Page 15 of Ink and Ashes
My brows pull together. “What?”
“The lastconfirmedman-made fire was four years ago. I’ve done some digging though, and I think that’s wrong. I think that Fire Investigation has gotten lazy with Ember Grove and started labelling every fire as natural or unknown causes because it’s easier. That doesn’t make it true.” Her tongue darts out over her lips. “And I know those man-made ones were all labelled as accidents, but that doesn’t mean these ones are.”
“What exactly are you implying?” I ask, my eyes narrowed.
“That your town might have an arsonist,” she replies nonchalantly, and my stomach bottoms out. I should’ve known she’d be the type to immediately assume arson.
I clench my jaw. “You have no idea what you’re talkingabout.”
She cocks a brow at me. “Don’t I?”
I grind my teeth together, appalled by both the nerve she possesses to suggest such a thingandthe suggestion itself. “There’s no way. No one in this town would do something like that.”
“You don’t know everyone in this town.”
“I do.” I keep my voice low, not wanting any of the guys to hear. “I’ve lived here my whole life. It’s a town of fifteen hundred people. We all know each other.”
“Okay, sure,” she starts, speaking calmly. “You say hi to everyone you pass on the street. You attend town events and could tell me everyone’s name. But you don’tknoweveryone. You can’t.”
“I know them well enough to know that none would start fires.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
Her argumentative nature only fuels my anger, and I snap. “You know what? No.Youdon’t know them. You’ve been here for thirty seconds, I’ve been here for thirty years. You don’t know this town. We would do anything for each other. No one here would set these fires.”
She takes a deep breath, letting the tension roll off her in waves. But she doesn’t push further. She simply says, “Okay.”
I swallow roughly, changing the subject. “Any further questions?”
Her tongue darts out over her lips as they quirk into a smile. “Not for you.” Her eyes shift past me. I glance back over my shoulder to see Langley and Adler staring at Holland, drinking up every inch of her body. Just as I knew they would.
My jaw tenses as I turn back to her. “My crew has been instructed not to talk to you.”
She shakes her head. “You gonna reprimand them if they do?”
My jaw flexes. She’s got me there. There haven’t been any legal implications regarding the fires, so aside from the warning I gave them, I can’t actually do anything to stop them from speaking with her. I just have to hope they’ll share whatever she says with me.
“That’s what I thought.” She takes a step past me so we’reshoulder-to-shoulder. “Good talking to you again, Lieutenant.” Her perfectly manicured hand pats me on thechest before she brushes her long, copper locks over her shoulder and struts across the app floor toward the guys.
CHAPTER 7
Holland
Iapproach the table where the two firefighters sit—one with a mop of dirty-blonde hair while the other’s is dark as night. They both look to be around the same age, likely in their early-to-mid-twenties. Based on looks alone, I get the feeling these two are the troublemakers of the crew.
The blonde one licks his lips as he sees me approaching, and a smirk grows on the face of the other. A light chuckle falls from me as I take a seat in the chair across from them.
“Hi, I’m Holland. Holland Rhodes.” I reach my hand out across the table.
The blonde one smirks as he wraps his hand around mine, shooting his friend a look that saysbeat that. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Rhodes.” He leans forward to place a kiss on my fingers as he adds, “I’m Ethan Langley.”
I roll my eyes. “Nice to meet you too, Ethan,” I say before I turn toward the dark-haired guy sitting next to him.
“Kiss-ass,” he mutters to Ethan. His blue eyes sparkle as he looks at me, shaking my hand without the extra flirtingdished out by his coworker.“Hayden Adler.”
“It’s a pleasure, Hayden.” I smile at the two of them. “I was wondering if you’d mind answering a few questions for me.”
Ethan’s eyes widen, realization dawning on him. He clicks his tongue, pointing at me. “Ooh, you’re her, huh? The reporter our lieutenant warned us about.”
