Chapter Seven

“I can’t believe we just did that,” Aubrey muttered as she shakily got out of Cody’s car. Steven had just driven them from the burnt church to Hardware USA - it wasn’t hard to notice that he had a bit of trouble on his turns. They were lucky the few times the wheels didn’t ride over the curb.

“Hey, quit complaining and look on the bright side,” Steven said as he closed his door.

Aubrey breathed a short laugh. “Yeah, I have a new appreciation for the way Ali used to drive.”

Steven gave her an irritated look. “I meant that we’re here, and there’s no other way we would have gotten here otherwise.”

Aubrey followed Steven as he entered the run-down hardware store that looked more like a shack than a business.

With a building appearance like that, the two weren’t surprised to see the tobacco-chewing, overweight, middle-aged man behind the counter, who looked as if it’d been weeks since he’d shaved.

The man offered a sort of surly grin when he saw the two fourteen-year-olds. “Well, hello, there,” he said, revealing gaps in his mouth where most people had teeth. “You two need more wood to build yer tree house?” he asked sarcastically.

Already in a bad mood for obvious reasons, the man’s jab at their age wasn’t helping Steven any. Fortunately for both of them, he kept his mouth shut.

“Do you make a lot of sales, sir?” Aubrey asked, her own tone just as sarcastic.

The man laughed raucously and waved his arm around the store. “Do I look like I won business of the year?”

“Figures,” Aubrey muttered. “When was the last time you sold a gasoline can?”

“Why’s that any of yer business?” the man asked.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and stepped closer to the man. She showed him her badge and ID. “It’s my job to make it my business, and it’s also my job to make sure you tell me.”

The man smirked. “Two, three days ago,” he said. He motioned toward a row of red gas cans, identical to the one the arsonist had left near the scene of the crime.

“Do you remember who bought it?” she asked.

“Sure,” the man replied. “Some kid. Teenager. I remember because he was a real punk.”

“And that’s irregular in your line of work?” Aubrey asked.

“Funny.”

Steven rolled his eyes. “Look, what’d he pay with, and can you give us a description of him?”

“Cash, and he was a blonde kid. Pardon me if I don’t remember the color or shape of his eyes.”

“Long hair, short hair?” Aubrey asked, ignoring the comment and scribbling in her notebook.

“Long. Shaggy-like,” he said. “And he was short.” He motioned toward Steven. “Even shorter than you, kid.”

That was the last straw. Steven leapt past the counter and shoved the man against the wall by his collar with strength even he didn’t know he had. “Look, pal, we’re investigating a murder here. A murder of someone we cared about very deeply! If you decide not to cooperate with us, perhaps you’d like us to acquaint you with the real FBI, huh?!”

“Steven, calm down,” Aubrey said quickly, stepping behind the counter and pulling Steven’s arm.

Steven angrily shoved her away. “For once, Aubrey, quit calling the shots here! You didn’t even know Cody, so quit dictating how I should feel!”

“You know what, fine,” Aubrey said, throwing her hands in the air. “You get arrested for assaulting a guy and make all the cutting remarks you want. Ask me if I care. I’m going home.”

“Yeah,” Steven said. “Good luck with that.”

The man shoved Steven off of him. “Hey, kid, you better watch that temper of yours,” he said angrily. “Fortunately, I’m no sissy and ain’t gonna go call the cops, but not everyone’s like me.”

“And for that, we’re all eternally grateful,” Steven muttered.

Aubrey sighed heatedly and left the store, slamming the door behind her. He was being impossible. She’d rather walk home than drive with him. He was under-aged, for crying out loud!

Overly frustrated, she dragged her fingernails through her windblown hair, and for the first time in her life, she wondered if this job really was worth it.