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“Sorry, sir. This area is off limits,” the fresh-faced officer said.
“I don’t think you know who I am,” Damian said though clenched teeth. “Go tell the detective in charge.”
“I don’t need to — ”
“Trust me when I say you do,” Damian said.
The man turned away reluctantly, crossed the pavement to talk to a tall figure in plain clothes. They exchanged words and the other man looked up, met Damian’s gaze. A moment of recognition passed in front of his eyes before he leaned down, said something to the officer in uniform.
“Go ahead,” he said when he came back, waving Damian in. “Sorry about that.”
Damian ignored him as he hurried toward Carol. Relief was visible on her face when she looked up, saw him making his way toward her. She leaned down, whispered something to the woman next to her and got up to meet Damian a few feet away from the ambulance.
“Damian,” she said. “Thank you for coming.”
Tears had left a dry creek bed across the soot on her face, and he reached out to embrace her. “Is everyone all right?”
She pulled back and nodded. “Some of the kids were having trouble breathing, but the EMTs got them on some oxygen and they seem to be doing better.” She looked at the building, still burning in front of them. “I just don’t know how this happened. Where will I put everyone?”
Damian was fighting a monsoon of anger, had to work to keep his voice steady. Carol didn’t need anger from him now.
He put a hand on her shoulder. “I have that covered.”
“Damian!”
He turned to see Cole coming toward him.
“Give me fifteen minutes,” he said to Carol. “I’ll have more information for you then, but don’t worry — we’ll get through this.”
She nodded and headed back to the ambulance where the woman was holding the coughing boy.
“Sorry I wasn’t here to meet you,” Cole said when he reached Damian. “I was talking to the fire chief, trying to get some details.”
“And?”
“Kerosene in the basement near the boiler. Bastards didn’t even try to hide that it was arson. We were lucky it’s not cold enough for the heating system to kick in yet. It would have been a lot worse.”
“Tell me about the renovation in Greenwich.”
They weren’t the words he wanted to say. Not the words reverberating through his mind.
I’m going to make them pay.
Cole seemed momentarily confused by the question. “They’re just finishing up the trim in some of the room, tile work in one bathroom.” He shrugged. “A week tops if we push.”
“Heating and plumbing?” Damian asked.
“That’s all done,” Cole said.
“Find some sleeping bags and pillows, clothes, toiletries, food, whatever you think they’ll need for the next week until we can come up with a permanent solution. Have the men help you if they can.” He thought about the logistics of moving approximately twenty women and thirty-seven children at a moment’s notice at three in the morning. “And send at least four cars. We’ll make as many trips as it takes.”
“You got it, boss.”
He watched Cole sprint across the pavement, already on his phone, rallying the troops.
Damian turned his eyes to the burning building. He didn’t believe for a minute Aria Fiore knew this was her brother’s plan.
He’d seen too much pain in her eyes.
