Before the Dawn

  Before the Dawn

  Gail Chianese

  Contents

  Praise for Gail Chianese

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  More

  About the Author

  Praise for Gail Chianese

  Camden Point Mystery series

  “Gail Chianese explodes onto the paranormal romantic mystery scene with a slow-burn, second-chance romance that readers of the genre are sure to love!”—Elicia Hyder, bestselling author of The Soul Summoner series

  West Side Romance series

  “Convincing characters, hot love scenes, and emotional depth.”—Library Journal on Bachelorette for Sale (starred review)

  “This book will make your heart smile.”—Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author

  “This book lives up to the promise of its title: playful, sweet, sexy and fun.”—Jamie Beck, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author

  “Gail Chianese is a spunky, spirited, and sassy new voice in contemporary romance with a series destined for the keeper shelf!”—Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times bestselling author

  “The West Side Romance series is like the perfect pick-me-up latte—hot and steamy, with a layer of frothy fun on the top!”—Jessica Andersen, New York Times bestselling author

  “Engaging and down-to-earth…features characters readers can root for.”—Library Journal

  Changing Tides series

  “Recommended for contemporary romance fans who appreciate strong female leads, handsome naval officers, and a dog playing matchmaker.”—Library Journal

  “Love Runs Deep is her finest work to date.” —Slick, Guilty Pleasures

  BEFORE THE DAWN

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Copyright © 2021 by Gail Chianese

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  This ebook/book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright ACT of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the author, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  Published by Gail Chianese, author.

  Cover design by The Final Wrap

  Author photo by Julia Gerace

  Printed in the United States of America

  Created with Vellum

  Dedication

  Shawn Randall Bray

  1965-1988

  * * *

  There’s so much I miss about you.

  Like our very important discussion on who’s better: Judas Priest or Journey. Random phone calls in the middle of the night. Adventures in the city. But mostly, I just miss you. Always.

  You left us way too soon, having lived life with no regrets. You are gone, but never forgotten, and always loved.

  P.S. I let you win the battle of the bands in this story, but keep in mind…it’s fiction.

  Acknowledgments

  As you can see by the dedication, this one is special to my heart. While the character, Shawn Randall, is fictious, there are bits of real life and friendship woven into this story. There are some people that come into your life, and even if they leave, they are forever with you. I thank his family (Aunt Lynn is real, as is Sutter, (although names have been changed) and Shawn would have done anything for his grandmother, Orpha) for letting me use his name as my hero.

  Also, while writing is a solitary job, no book is ever completed without help, encouragement, and a few kicks in the rear. Thank you to the following for keeping my arrow pointed north and to the finish line:

  * * *

  My husband, my biggest fan, my greatest love, and the person I’ll be dancing with for the rest of my life.

  My kids, the loves of my life who encourage me to never give up.

  My family. You have so much faith in me. It’s probably misplaced, but I love you all.

  My MTBs: Megan, Jamie B., Regina, Jamie S., Jane, Steph, and Jen. Thanks for your input, ideas, and friendship.

  Jane Haertel, the best editor ever! Seriously. She totally gets me, understands what I’m trying to say, and makes my work shine.

  Rebecca Pau, for the amazing covers! Love you, girlfriend.

  And last, but never least, you, the Readers, for loving to read, for spending your precious time in my world, and making my dreams come true.

  ~ Gail

  Chapter 1

  Fire had ravaged the building three days ago, yet the air still reeked of burnt wood and plastic. Neither building on either side had been touched, thanks to the speedy response of the Pawcatuck Fire Department. Or maybe to the nosy lady in the second-story apartment building currently spying on her. Kat Jones ignored her audience and snapped off a succession of pictures. The insurance company had sent over copies of pictures from the fire inspector when they hired her firm, LexaKat PI, to investigate a series of medical clinics being torched, but nothing replaced seeing the scene for herself.

  “We gonna stand here all day, or do you actually plan to go into the building—what’s left of it? Maybe we could go talk to Nosy Norma up there. Bet she saw something.” Vinnie Mattetuci, former wiseguy turned PI, nodded toward the upstairs window.

  With her camera draped around her neck, Kat reached into her car for her powder-pink hard hat. No sense taking unnecessary chances. “Vinnie, don’t you have someplace else to be? Like visiting your girlfriend over at the strip joint?”

  “A—she’s not my girlfriend, just a friend who happens to be of the female persuasion. And B—I’m your intern. It’s my job to follow you around and learn. Besides, I promised Lexie I’d keep you safe and out of trouble while she’s gone.”

