a few days. My brain feels like oatmeal.”
Logan looked sympathetic. “Okay, we won’t try to do all of this right now. Just answer a couple of questions and I’ll let you get some sleep. Okay?”
“Okay... I’ll do my best.”
“So, tell me the truth, Mallory, do you seriously think Brock had anything to do with that fire?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Nothing about that man would surprise me.”
“Do you think Brock would intentionally hurt you?”
Mallory stared at him. She was in too deep to stop. Besides he’d said this was an official investigation. Did she have any choice? “I think he would,” she answered honestly.
“Okay...” He locked eyes with her. “Has Brock ever threatened to hurt you before?”
She took in a deep breath and made her decision. “He has sworn to kill me.”
Logan had a feeling he was in over his head. Not just with his personal feelings toward Mallory, but with this whole business regarding Brock Dennison, too. It wasn’t as if he was a fan of the popular newscaster. Although some of his female firefighters seemed to be. Something about that meticulously groomed guy with the blond hair and flashy smile had always felt a little phony to him. And he found it hard to believe that Mallory had actually been involved with someone like that.
He also found it unbelievable that Brock Dennison had the nerve to threaten someone’s life, much less commit arson, but he could tell by Mallory’s face that it was true. Or, at the very least, she believed it was true. But facts were facts. There had been a fire, and Mallory had received a threatening text related to fire. Those two things were real enough. But getting the whole story, well, he didn’t think it was going to be easy.
“So, Brock Dennison swore to kill you?” he repeated her words back to her, writing them down as he spoke. “Can you please elaborate?”
“The truth is he said it more than once. The first time he said it, he was really mad at me,” she began slowly. “And although it caught me by surprise, I didn’t take it too seriously. Or literally. You know how people say stupid things in the heat of the moment. I honestly didn’t think he was going to kill me. I mean, Brock has a short fuse about some things. He can come across as a really nice guy, and then he’ll turn on you.”
“Right...so let’s be clear. Do you think Brock is capable of violence?” Logan studied her closely. She looked so frail and tired, as if she were close to breaking. And yet she looked beautiful, too. He could tell that beneath all this, there was a quality of strength in her. “Mallory?” He reached out to gently squeeze her hand. “Is Brock capable of violence?”
“Yes,” she quietly confessed. “He is. I know he is.”
“Has he hurt you before?”
She simply nodded, staring down at her hands as if embarrassed. And maybe it was humiliating—telling someone she barely knew about the intimate details of a past relationship. A part of him felt slightly voyeuristic for pressing her like this. But for the most part, he just wanted to help her. How could he help her if she didn’t tell him the truth? He wished she could just trust him.
“I know this isn’t easy,” he said gently. “But remember this is an investigation. And, really, you can trust me. But I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Okay.” She sighed. “Maybe I should start at the beginning.”
“That would help a lot.”
“I guess it started last winter...actually it was even sooner than that. Not our dating, but the relationship. For some reason, I caught Brock’s eye early on in my internship. I can’t even imagine why. I mean, other girls were constantly flirting with him. I never did. I was all about work. I took my internship seriously. I took newswriting seriously. I honestly don’t understand why Brock went after me, but he did.”
“I think I understand why.” Logan sighed. “For starters, you’re a beautiful girl, Mallory. You’re also very intelligent. And you have a sweet spirit. That’s a rather attractive package, don’t you think?”
She blinked in surprise, but said nothing.
“Seriously.” He rubbed his chin. “Combine those qualities with the fact that you were focused on work—not flirting—well, that probably made you seem even more attractive. Kinda like playing hard to get.”
“I wasn’t playing—”
“I know. But you get what I’m saying. Some guys like the challenge.”
She frowned. “I guess so. Anyway, Brock was intent on dating me. For nearly a