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Eva slid off her gloves, hooking them on her bunker coat. "We have tarps, and once we access the apartment we'll do our best to cover your furnishings."
The chief leveled bushy eyebrows at Eva. "I'll send Martin next door to clear the apartment."
"I can go," Eva said.
"No, you stay here with Ms-”
"Glory Mitchell," the woman managed, wiping her eyes with one hand.
"Ms. Mitchell," the chief repeated, glancing back at Eva. "Take care of things here, Eva."
The chief walked away before Eva could protest. She snapped her mouth shut, tamping down the sour taste of disappointment.
Over her shoulder, she heard Jake burst into Glory's apartment using the battering ram. The older woman sucked in an injured breath before moaning and turned away. Her threadbare cotton robe swished against the tall hitchhiker grass peppering the yard.
"Oh, Jesus, they broke the door," Glory said, her shoulders shaking. "I can't believe this. I just can't believe this."
"It'll be okay, Ms. Mitchell. You're safe, and that's most important. Doors can be fixed."
The older woman nodded, trying to staunch the emotion shaking her.
"So, can you tell me what happened?" Eva asked.
"When I saw those curtains on fire, I grabbed Kikiand we ran out the back door. She had her phone so I called 911."
"Very smart, Ms. Mitchell," Eva said, taking the older woman's elbow and moving her back toward the sprawling mimosa tree on the edge of the yard. Seemed like the only thing that grew on the hard scrabble lot. Glory shuffled back, but her eyes remained fixed on the apartment building.
Captain Sorrento released the valves, and water started pumping out of the blue hose strapped to the ladder and the red hose Jake had dragged in through the front door.
"Ms. Mitchell, do you have any idea what may have sparked this fire?" Eva asked, placing a gentle hand on Glory's shoulder.
"I don't rightly know. I was cooking breakfast, and Kikiwas in the bathroom. You do somethin', Kiki?"
The girl shook her head but her gaze slid away.
"Then I heard Kikistart screaming."
"So you don't know where the fire started?"
Glory shook her head.
"Uh, the bedroom. I think," Kiki said. "I mean, there was this, uh, lighter sittin' on the dresser."
Glory stiffened. "What’s a lighter doin' in you and your mama's room?"
"Ms. Quita gave Mama a candle that smells like peaches. She been lighting it at night so our room don't smell like feet," Kikisaid, her voice almost a whisper.
Glory grabbed Kiki's shoulder, pulling her toward her."Girl, did you start this? Did you?"
"No, GiGi,” Kiki said, whipping her head back and forth. "I didn't do nothin'. Mama lit the candle last night but she blew it out. I think. I don't know. I just saw that lighter. That's all."
"Don't make any sense," Glory said, anger crackling in her voice even as she released the girl. “A lighter don't suddenly light itself."
"I opened the window," the girl said.
"Why’d you do that?" Eva asked.
Kiki swiped an arm across her nose and stuck out her chin. "I was hot. We ain't had any air-conditioning in a long time and I didn’t wanna go to school sweaty. That's all I did. I only told this lady the lighter was there 'cause there's fluid in it that catches fire, right?" The girl lookedat Eva.
