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“Thanks for coming by.”
Burke glanced toward the fire station. It was dark out, not to mention cold. The lights were on, and it was weird not being able to go inside.
A pang of longing landed square in my chest.
His earlier call had bothered me all afternoon. Then when I’d gotten the text asking me to drop by the station, I’d been anxious to see what was going on.
“It’s weird being here,” I admitted before I thought better of it.
He grimaced. “It ain’t the same without your sorry ass around.”
“That your way of saying you miss me?” I leaned on my truck and folded my arms.
“Not a chance.” He shot me the bird. Had I picked that up from him too?
“I won’t tell anyone.” I cupped my hands around my mouth like I was about to shout it out.
He yanked on my arms, and I laughed.
That earned me another middle finger.
He leaned against the truck beside me. “How you holding up?”
When anyone got fired, it was difficult. I didn’t want to put firemen up on a pedestal, but it was different than a lot of other professions. I hadn’t just lost a fifteen-year career, I’d lost my brothers.
Yeah, I could still see them, but it wasn’t the same as working side by side.
“I’m hanging in there. Hasn’t really set in yet.”
Plus I have a stellar new career waiting for me.
Burke made a noncommittal noise. This was a subject we all wanted to avoid.
“I didn’t want to say anything on the phone.” He spoke in a hushed tone despite no one was around.
Did he know who the suspect was in the fire?
“Ellen had an autopsy done.”
I jerked my head toward him. “Why did she do that?”
Cassano, who had been my partner for five years, died from injuries related to the fire. One minute I thought he’d been improving, but the next, he was dead. A heart attack. But now, with the autopsy being requested, I couldn’t help the darker thoughts. Murder. I should have been able to save him. I hadn’t collapsed the floor, but I still felt responsible. And yet . . . had I been blaming myself for no reason? Was that what Burke was suggesting?
“Said a man his age shouldn’t have died from a heart attack.”
She’d been so broken up at the funeral, as we all were; I couldn’t believe she’d had the thought to have an autopsy performed. It hadn’t occurred to me. I couldn’t imagine what she felt like losing her husband.
“Does she have the results?” I asked carefully, not sure I wanted to hear them.
“Not yet. I just talked to her this morning.” He leaned closer and looked around again. “You know I’ve got a friend on the investigation unit.”
“Yeah?” If this weren’t such a serious conversation, I’d ask him why he didn’t try to get transferred over there. He loved trying to connect dots at the scenes.
“Remember there were two dead people at that fire?”
Marshmallows.Ugh. I shouldn’t have thought that. But the whole department had rubbed off on me.
I pressed my temples. “What does that have to do with Cassano?”
