Page 54 of Inferno

She nodded. “I’ll contact my sergeant and get someone assigned to you. Who your father is doesn’t have any bearing on who you are, and it certainly doesn’t make you less worthy of our help.”

“Thank you.” Mitchell’s voice sounded choked.

“Do you think you could look through some images and see if you can point out the man who attacked you?”

Mitchell gave a little shrug. “Maybe, I mean…it’s worth a try at least.”

“Thank you,” Samantha said. “An officer will come over with a computer so you can look at mugshots. We could really use your help trying to identify this man.”

Terri shifted in her seat, looking a little more relieved than she had minutes ago.

“I’m going to make that call now, so we don’t leave you here unprotected.” Samantha moved to the door and stepped out into the hallway.

Julio knew that hospitals had decent security, and Mitchell could be transferred to a floor that was only accessible through a locked door. They could involve hospital security in keeping Mitchell and Terri safe.

Julio turned to the mother-to-be. “Are you okay to stay here?” They could drive her to her home so she could get some of her things if necessary. But he also wanted to get out there and keep trying to figure out who the arsonist was.

Terri gestured at a backpack in the corner. “I have some things with me. Just in case.”

“Okay.” To Mitchell he said, “Did the man who attacked you say anything about the fires that he set? Or any that he might be planning to set in the future?”

The other man frowned, thinking it through. “It was just a lot of ranting. I was in and out, and he kept hitting me.”

“Because he was angry at you?”

“I think he’s mad that I’m Richard’s son and he isn’t. But then, he thinks he is Richard and he’s planning on becoming something else.” Mitchell’s expression shifted, total confusion on his face. “Maybe he mentioned some of the fires, but I was so out of it that I don’t really remember.”

“Will you tell the police if you remember anything else?”

Mitchell nodded. “I can do that. I really hope you guys find him.”

“Me, too.”

Samantha stepped back in the room. “Security is coming up. They’ll stay in the hall until two police officers get here. Your room is going to be constantly under guard until this man is caught.”

Terri said, “Thank you both.”

They all shook hands, and Julio and Samantha stepped into the hall. He checked his phone, since he had silenced it beforethey stepped inside the room. The sight of all the notifications made him stop walking in the middle of the hallway.

Samantha leaned in, close to his side. Her hand on his arm. “What is it?”

“There’s another fire in progress. A summer sports event at a school, so there are multiple kids trapped inside a gym.”

She squeezed his arm. “Let’s go.”

“There isn’t anything we can do without gear. And you’re not a firefighter.” He wasn’t going to let her put her life in danger more than it already was. She’d already been a target of this guy once—or so he figured. Whatever the reason Bill Morrison attacked her.

“Maybe not, but we can help outside, and we might see him hanging around.”

He figured he could keep her from doing a lot of helping. Considering she was still recovering from being attacked, she needed to take it easy. “Fine. Let’s go. But you’re going to stay back.”

He’d rather she was as far from this guy as possible, but that wouldn’t help them take him down.

Just as soon as they figured out who he was.

TWENTY-TWO

“I’m not going to go in there and leave you alone out here, unprotected.”

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