Page 95 of Heating Up (Nugget)
“It’s hard to see anything with everyone running around.” Firefighters were now cutting into an exterior wall with their axes. They’d already opened the roof for ventilation. “I guess you’ve got a trained eye.”
Aidan let out a breath. “Too soon to say for sure, but this doesn’t look like an accident.” From shreds of burned debris on the ground, it looked like someone had used a pile of garbage to ignite the building.
“Why suddenly on this side of town?”
Aidan hitched his shoulders. “Dunno.”
It concerned him that it was Dana’s place of business. If this was a vengeance thing directed at him by Rigsby, it would make sense that he’d go for something personal. It was no secret that he and Dana lived together. He didn’t know how the sporting goods store and the Bun Boy fit in, unless they were just for practice.
“It seems to be escalating,” Aidan said. “The first one was nothing. The second a little bigger. This one . . .”
“It’s pissing me off,” Rhys said. “What the hell is in it for this guy?”
Aidan couldn’t rule out money, which was the usual motive for arson. “Who owns this building?”
“Carol Spartan, not Thurston. There goes your theory on Trevor.”
“He could be trying to throw us off.” But it seemed far-fetched. “You get anything back on Rigsby’s shirt?”
“Not yet. The sheriff’s department promises it’ll be this week.”
A car pulled into the lot, the driver ignoring the yellow tape. Dana jumped out of Aidan’s truck and he gritted his teeth. Why couldn’t she do what he’d asked her to and stay put?
“Carol,” Rhys said, obviously recognizing the car.
A few minutes later, both Dana and Carol approached. “When can I get inside?” Carol asked.
For the most part the flames had been extinguished. Aidan watched Hutch and Kurtis check for hot spots.
“Not for a couple of hours,” he said, wanting time to comb the site for clues and take samples near the origin that would later be analyzed by a chemist for the presence of an accelerant. “It looks like it was mostly the back of the building.” From what Aidan remembered of the office, the back housed the bathroom, a small kitchen area, and a conference room.
“I’m worried about files,” Carol said. “Not everything was on the computer.”
“Where did you keep ’em?”
“Toward the back, behind my desk.”
“I’ll be going in soon,” he said. “I’ll try to text Dana with a damage update, but I have to focus on my investigation.”
“I understand,” Carol said, her face ashen. “Whatever you could tell us we’d appreciate.” Dana nodded.
“I’ll do my best.” Most of his focus, however, would be on the outside of the building. From what he’d seen so far, the arsonist hadn’t broken in, just set the fire at the back door. “How did you get word of the fire?”
“Dana called me,” Carol answered, and Dana gave him an odd look, as if to say,You know I called her.
“Where were you when you got the call?”
Carol pulled back, clearly offended by the question. “You think I set my own building on fire?”
“I have to ask,” he said. “I know where Dana was.”
“If you must know, I was at Sierra Heights. The couple who made an offer on a home there yesterday is still in town and wanted to take some measurements. Griffin can vouch for me, and of course I could put you in touch with the couple.”
Aidan held up his hands. “Not necessary.” There was no reason to suspect Carol. No one burned down their office when business was booming. “I just have to be thorough.”
With that, she appeared to lose some of her pique. “You must think the fire was intentional.”
Oh yeah, he thought. “Jury is still out.”
