Page 90 of All Mine
The fire service already had three trucks and crew in operation. Three huge arcs of water streamed from the engines as hoses were aimed at the source of the fire. Isabella gasped when she saw the accommodation that seemed worst affected was Fred Barrow’s unit. His apartment at the end of the row was ablaze, flames licking through the roof. And the fire was spreading quickly, moving in all directions into the other retirement homes. The smoke billowing across the park was bitter and stung the back of her throat. She held her sleeve over her mouth, frantically looking for Fred as the fire crew helped people out into a waiting area, where the ambulance service was on standby. Nonna coughed, peering into the crowd.
Etienne appeared beside her, out of breath.
‘I just heard,’ he said. ‘Have you seen Fred yet?’
She shook her head wordlessly and he shaded his eyes with his hands, squinting towards the blaze.
‘His flat looks bad,’ he said.
‘I’m sure they would have got him out,’ Isabella said as confidently as she could, but she gasped as the roof suddenly gave in, flames roaring through. The crowd cowered in the fierceness of the heat that blasted out.
‘Move back, please.’ The police force pushed the cordon to clear more space. Etienne resisted, straining to see from his higher vantage point. Isabella tugged at his elbow and he gave in and fell back.
The fire crew were bringing out some of the residents in their wheelchairs, and some of the older, bedbound residents were still wearing their nightclothes.
‘Can you imagine how scared they must have been?’ Nonna said. ‘Lying there waiting to be rescued.’ And then she clapped her hands together in relief. ‘That’s Brigitta there,’ she said, ‘safe and well.’ She pointed to a lady with what appeared to be a Burberry scarf tied around her face to protect her breathing. ‘I’ll go and see her,’ she said, disappearing into the wall of people. A loud crack made Isabella duck against Etienne’s shoulder and cover her ears.
‘Why isn’t he out already?’ Etienne said. ‘If it started with his house?’
‘You don’t think he’s still in there, do you?’ Isabella asked, running through the interior of his house in her head. It was compact, a one-bedroomed unit with a front door out to the park and a back door to the communal gardens at the rear of the complex. ‘Maybe he went out the back rather than the front? When it started?’ she said.
At that moment, she saw Walker. Even though he was kitted up with breathing apparatus, she’d still recognise the sandy hair and width of his shoulders. He seemed to have the same idea, as he and a crewmate were forging a path between the two buildings to get to the gardens behind.
‘Move back.’ The policeman pushed the crowd away again. People were constantly arriving, worried family and friends. This was the biggest fire the community had ever seen.
‘You don’t think this is arson, do you?’ Isabella said. ‘Nobody would do anything so terrible, would they?’
Etienne’s jaw was set hard.
‘God, I hope not,’ he muttered.
Both wings of the building were now on fire. The sound was incredible. The roar of flames, the cracking and creaking of the building. Isabella found tears springing to her eyes and brushed them away. The elderly people being helped out were now being given oxygen and medical assistance. They looked terrified, somehow their fear making them childlike, even in their old age. And still no sign of Fred.
One of the ambulances set up a triage station on the grass.
The smoke was thicker now, rolling out of every open window in the building.
‘There!’ Etienne shouted, pointing between the buildings. Walker was supporting Fred through the smoke, followed by his crew member and another resident.
Etienne pushed forward through the crowd, but not before grabbing Isabella by the hand and dragging her with him, until they reached the ambulance bank.
‘Walker!’ Etienne called and waved with his free hand. ‘Is he okay?’
Walker was grim-faced as he nodded.
‘Can you look after him?’ he said. ‘I have to get back.’
Etienne lifted the rope cordon for Isabella and they slipped through, his hand strong and warm in hers.
‘There you are!’ she said to Fred, who blinked at her through sore, red eyes, clutching a book under his arm and some papers.
‘Gave us quite a scare there, Fred,’ Etienne said, letting go of Isabella and pulling the old man into a ferocious hug. Isabella felt the air against her hand where his skin had been.
‘I was in the back garden when it started, showing my maps to someone,’ Fred croaked when Etienne released him. ‘I couldn’t get through.’ His face was smoke stained, the creases and wrinkles showing white against the soot.
Etienne hugged him again and Isabella was shocked to see the tears in his eyes.
‘People are saying it started in my house?’ he asked and his face seemed to collapse as tears ran down the wrinkles in his cheeks. ‘I can’t think straight, Etienne. But I’m sure I didn’t have the oven on. I’m sure.’ He looked like he was bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders.
