Page 79 of Ink and Ashes
I clench my jaw and avert my dad’s gaze as I nod. “There have been too many aspects about the fires that only a firefighter would know, Dad. They’ve been careful to only set them in areas where fire is likely to move away from town. The only evidence we’ve found at any of the scenes are the little silver tabs from candle wicks, which really doesn’t prove much. Whoever’s doing this has been smart, and the patterns of the fires support her theory.”
Dad blows out a breath. “Do you have any suspects?”
“Tony Watkins was at the top of her list, but he was out of town at the time of two of the fires. She also had suspicions about Liam Parillo from Cedar Lane and George from the paper, but neither of them have proper motivation or the criminal history we suspect the arsonist would. She hasn’t completely cleared Liam, but it’s unlikely that he’s responsible. Which only leaves the guys at the station.”
“She say who she has suspicions about there?”
“Morgan, Hart, and Sharpe were at the top of her suspect list. We ran through all their files yesterday, and we cleared Morgan.”
Dad huffs a laugh. “Ray Morgan is many things, but an arsonist is not one of them.”
“That’s what I said, and she agreed. She just doesn’t like theguy.” Morgan may be a misogynistic asshole, but he’d never do something like this.
“Can’t say I blame her for that.” Dad takes a sip of his coffee. “What about Hart and Sharpe?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. According to Holland, we’re looking for someone who’s a bit of a loner, can’t hold down a relationship, struggles to make friends. Male between the ages of twenty-five and forty. Has a history of criminal activity. Travis fits all that criteria, but my gut is telling me it isn’t him. Do you think he could be responsible for something like this?”
“Hell no,” Dad says. “Hart’s been on the straight and narrow since he started with the department. He’s closed off, but I definitely don’t think he could do something like this. He doesn’t have what it takes.”
My shoulders fall in relief.
“Tell me about Sharpe. He’s the new kid, right?”
I nod.
“You think it could be him? What’s he like?”
I shrug. “He’s…interesting. Twenty-three. Keeps to himself a lot while at the station but is always the first to jump into action at the scene of a call. He can be a touch impulsive, but he’s a good kid from what I can tell.”
Dad hums.
“What are you thinking?”
He leans forward, wrapping his hands around his mug. “Have I ever told you about Cameron Cooper?”
I furrow my brows, trying to recall any mention of that name, but it doesn’t sound familiar. I shake my head.
“Cam was a probie when I was a lieutenant. He was a lot like how you describe Ollie—quiet, eager, and a little bit reckless. He’d been in some trouble as a kid, and everyone was hoping that being part of the department would smarten him up. Anyway, one night when he was off shift, we got called to assist in a disturbance. There was a robbery at the corner store, and when we showed up on scene, Cam was inside with a gun in hand. I’m still not sure what happened to make him snap, but he didn’t make it out. Hewas only twenty.”
My eyes narrow. “Why haven’t you ever told me that before?”
Dad shrugs. “It wasn’t relevant until now. All I’m saying is maybe keep a closer eye on Oliver for a while. I know it doesn’t seem likely now that he could be responsible, but you don’t know until you know. I’d hate for someone else to get caught in the crossfire if he eventually breaks.”
I swallow. “Yeah, okay. Thanks, Dad.”
We chat for a little bit longer, then at quarter to eight, I leave to head into work.
It feels like any other day at the station, but my mind won’t stop. All day, I’ve been stuck thinking about Holland and her theory, replaying how I left things with her while also wondering which of my friends could be behind the fires.
I keep a close eye on Hart and Sharpe, watching for anything out of the ordinary, but I don’t notice anything. They act the same as they do every day—Hart keeping his head down to get work done, Sharpe putting in extra effort to impress his superiors. Neither of those things make someone an arsonist.
I want to believe the best in them. I’ve known Hart for too long to believe he could ever be behind something like this, and even though Sharpe is new and eager, I don’t see him being behind it either.
At least, I really hope he isn’t.
With only a few hours left in the shift, I pull out my phone, hovering over Holland’s contact. I contemplate calling or texting her for a moment, ready to apologize about last night and ask her to come down here to help me get to the bottom of this.
But I stop myself. Apologizing should be something I do in person, and if she’s here, I’ll just end up even more distracted than I already am. So I pocket my phone and get back to work, hoping the rest of the shift passes without any issues.
