On Fire Read Online Free Page B

enemies.”
    â€œWhat kind of enemies?” I asked.
    He turned and looked at me like he was suddenly suspicious. “You don’t have any idea what’s out there, do you?”
    I told Marsh about the conversation later. “Sometimes people burn themselves intentionally,” he said.
    â€œWhy?”
    He didn’t try to explain it, and I wouldn’t have understood him even if he had. I just couldn’t see the on-fire guy doing something like that.
    Then I thought of another possibility. “Maybe he wasn’t kidding about enemies,” I said. “What if someone really did hold him down and do that to him?”
    â€œThat would be torture,” Marsh said. “And if we find out anything about that, I’ll have to get word to the police again.”
    That gave me a jolt. “What do you mean again ?” I said.
    Marsh began cracking his knuckles, which wasn’t a good sign. “When I was down in Kingman yesterday I notified the force that we have an amnesia patient here.”
    â€œWhat?” I whooshed the word out along with quite a lot of air.
    â€œI haven’t been able to get in touch with Frank, so I have to guess that’s what he’d do.”
    Pressure started building up in my throat. “You should have asked me first,” I said.
    â€œSomeone might be looking for him, Matti. Did you think of that? He may have a family somewhere.”
    I walked away from Marsh and let off steam for quite a while. It’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re trying to control yourself. Then I came back again. “What did the police say? Is someone looking for him?”
    â€œApparently not.”
    â€œWell, then,” I said.
    They asked how old he was. “Probably around eighteen,” I told them, “but we can’t be sure. They said there are so many displaced people around here right now because of the fires, he’d have to be a lot younger than that before they’d look into it. .”
    â€œSo it’s up to us to find out who he is and where he’s from,” I said.
    â€œI’ll get Allard to put out a bulletin on his CB radio,” Marsh told me. “That might turn up something.”
    â€œI suppose,” I said.
    The police in Kingman weren’t the only problem I could see down the road, of course. With the weather getting better, Frank could come home at any time. He wouldn’t just sit and wait like Marsh had been doing.
    Frank was a detail person. He’d poke around until he knew who the guy was and twenty-eight other things about him. After that I wasn’t sure what he’d do.

10

Y OU’RE D AN N OW
    I WAS SO PREOCCUPIED WITH MY visits to the jail I pretty much forgot bout the Gas and Grocery. Mrs. Stoa didn’t, of course. She gave up on her window displays after a few days, but she sat out on the front porch with her book and watched for customers to drive up. I believe that happened once or twice. She phoned up Allard Grass then, and got him to take their money.
    She was at her post one morning when I came out with a jug of lemonade and a paper plate of Million Dollar Fudge I’d made the night before. I was beginning to think she had the power to make herself invisible because I didn’t even notice her.
    â€œGood morning,” she said.
    I stopped and whirled around. “What are you doing there?” I tried to hide the fudge behind my back.
    â€œReading,” she said. “As usual. And watching you. I’m supposed to know where you’re going.”
    â€œI’m going down to the jail,” I said. “And I’m sorry, but this food is not for you.
    â€œYou call the town office ‘the jail’?” she asked.
    â€œSometimes.”
    She clucked her tongue. “All that sugar can’t be good for the young man. What do you call him, by the way?”
    â€œHe still doesn’t know his name,” I said, “so