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What? We hadn’t used it in days. I was pretty sure the ladies hadn’t.
“How?”
“We hadn’t used it. That’s impossible.”
Burke held up his hands. “I only know what I’m told, but it makes sense. The fire was worse upstairs than the bottom floor initially.”
“They think it was an accident or intentional?” I held Pepper’s hand. She didn’t need my support. I needed hers.
“She didn’t say.”
I cocked my head. “You never told me who the suspect in the other fires is.”
Pepper shielded her eyes from the sun. “That’s him.”
“How do you know?” Burke asked.
“That’s the fire inspector,” Pepper said insistently.
Captain Koker walked to the edge of the grass . . . with my father.What the hell is he doing here?
“Did Willa tell you?” Burke pressed.
She shook her head. “Tell me what?”
“Koker’s prints are at every scene.”
I rubbed my face as my mind whirled. “Why wouldn’t they be? He’s the captain.”
“None of ours are.”
“We wear gloves,” I argued.
“And they’re from like before the fires started.” Burke raised his voice.
With the technology at the investigation unit, they could determine facts that seemed impossible.
I didn’t like the man, but it seemed like a stretch to blame him.
“Whoishe?” Pepper pointed her chin.
“That’s Captain Koker. The one who fired me,” I said through my teeth.
“Does he usually do inspections?”
Burke and I looked at one another and answered simultaneously. “No.”
Images from the fire came back to me. “There was a dresser in front of your door.” I spoke in disbelief. I’d registered that as strange at the time but had forgotten when my focus had been on getting everyone to safety.
“You never told me that,” Pepper said.
“I just thought of it.”
“Why would he pose as an inspector when he’s not?” she asked slowly.
“He’d just found out you were back on at the station. Chief went over his head.”
Had he had time to get to Pepper’s? I didn’t doubt her, but the day was a blur.
