Arson

By Austen Thorne

Madison Drake is a detective for the Stetson Beach Police Department. The last thing she wants to do is show a new detective the ropes. Especially when a fire investigation becomes arson to cover up a murder. Madison butts heads with Tara, her trainee, deals with sarcasm from Nic, her ex-girlfriend who is a patrol officer, and finds calm in the chaos of police work with Jamie, her best friend who is the county medical examiner.

Arson is the first of many in a series of novella episodes surrounding the fictional Stetson Beach Police Department and Detective Madison Drake.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Triplicity Publishing, LLC
• Release date: Mar 31, 2016

Austen Thorne

Austen spends her days working in the corporate world and her nights bringing her stories to life. She's an avid reader and claims to have too many favorite authors to narrow it down to one. She blames her love of books on the countless hours she has spent flying all over the country and sleeping in stuffy hotel rooms.

Book preview

Arson

Stetson Beach Series: Book One

By

Austen Thorne

Arson © 2016 Austen Thorne

Triplicity Publishing, LLC

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without permission.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events of any kind, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition – 2016

Cover Design: Triplicity Publishing, LLC

Interior Design: Triplicity Publishing, LLC

Editing: Mamie Stevenson - Triplicity Publishing, LLC

Also by Austen Thorne

Special Assignment

Vow of Solitude

Acknowledgements

Thanks to my editor, Mamie Stevenson for catching my mistakes. Special thanks to Triplicity Publishing for taking a chance on this extensive series.

Dedication

For everyone who has unknowingly inspired me along the way.

Author’s Note

The Stetson Beach Series is a sequence of 24 novellas that revolve around a fictional police department and the life of its senior detective. Each story is an installment in the series, much like episodes of a TV show. It has taken me a long time to bring this series to life. I am excited to share it with you!

Austen Thorne

Chapter 1

Nice of you to join us, Detective Drake, Chief Hardy said, turning all eyes to the woman entering the back of the room. She was wearing dark slacks and a light gray polo shirt. Her silver and gold badge was attached to her belt near the issued handgun that was strapped to her side.

Madison lifted her chin in his direction and took a seat at the nearest table. She’d been up most of the night trying to find the owner of the adorable Doberman puppy who had appeared on her doorstep soon after she’d arrived home the day before.

As I was saying, the chief continued, besides the fire on Lions Club Road, it was a quiet night on the beach. Your assignments for the day are on the board. He dismissed the patrol officers and detectives that filled the small parade room. Drake, a word in my office, he added.

Madison nodded and headed towards the locker room at the opposite end of the hall.

Maybe if you kept it in your pants once in a while, you wouldn’t be on the shit list, Curtis Roach, a patrol officer, mumbled gruffly as he walked past her.

Evan Crabtree, the other detective in the department, stepped in front of her and said, He’s not worth the breath.

Madison shook her head and stepped into the locker room to use the restroom. She looked at herself in the mirror over the sink. Her short black hair was just wavy enough to be considered curly and in need of a trim. She hated when it touched the top of her collar or curled over her ears. The ice blue eyes staring back at her, had bags under them.

Damn dog, she growled.

The halls were empty when she headed over to the chief’s office. He was leaning with his hip against the side of the desk when she walked in. He wore a similar uniform to the patrol officers, except his shirt was light blue, where they wore dark blue shirts and pants.

Do you want a dog? she asked.

No. He moved around to his chair.

How’s Sandra? Maybe she wants a dog.

My wife is fine, thanks for asking. If you were eight months pregnant, would you want me to bring you home a dog?

Madison shoved her hands into her pockets and shook her head.

You need to head out to that fire before you start on anything, he said.

I rode past there on my way in. It was contained.

They found a body inside.

Madison hadn’t noticed the blond woman sitting in the corner until she cleared her throat.

Madison Drake, meet Tara Shultz. She’s just joined us from the sheriff’s office. Take her with you and show her the ropes.

Me? What about Crabtree? Madison balked, causing the chair she was sitting in to squeak.

You’re the senior detective in the department, so she’s working with you. Welcome to your first case, Detective Shultz.

