Page 25 of Ink and Ashes
“Well, he was right about that. For reasons beyond it being wildfire season, it’s best not to be out here alone.”
“Thanks for coming with me then.”
He stops walking, so I do the same. He shifts his weight fromone foot to another, then says, “Caldwell told me you suspect the fires are a product of arson.”
I nod.
“You really think someone could be setting these intentionally?”
I shrug. “Think about it. You guys just finished fighting your eighth fire in two months. That’s double the usual number of fires you see by this time of year, and three of them have been significantly larger than the size you’re used to seeing in this area. And I know what you’re going to say—that it’s been a dry year with lots of lightning storms, that you’ve had years like this in the past. But in all the research I’ve done so far, there are signs that point to arson.”
“I actually wasn’t going to say that,” Dom admits, and my eyes widen. “I do think Fire Investigation has gotten lazy with our jurisdiction over the past few years and started labelling things as natural or unknown without looking deeper into it. I’m not saying I think arson is involved, but I don’t think every fire has been caused by lightning.”
My brows raise in surprise. “You must be the only one on your team who thinks so.”
“I have some expertise on the subject the others don’t possess.” My brows pull together, but before I have a chance to ask what he means, Dom adds, “Tell me more.”
I get to work explaining everything I’ve gathered so far—from the fire maps I’ve studied, to the weather reports on the days the fires start, to the ways they’ve been reported. Nothing is concrete, but it’s enough to cause Dom’s brows to pull together, a look of suspicion crossing his features.
Finally.
“You believe me?” I ask, excitement rushing through me.
“I wouldn’t go that far, but I’ll admit that these things are cause for concern. Especially the radius.” He continues leading me further into the forest. “What does someone like you even know about fire investigation anyway?”
I roll my lips together, my shoulders tensing.
“Sorry,” he says. “That was rude.”
“No, it was true. I don’t know much about wildfires, but I’ve done a lot of research over the past few weeks. I haven’t found much to support my theory, but I still have a gut feeling about this. My gut has rarely steered me wrong, so I’m really just counting on luck being on my side at this point.”
“Well, looks like it is,” he says with a chuckle.
My brows tighten as I glance up at him, waiting for him to explain.
“I’m currently taking a course on fire investigation.”
Relief floods me. That must be what he meant by expertise. I wonder if that’s why Colson picked him.
Maybe my theory isn’t as far-fetched as Colson’s made it out to be.
Or maybe he just wants someone who knows what they’re talking about to take a look, my subconscious reminds me.
Dom’s voice pulls me back to the present. “Let’s see what we can find at the ignition site. If there are signs of arson, I’ll support you. If not, I’m afraid you’re on your own unless you find something more convincing.”
My lips quirk up into a smile. “I’ll take it.”
“What about that?”I ask Dom as I point to another burn pattern in the trees. It looks the same as the other spots we’ve checked out, yet I can’t help but hope there’s more to it.
I glance up as he comes to stand beside me, leaning down to get a better look. He runs two fingers over the blackened area, shaking his head.
“Nah, that’s just a typical burn from the flames too. The fire was moving north, so it’s normal for the side of the tree that was facing the fire to be more burnt than the opposite. The ignition site was over here,” he tells me, moving back in the direction we just came. He gestures to a spot on the forest floor that’s darker than everywhere else. “This is the typical marking for a zombie fire.”
My brows pull together. “The fuck is a zombie fire?”
Dom chuckles. “Haven’t come across that term in your research yet?”
I shake my head, confusion clear on my face.
