Arson investigators reasoned that if Chet Armstrong had hired someone to set the airport and lumber yard fires, he would not have had to look far to hire a firebug. And the job would come cheap because one third of the nation was out of work, homeless, and/or going hungry.
Police doubted they would even be able to track down a man with half a face. There were so many faceless men riding the rails in freight cars from one coast to the other, looking in vain for work. Some of the unemployed would be desperate enough to even hire on for such work as Armstrong may have offered.
As the fire investigation progressed, Barbara returned to waiting on tables at the Jackrabbit Cafe and started up her delivery and handywoman businesses again. Every minute she wasn't working to earn enough to rebuild the airport, she joined Edna and Leila when they could help her there. Moose grubstaked Barbara again to paint-up and rebuilding supplies, and even sent one of his helpers when he could, to do the heavy carpentry.
As months passed, Barbara learned less and less from the police and arson investigators. Finally, after about six months, she was notified that questioning of Chet Armstrong, Jr. in Chicago had not even resulted in a Grand Jury hearing.
A judge had thrown the case out on grounds that "what little evidence police and arson investigators presented implicating the accused is all circumstantial. It does not warrant wasting the money of the taxpayers of Cook County to hold any further inquiry into the matter."
It had only been what Barbara expected. Deep pockets had won again.
But only for now. Not for good.
She knew Chet Armstrong was not through with her yet; nor should he think she was through with him. He would try to seduce her again. This time, she would be prepared and strike back at him.
They would meet again, one day, Barbara was certain. Maybe not tomorrow or next month or even next year. But they would meet again. And whenever that day came, or that night, she had no doubt who would finally win. Somehow, she would see that Chet got what was coming to him. His punishment would come, she vowed, not just because he had several times tried so brutally to take her, or that he had directly or indirectly burned her airport and her friend's lumberyard.
He would get his because of what he had done to Becky. Barbara had a forgiving nature, because of her Christian up-bringing. But she could never forgive Chet for what he had done, or had someone else do, to a poor, defenseless animal; and one she happened to love.