Madison huffed and waved for the woman to come on as she walked out of the room. She was familiar with the sheriff’s office, which covered all of Grady County, as well as, Mangrove, the large metropolitan city bordering Stetson Beach. Most of the officers and detectives she’d come in contact with were know-it-all assholes.

Tara fell in step next to her as they moved down the hallway.

The lobby is upfront. Next to that is the booking area with holding cells. The locker room is this way, near the rear entrance. The records and interrogation rooms are on the other side of the work area, which is where the detective desks and patrol work stations are located.

I’ve already had a tour of the station, Tara interrupted.

Madison looked up and down at the woman next to her. She had pale skin, cornflower blonde hair pulled back in a loose bun, and honey-colored eyes. She was dressed in a white button down blouse and dark slacks.

I’m assuming you were a detective with the sheriff’s office, Madison stated as she pushed open the door, allowing the bright sun to penetrate the dim lighting. It wasn’t even eight a.m. yet, and the Florida sun was already scorching.

Yes, Tara replied, following her to the dark gray Dodge Charger with black wheels. She was familiar with the unmarked cars, since the sheriff’s office had a few of the same model.

Madison put on a pair of dark aviator sunglasses and backed out of her parking space. Why don’t you save me the twenty questions and tell me what divisions you’ve worked in?

Tara nodded, watching the businesses and houses go by as she answered. I was with the sheriff’s office for three years as a detective in vice and homicide. I’m from Utah. I spent six years working in patrol, and then two as a detective for the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Stetson Beach Police Department is small, a lot smaller than the Grady County Sheriff’s Office, or Salt Lake City Police, for that matter. We have a dozen full time patrol officers and about a dozen part-time. The detectives are all in one division, called Investigation. We handle everything from robbery to homicide and anything in between. I’m sure the chief told you all of this.

He did. He also said just because the department and the city of Stetson Beach are small, that means nothing.

He was right. Florida is sunny year round and the beach is the place to be. We only have about 20,000 residents in the city limit, but at any given time over the summer, that number can quadruple. Which means our crime rate fluctuates. Every day is different from the day before, but it keeps you on your toes and keeps the job exciting, Madison said, pulling up behind one of the patrol cars parked on Lions Club Road. I’m sure you know how to work a crime scene, but this is my scene. We do it my way. Don’t touch anything.

Madison tossed her sunglasses on the dash and got out of the car. Tara was on her heels as they leaned down under the yellow police tape. The single family, stucco home looked like every other small house on the block from the outside, except for the large black flame marks around the front window. The stale smell of fire permeated the air.

What do we have? Madison asked, stepping up next to the stretcher with the zipped black bag strapped down.

You know I can’t give you a cause of death before I examine the body, the medical examiner said with a grin. Who’s the shadow? she asked.

Madison rolled her eyes. New hire from the sheriff’s office.

Hi, I’m Dr. Jamie Calloway, she said, removing her rubber glove to shake hands with the new detective. She was dressed in black scrubs, with her wavy brown hair pulled up in a makeshift ponytail. Her dark blue eyes were as kind as the smile on her face.

Tara Shultz.

Jamie, time of death? Madison asked.

It’s hard to tell. The body is badly burned and part of a floor rug is melted into the victims’ back. The rest of it disintegrated in the fire. I can tell you it’s a woman, but that’s about it for now.

Madison huffed. Give me something to work with here.

Jamie shrugged as her assistant wheeled the body out of the house.

She was found in the living room. The rest of the house is seemingly untouched. Fergie and Cody are combing the ashes. From the burn pattern on the floor and the condition of the body… she sighed. You know I hate doing this… She removed her other glove and closed her medical case. I can say it looks like an accelerant of some kind was used and the body might be the point of origin, but that’s all I can give you right now. The entire room is badly charred, so I could easily be wrong.

Alright, Madison replied, looking up at the house. Hey, do you want a dog? she asked.

Jamie laughed. No. Where did you get a dog?

Long story.

You know Einstein wouldn’t dare have a dog around, Jamie added, referring to her cat.

Yeah. Madison shook her head, knowing Jamie’s cat ran the house with an iron paw.

"I left you a message last night. My father sent me tickets for the new ballet he produced. It’s