Page 58 of Inferno

“Not exactly like what happened today,” Julio said. “But he’s re-creating it close enough that we might be able to figure out where he will hit next.”

“Could just be that school isn’t in this week.” She glanced over. “He doesn’t want to wait for prom season.”

Julio wondered if she was remembering their prom.

She continued, “According to this, with one of his next fires he tried to burn down a firehouse.”

Julio looked around. Okay, so not thinking about their prom.

There was no one else here but them, making the firehouse quiet in a way it rarely was. After hours, the civilian staff, who worked regular office shifts, headed out for the day. The firefighters who worked around the clock were all on a callout, including the EMTs who bunked in the building next door.

He flipped off the burner, which sputtered for a second and then went out. Then dumped the onion and peppers in the Instant Pot and pulled the package of chicken out, slicing it while he thought about the case. A firehouse?

If the arsonist was going to choose one, no doubt it would be Julio’s.

Once the chicken was in the Instant Pot, he washed up. “I’ll do a walkthrough when I’m done here, see if I can find any evidence something is going to happen.”

Samantha flipped over a page.

Julio took a file from beside her, but when he stared at it, all he saw was a blur of text. His mind didn’t want to let go of what the arsonist could possibly have achieved by trapping those kids in a building. It wasn’t like there had actually been a fire. More like someone had wanted it to look like there was.

Maybe a kid causing trouble? Not their arsonist at all.

Someone trying to get back at them, the way Walter Barnes had with Samantha. She’d told him all about that on their drive from the scene back to the firehouse. Her whole case with the guy and his wife, now missing. The second he had suggested they make dinner for the rest the crew, she jumped at the chance to leave and get to safety.

Regroup.

He couldn’t help but think she had been nervous about being out in the open. As far as he was concerned, keeping her safe was his number one job right now. She didn’t need to be worried.

Walter Barnes was on the street, though, and clearly had it in for Samantha. Julio wasn’t sure he was entirely convinced by Mitchell and his story about him and Terri being in danger because of the baby.

Not that he thought the man was lying, but that it was far too easy to label the arsonist religious nut job. All that rambling? It spoke more of pathology.

Had Mitchell been lying? He could be working with the guy and later tried to back out or crossed him somehow so the person—some kind of partner—retaliated.

No one became something horrible in a vacuum. People just didn’t live that disconnected from others these days. So if this guy was a true believer and an arsonist, then someone along the line had to have noticed there was something wrong with him.

Or that was simply wishful thinking.

If Julio’s theory was true, there would be someone to blame for the arsonist’s actions.

Maybe it was better to put all the responsibility on the man who committed the crimes—after they identified him, and he was brought to justice.

Samantha leaned over, her vanilla scent teasing his senses. “Is there anything in that file about doors being secured shut and trapping people inside?”

Julio hadn’t even started reading it. He glanced at her, giving himself a moment to simply absorb the fact she was close to him. He had her back in his life when she hadn’t been for two years. They had a fresh start, a second chance to begin new and hopefully do things better this time. Like get it right and make this thing between them last the rest of their lives.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.

“Because I missed you.” Julio leaned close and kissed her, expressing all the longing from the last two years in the way his lips moved over hers. Kind of like how she had, in the truck.

All her frustration and fear poured into a kiss.

Now, he was giving her the depth of how he felt. The way they connected in such a simple way, but with so much profound meaning. All the spark and chemistry whipped up at first like a frenzy, like the heat of the blaze. And then when it settled, they were left with the comfort of warmth. The kind of connection that would last the rest of their lives.

When he leaned back, she smiled slightly, her cheeks pink. “I missed you, as well.”

“I’m glad we got that straight between us.”

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