Page 17 of Scorched Secrets

“Okay. But Mitch Callahan just arrived. He’ll want to talk to you first.”

She nodded and put the face mask back over her nose and mouth for a few more deep breaths as the arson investigator approached.

“Colin, what happened?” Mitch looked from him to Faye. “I don’t like this turn of events.”

“Me either.” Faye set the face mask aside.

Colin filled Mitch in on what he saw first, then handed the thread to Faye. Her comments were concise and brief, void of any emotion. It was as if she were describing an event that had happened to someone else.

“I got several hits on the motor scooter license plate, but it will take time to go through them all.” Mitch shook his head. “I was surprised by how many scooters we have registered in the state.”

“Maybe we can narrow them to the Milwaukee area?” Colin suggested.

“I don’t think that’s wise,” Mitch said. “We don’t know for sure who this guy is. He could have bought and registered the motor scooter in another city and moved here more recently.”

“I take it Rory Owen and Jayson Sanders aren’t on the list?”

“That’s correct. They are not.” Mitch shifted his gaze back to Faye. “I think it’s time for you to tell us which patients and families may be upset with you.”

She grimaced. “I really can’t.”

“I’ve initiated a subpoena requesting records from Trinity Medical Center on patient complaints lodged against you personally over the past year.” Mitch spread his hands. “I’ll find out eventually. You can help by giving me a place to start.”

She shook her head. “When you have the list, we’ll go through it. But I can’t do anything until you have that subpoena.”

Colin saw the frustration in Mitch’s eyes, but he didn’t say anything more. Faye wasn’t going to breach patient confidentiality, and that was that.

As annoying as it was, he had to admire her resolve.

“Okay, I need to see what accelerant the guy used this time.” Mitch turned to look at the blackened remnants of the restroom door.

“Acetone,” Faye said.

Colin glanced at her in surprise. “How do you know?”

“I caught the scent before I realized the door was on fire.” She coughed, then added, “I was washing my hands. By the time I dried them and reached for the door handle, it was hot to the touch.”

“When I came around to the door, the fire was already spreading.” Colin swallowed against the panic he’d felt at knowing Faye was trapped inside. “I think there was some paper or something stuck between the narrow opening right near the door handle.”

“That makes sense.” Mitch nodded at Faye. “Please keep in touch, Dr. Kimble. I really need your help to find this guy.”

“Please call me Faye. And I’ll help in any way I can. Within legal bounds,” she added.

Colin watched as Mitch walked toward the scene, torn between joining him to examine the door more closely and sticking close to Faye.

Not much of a contest, he wouldn’t leave Faye, even for a minute. Look what had happened in the short time she’d been away from him here at the park?

His bright idea to take a bike ride had backfired in a big way. He frowned. “Would you rather take a rideshare back to the homestead?”

“No need.” She glanced around as if remembering the bikes at the last minute. “Unless the bikes were stolen?”

“I don’t think so, but I’ll have to check.” Worrying about the bikes hadn’t been on his list of priorities. He’d pulled the picnic table over to the restrooms to get to the grate, but the stupid opening hadn’t been large enough to get through. He’d grabbed a branch and tried to break through to make a larger opening, but to no avail.

By then the fire rigs had arrived, so he’d abandoned that idea. He’d wanted to be the one to go in to get Faye, but that wasn’t an option without the proper gear. Especially since the wood remains of the door were still smoldering when Darrel had agreed to go in to get her. They’d doused the fire, but it took time for the heat to dissipate.

Faye set the oxygen mask aside and stood. “I’m ready.”

Cupping her elbow in his hand, he guided her toward the park bench where they’d stopped to rest—he glanced at his watch—only forty minutes ago.

---