  A ping of envy shot through her as she thought of her best friend and business partner. Lexie Smith, now Barandas, had recently married her one-time high school sweetheart. Kat couldn’t be happier for her, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t jealous as all get-out. While she’d never admit it aloud, Kat was thankful Vinnie kept her company. Although calling him an intern was a bit of a stretch. “Yep, I’m the lucky one, all right. While poor, mistreated Lexie is being dragged off to bask on some sunny beach in Antigua for the next two weeks by a gorgeous guy who worships her, I get to stay home and man the firm. With you.”

  “Hey, some women consider me good-looking.”

  Kat side-eyed her companion. If not for the baggy jeans hanging off his rear and oversize New York Ranger’s jersey, Vinnie could have been considered a good-looking guy in his early forties. Except he was dead. For the past few months he’d been trying to find himself, whatever that meant. Mostly, Kat and Lexie ignored his outlandish outfits, but not today.

  “Not in that getup,” she said.

  Pushing Vinnie’s buttons was only fair considering he’d made it an art form to get a rise out of her over the years. Suppressing a satisfied smile, Kat made a mental note of the companies and homes nearby. She’d need to interview the employees and residents after her inspection of the burn site. On one side sat a small strip
of businesses: an insurance agency, a fish market, and some kind of health food store. She doubted anyone there would have paid any attention to the comings and goings of patients into a low-income medical clinic, but you never knew.

  The other side sported a poorly paved driveway separating the burned-out clinic and the two-story apartment building where their curious friend lived. Given the close proximity, it made sense that some of the residents might also be patients. The insurance company suspected a disgruntled patient had set the fires. Kat didn’t disagree. A grudge equaled the perfect motive for arson. But to burn down three clinics, all owned by the same people? It must be one hell of a chip to shoulder around.

  Standing in between two blackened pillars of what might have been the front door, Kat slipped on the hard hat and examined the inside. Most of the interior walls were gone, now piles of rubble and ash. She stepped deeper into the bowels of the building, cringing at the squishy noises her feet made in the murky wet residue.

  “These boots are toast. I’ll never get this gunk off them or get the smell out.” Kat wrinkled her nose in protest of the strong aroma of burnt plastic.

  Tromping through the pools of water, Vinnie walked next to her, not that he got gunk on his shoes or left any prints. “What’re we looking for? The cops and fire inspector already went through the place and there ain’t nothing left.”

  Kat toed a pile of rubble that might have been a desk at one time. Hard to say for sure. “Nothing in particular, just trying to get a feel for the damage.” She grabbed her camera, capturing the destruction inside. Letting it drop against her stomach, she stood in awe. “Whoever did this wanted to make sure there was nothing left to salvage, that’s for sure.”

  “Ya think?”

  Ignoring his sarcasm had become a lifelong habit. Vinnie had been haunting the two girls since the day they were born, minutes apart, which also happened to be the day he died. Keeping her focus on the task at hand, Kat studied her surroundings. The medical clinic was a single-story, rectangular building. Before the fire a series of tall windows ran across the front, yet the sides had only small openings near the ceiling. Recalling the blueprints the insurance company provided, Kat walked deeper into the rubble. To her left would have been the exam rooms. The right side housed the patient files and the windowless supply room.

  Everywhere she looked stood mounds of charred wood, ash, and melted metal. The fire’s hungry flames had consumed almost everything. A flash of color amid the gray caught her eye. Bending down, Kat snagged the charred photo.

  Smudged, smiling faces stared back, causing her pulse to pound a little harder, a little faster, and a whole lot pissed off. “He didn’t just steal the employees’ possessions. He stole their livelihoods. With this economy how are they going to make ends meet? I need to talk to the fire marshal and we need to find this bastard because next time it might be a life he takes.”

  “I agree, the bastard needs to be found and stopped, but how can you help?” A smooth, slow, masculine drawl slid over her skin and roused her senses.

  Turning around, Kat found a pair of hazel-green eyes taking inventory of her. She returned the favor, noting muscular arms crossed in front of an equally impressive chest. Hey, not her fault his tee fit like a glove. Wondering if the rest of him measured up, she let her gaze drift lower to take in long, lean legs clad in well-fitting jeans. None of those baggy-ass, barely-hanging-on pants for this guy. Thank you, Powers That Be.

  Still, a stranger. Big and muscular. A secluded crime scene and a blonde. It was like a hacker movie come to life.

  Thankfully she had a ghost to protect her. Sort of. Hopefully. Who knew with Vinnie’s unpredictable skills?

  Stepping forward, she extended her hand in greeting. “Kat Jones, LexaKat PI Services. I’m here—”

  “Katarina Jones?” He stepped forward, hesitant. Surprise, followed by delight, flashed across his eyes. “Guess you don’t remember me. Shawn Randall. I worked the Big E last year at the Masonic CHIP booth. I’m the lucky guy who got to try to stick a cotton swab—which they all thought was a needle—into the kids’ mouths for DNA.”

