Page 8 of Burn for Me
Gritting his teeth, he got out of the car and headed for the nearest policeman.
Showing the man his ID, he asked, “Evening, officer. Who is in charge here?”
Turning to look at him, the officer replied, “Evening, sir. Sergeant Monroe, over there.” The officer pointed to an older gentleman standing talking to one of his uniforms.
“Thank you.”
He made his way over to the two men, irritation stiffening his shoulders. Again, he showed his credentials.
“Gentlemen, sorry for interrupting, but I need a word with you, Sergeant Monroe, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure,” Monroe replied. Speaking to his officer, he continued, “Give me a second?”
The officer nodded and moved a short distance away.
“What can I do for you, young man?”
Extending his hand to Sergeant Monroe, Gray said, “Fire Marshal Grayson James. I’m the investigator for the Cape Town Fire Station.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr James. What can I do for you?”
“Apparently, the public has absolutely no concept of self-preservation, Sergeant. I would be very grateful if you could please push the safety barrier back farther to keep the public safe, especially from themselves. Also, I would greatly appreciate it if you could keep the press as far away from the scene as you can manage. Otherwise, they badger my guys and generally just get in everyone’s way.”
“You’ve got it, son. I’ll see to it. Bloody press slither in everywhere they’re not wanted.”
“Appreciate it, sir.” As the Sergeant turned to carry out his requests, Gray briefly allowed his head to bow as he gathered himself.
Heading over to the nearest truck, he spotted the senior officer on site. Jeffrey Erickson was a seasoned member of the fire department, and he enjoyed working with him.
“Jeff,” he greeted the other gentleman, “what have you got for me?”
“Hey, Gray. Man, this one is putting up one hell of a fight. My boys are battling to put her down.” He shook his head sadly. “I’ve been at this game for a lot of years and pretty much seen them all. I’m going to go out on a limb here and call this one arson too.”
Just then a shout went up. Turning to see what the problem was, they were in time to see the building collapse in on itself. Jeff’s radio crackled to life.
“Sir, we’ve got a man down in the building. Matthews and Simms went in for search and rescue, but only Simms got out before she fell. Shit, sir, Matthews is still in there.”
Cursing ripely, Erikson barked into his radio, “Ensure the building is stable enough to send someone in after him. If it’s a go, send Collins and Wilkes in. They’ve got the most experience on the team. Get him out. Go. Go!”
* * *
They’d knownthat he would be a problem from the time they’d first laid eyes on him. The fire investigator was going to ruin everything, and they couldn’t let that happen. They knew she was theirs. They’d just needed to give her the time and space to realise it, but he’d changed the game. They'd have to move their schedule up to win over their girl.
Let that be a lesson to you, Mr Fire Investigator. If you don’t stay away from her, you’re next. Shewillbe ours. We will not tolerate your interference. She is ours! She always has been. You’re ruining everything with your misplaced arrogant sense of superiority. Not that it’s helped you any. You still haven’t figured it out, have you? That’s because we’re better than you.
Chapter Four
Rolling his tired shoulders,Gray stood surveying the destruction. Smouldering rubble and shattered dreams lay all around him. He was just grateful they’d managed to rescue their colleague who had been trapped when the building had collapsed. He’d known Matthews since the man had come on board as a raw rookie nine years ago. He prayed the man made it through.
There were dark parts to the job, but few were darker than losing a firefighter on duty. Having to tell a wife, husband, or parent their loved one wasn’t coming home was something he never wanted to do. He was grateful that wasn’t part of his job description, and he certainly didn’t envy the chaplain his position. He felt so powerless at times like this, knowing he couldn’t change the outcome for Matthews. What he could do was find the answers and get justice for his colleague, his friend.
He’d have to wait for the heat to disperse before he could start sifting through the debris, and he desperately needed a cup of coffee. There was time for a quick visit to the hospital to update himself on Matthews’ condition and then he’d come back and get to work finding the answers he needed to nail this bastard.
Suddenly, he had an overwhelming urge to see Kitty. It had been a crappy morning so far, and he felt a deep need to go to her. Just to be in her presence. Just to talk to her about nothing of consequence. Just to soak her in.
What was it about this woman that had him so enthralled? He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something powerful that drew him in, made him want to be with her, around her. When she smiled, it was like the sun coming out on a gloomy day. Gray had never been the romantic type. He wasn’t prone to flowery thoughts about love, and he’d certainly never felt the need to find “the one”. But Kitty’s appearance in his life had the impact of a meteor crashing to earth.
Kitty and coffee – now there was a thought. Deciding that’s what he would do, Gray headed for his truck.
