Page 64 of Chasing Lynda

The firefighter captain looks at the room number on the door and checks a clipboard he’s been holding. “According to our preliminary findings, that’s the room where the fire started. My men found suspicious materials in the bathroom trash can.”

Zane nods, a hard expression on his face, as he fast forwards the footage again. A few minutes later, smoke starts coming out from under the room’s door.

The police sergeant looks at the list of the hotel’s staff I’ve given him when we were trying to evacuate and account for everyone. “Buck Monroe ... I see him on this list as the resort’s manager. Was he on duty tonight?”

Bennett explains what happened earlier with Lynda, during the photo shoot Monroe was in charge of.

“I guess that’s what we’d call a disgruntled employee.” The sergeant checks the list for Monroe’s address. “I doubt we’ll find Mr. Monroe at his residence, as how it looks more than likely, he set the hotel on fire, but I’m going to send a car to check it out.”

As the police officer walks away to talk into his radio, silence descends on our table.

Zane looks at Bennett, with a grim expression. “Fuck. Neither of us thought about taking his key-card from him.”

Bennett agrees. “You’re right. We should’ve known that that lowlife psychopath would try to get some payback.”

I intervene. “Guys, none of this is your fault. I should’ve fired Monroe yesterday when I realized that he missed all those safety inspections. None of us could’ve known that he’d strike so soon.”

Dodge agrees with me. “True. But I hope they find his ass sooner rather than later. That bastard killed five people tonight. Without counting the amount of trouble he put us in. Which I guess was what he fucking wanted when he set fire to that room.”

I sigh. “You’re right, Dodge. He fucked us right in the ass with the fire. Because even after the investigation is over, I doubt we’ll see a cent from the insurance.”

Zane switches off the tablet, taking the seat the police officer just vacated. “Why? The fire was the result of arson, but none of us set it to scam the insurance. Monroe did it to hurt us, not to help us collect the insurance money.”

I sigh. “Yeah, but don’t you see why he chose to set fire to the hotel?”

When no one answers, I explain what I’ve known this entire time, since we ran from the burning building. “He burned the hotel because he knows we’ll never be able to collect any insurance. The policy is void if the building isn’t up to date with all the safety inspections required by law.”

There’s silence again. “So we’re fucking screwed.” Zane says after a tense moment.

Dodge has been sitting with his fists clenched this entire time. “I hope for Monroe’s fucking sake, that he’s run as far as humanly possible, because if I find him, so help me God.”

I clap him on his good shoulder. “I understand. He destroyed everything and all our plans. All because he got fired. He didn’t even think that what he did could’ve caused some people to lose their lives.”

There’s a muscle in Dodge’s jaw that’s ticking so hard, that I think it might shatter. “Oh, no. The motherfucker knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted to kill. He started the fire in Lynda’s room.”

15.

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