  “I remember. Kind of hard to forget, you know, with all the screaming kids. You weren’t the most popular person.”

  “Hey, I was when I took them to play on the fire truck. At least you had a fun job. Some kind of kids’ charity, right?”

  “Temporary tattoos and arts and crafts. I got to make friendship bracelets and ‘ink’ the kids. I was very popular.” A cheesy grin spread. “We were raising money and awareness for childhood diabetes. Pretty good memory. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you at first. Your fire marshal helmet threw me.”

  Hard to forget him or her stint working New England’s combined state fair. Fourteen-hour days filled with sweat, screaming kids, and eye candy. If she remembered right, the guy liked to joke with the kids, had an incredible smile, and an easy and casual way of flirting—with her and every female around, young and old alike. Very hard to forget indeed. Also, that he was already claimed and off the market. All the good ones are.

  “So, what are you doing here?” He gestured toward the wreckage around them.

  “The insurance company hired my firm to help find who’s setting these fires. I was just on my way to the fire department to talk with you. Well, not you in particular, as I didn’t know you were the fire marshal, but . . . never mind. What can you tell me about the fire?” Kat slipped off the hard hat, slyly fluffing her flattened hair.

  “Definitely arson.” He walked around the piles of rubble to a spot in the back and waited for her to join him. “See the dark lines here? Traces of an accelerant. From the reports of the responding firefighters, most likely gasoline was used, which would cause white flames and black smoke. “Here,” he walked across the debris to an outside wall, pointing to the small openings near the ceiling Kat noticed earlier, “these were transom windows which could be opened, but according to the staff they never did. Central air negated the need, yet first responders reported they were open in every exam room.”

  “He was feeding the fire.”

  “Yep.”

  Striding across the room, pointing out proof of foul play, completely absorbed in his work, his body vibrated with a passionate energy she could literally feel. When they’d met before she had dismissed him as another victim of the Peter Pan syndrome. The way he played with the kids, on their level, always joking around, smiling and never losing his humor, he could have passed as one of the Lost Boys. But now he was all business. All take charge. All alpha male.

  “I like him, Kat. You should keep him,” Vinnie suggested with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

  Kat dipped her head to hide her response. Heat crept up her neck, flaming across her cheeks. If only she looked good in orange coveralls, she’d kill Vinnie all over again.

  “Whoever did this knew fires and there’s no way these were his first.” Shawn looked to her, probably waiting for her to impart some words of wisdom. It would be a long wait. Brains no longer occupied the inside of her skull. Nope, now it was pure mush. Which was bad, very bad. The last time she’d let her heart and libido take over, the outcome had been disastrous. Been there. Done that. Not doing it again.

  “Okay, then. According to the insurance company, all three clinics were owned by the same group of doctors and the fires were identical—burned fast, hot, and left nothing behind, including clues.” Kat headed toward the outside and fresh air. Both man and ghost followed.

  She gave herself a moment to take a deep breath, held it, head tilted skyward while she gathered her thoughts. Exhaling, she looked to the businesses and the apartment house.

  “I’m going to interview the neighbors, see if anyone saw anything remotely off in the days before the fire,” she said.

  “I sent the insurance company copies of the interview reports. Didn’t they forward them to you?”

  “They did, but you never know what a couple of days or a different interviewer can do to jog a mem
ory. Nothing personal, I’m sure you and the police did a thorough job, but sometimes people will talk to a woman instead of a man. We’re less intimidating or something.” She flashed him an apologetic half smile.

  “No offense taken. Arson is one of the toughest crimes to prosecute, so we don’t mind the help. Care if I tag along while you reinterview the neighbors?”

  Did she care? Hell yes. She had a job to do and the last thing she needed was some smoking hot inspector frying what few working brain cells she had left. She didn’t need or want a guy in her life. Been there. Done that. Not worth the frickin’ heartache or the distraction from her job.

  Maybe if she said it to herself often enough, one day she’d listen.

  Plastering on her professional face, the one that showed no emotions except full confidence, she said, “Of course not, but I wouldn’t want to take you away from work.”

  “This is my work.”

  “Right.”

  Vinnie stood in the entranceway, a strange look on his face and his head cocked to the side. She was afraid to hear what he was thinking. With Vinnie, sometimes it was best not to know. He moved to her side and she braced herself.

  “Smooth, Kat. What’s your deal?” Vinnie whispered in her ear. “You’re acting weird—oh, shit, you’ve got the hots for our fire inspector. For what it’s worth, kid, he seems like a decent guy, but then again, what do I know? I’m going to check out the mini-mart across the street. I’ll meet you at the car when you’re done.”