Fire in the Binder

Paper did not explode. It betrayed slowly.

The first flame licked the binder tabs, small and almost polite. Then the treated paper caught and the box bloomed orange.

Theo grabbed a wool throw from the sofa and smothered the fire. Martin swung the fireplace poker at him. Elise slammed a chair into Martin's knees.

He went down hard but not long.

June kept recording. Claire pulled her backward. Ruby tipped her chair, trying to break the cord around her wrists.

Martin came up with the poker. "You should have stayed dead."

Elise held the chair between them. "You filed badly."

He lunged.

The front windows flashed blue. Police lights. Martin heard them and changed direction fast, running toward the back hall.

"Dock," Elise shouted.

Theo stamped the last flame out and grabbed the half-burned binder box. Elise cut Ruby loose with a fireplace tool while Claire dragged June to the side wall.

Roslyn burst through the front door with two deputies. "Where?"

"Dock path."

Roslyn ran.

Elise followed because Martin had Vivian's phone logs in his pocket and a private airstrip ahead of him. Theo cursed and followed because he had chosen his worst habit years ago and named it Elise.

Rain made the dock black. Martin was halfway across it, heading for the boathouse slip where a small motorboat rocked against the pilings.

Roslyn shouted, "Stop."

Martin did not.

Adam stepped out of the boathouse.

Elise stopped so hard Theo ran into her.

Adam held a flare gun in both hands, pointed at Martin's chest.

"You said pain was a clean teacher," Adam called.

Martin slowed. "Adam, put that down."

"You first."

For one wild second, Elise thought Adam might be brave.

Then Martin said, "Your debt ledger is in that binder. If I go down, so do you."

Adam's hands started to shake.

The flare gun dipped.