Page 13 of One Little Spark

She nodded, and then he was gone. She slid over to the driver’s side and adjusted the seat. Then she waited for the fire truck to pull out. It wasn’t what Aiden had said that scared her.It was what he didn’t say. He hadn’t said he thought the arsonist was behind it, but she knew he was thinking it. She was, too. If someone died, then the arsonist went from being a firebug to being a murderer.

Ten minutes later, she parked the truck near the ambulances and stared through the windshield. The flames were reaching for the sky. It was like nothing she’d ever seen. The rain had let up on the drive over so she could see clearly. The apartment building was only three stories, but it was long and broken into eight sections. There was a staircase in between every two sections so there were four staircases in all.

Hazel did the math. She’d looked at renting a place here a while back and had discovered there was one apartment per floor in each section. That meant there were twenty-four apartments. Twenty-four people or families that were in danger. Her heartbeat ticked up at the thought. The back and the far end of the apartment building were on fire, and it looked like the fire might jump the stairwell and light up the next section.

She got out of the truck and staggered from the intense heat of the fire on her face. Was she too close? There was a loud roar, and something crashed down inside the building. Should she move Aiden’s truck back? She glanced around and realized the street had filled in behind her so there was no way she could move even if she wanted to. After scanning for and locating the medical area, she made her way that direction. A uniformed officer held up a hand to stop her, but Phoenix called her over to him to let her by.

She met up with Phoenix next to one of the ambulances. “Is anyone hurt?”

Phoenix frowned. “Not sure yet. They’re checking. Someone said Mrs. Josephs was still inside.”

Her stomach dropped to her shoes as she looked down to the far end of the complex. “Which one is hers?”

“Bottom floor.”

“Oh, my God! The entire thing is in flames.”

Phoenix gestured toward and area being used as triage where a knot of people in pajamas and robes had gathered. “Some cuts and bruises and one with minor burns. Maybe you can look at them?” Phoenix took her gently by the arm and led her away from the fire.

“Sure.” She knew he was trying to keep her calm and she was being “handled” to a certain degree, but at the moment, she just felt relief at not having to stare at the fire.

They rounded the end of the ambulance where she found Tommy Vincent sitting on the bumper. She immediately walked over to him. “Are you okay?”

Tommy’s face looked sullen, but she was pretty sure she saw fear in his eyes. “I’m fine.” He shook off the EMT who was trying to clean a wound.

She glanced up at the EMT, who shrugged. He told her, “A few contusions and minor burns.”

Hazel focused on Tommy again. There was a jagged gash on his arm. “Let someone take care of that, Tommy. You don’t want that cut to get infected.”

He glared at her but remained silent.

“How about if I do it?” She pulled on some gloves. The EMT stepped out of the way, and she grabbed an alcohol wipe. “I’m just going to clean this, okay?”

Tommy narrowed his eyes are her but then nodded. She touched the wipe to the cut on his forearm. He winced but didn’t stop her from doing it again.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” she asked him.

He raised his other arm, revealing an angry red swath of singed skin.

It wasn’t a bad burn, but he was going to need to have it seen to. Better if he went to the hospital. “Tommy, is your dadaround?” His mother had run off years ago, but last she’d heard his dad was still in the picture.

Tommy shook his head. “He’s…”

She swallowed but didn’t say anything for fear the horror of that statement would be reflected in her words. Tommy was tired and frightened and couldn’t think fast enough to come up with a lie to cover the fact that he was only seventeen and was on his own. Did no one know this? Not like he would have said anything to anyone. Who paid the rent?

Then again, she’d moved out on her own at seventeen. And look how that had turned out.

“Is he coming back anytime soon?” She kept her voice quiet and used a soothing tone.

He shook his head, but his eyes were bright with unshed tears. She wanted to wrap him in a hug, but instinctively knew he wouldn’t let her. “Okay, Tommy. You’re going to have to go to the hospital to treat those burns on your other arm properly.”

His eyes got big, and he started to stand. “I don’t need— “

“Tommy,” she said in the same soothing voice as she put her hand on his chest and gently pushed him back down, “I’m afraid you really do need to go. It’s okay, though. If you want, I will go with you.”

He blinked and nodded once, then relaxed back down on to the bumper.

“I have to see if anyone else needs help, and then we can go.”

---