Would You Marry This Man?
Copyright© 2025 by KiwiGuy
Chapter 13
The call came at 2:14am.
Roy woke with a start, heart thudding, phone buzzing insistently against the bedside table. The caller ID read: Police NZ – Southern Command.
He answered immediately. “Burke speaking.”
A calm, official voice replied. “Mr Burke, this is Sergeant Rangi from Christchurch Central. We’ve had an incident at your company depot. There’s been a break-in and fire.”
Roy was already swinging his legs out of bed. “The main office?”
“No, sir. The shed where your building supplies are stored and the yard office. The main city office appears unaffected. The fire’s out, but there was an explosion when flammable liquids ignited. We’d appreciate your presence at the scene as soon as possible.”
“I’m down in Methven at the moment. But I’ll be there in two hours or less.”
He threw on his clothes in minutes and jogged across to Sonia’s door, banging loudly. After a few moments, the door cracked open. Sonia, in pyjama pants and an old hoodie, blinked blearily at him.
“Emergency,” he said shortly. “The yard’s been hit—break-in and fire. Police need me there ASAP. I’ve got to get back now.”
“Give me five minutes.”
True to her word, she was in the car beside him within five. Roy’s grip on the steering wheel was white-knuckled as they sped down the dark highway, mist curling in the low valleys.
“Any idea who?” Sonia asked gently.
“Too early to know. But we both know who it probably was.”
“The boy racer gang?”
He nodded grimly. “Or whoever’s behind them. This has all the signs of retribution. That metal derby embarrassed them.”
They talked over the possibilities, tracing back connections, but the theories soon looped into frustration and silence. Roy’s jaw was tight, and Sonia could see the flicker of anguish behind his focus.
“Roy,” she said softly, “you need to keep your head clear. There’s going to be more decisions in the next few days than you want to think about.”
“I know.” He exhaled slowly. “It’s just—this isn’t a business hiccup. This feels personal.”
She laid a calming hand over his on the gearshift. “We’ll get through it. One step at a time.”
By 4am they were pulling into the Reliabuild yard, blue and red lights still flashing across the scorched fences. Smoke curled from the wreckage of the shed. Firefighters were hosing down hotspots.
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