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“I know …”
“But you’re curious about what the university has to say.”
“Very.” Rosie sighed. “Since resigning, and my follow-up email about Richard’s confrontation here, I’ve never had a chance to tell anyone about my situation with him. Rachel, the research assistant I worked with, texted that more women have come forward and he’s been sacked. I need my chance to have a say.”
“Okay. And I’m driving.” I pulled her body against mine and pressed my lips to her forehead. “And no more arguing.”
“I’m a big girl, Tom. I can drive myself.”
“What I’m saying is, you don’t have to.”
Rosie hesitated, and then kissed my forehead. “Thank you.”
We arrived at the faculty office with ten minutes to spare. My phone pinged with a message as we took seats in the waiting room, Rosie fidgeting with her notepad and pen.
“It’s Ryan, about the fire. Police confirmed the fire near the hut was arson. Found the site where the fire originated.” I glanced up. “It was your destroyed campsite from the muster.”
“But nothing was there that could’ve been used to light it. Just the tent, my sleeping bag. Maybe some food—”
“The ignition point was the burrow near Hades, the one where he stole the camera as we saw on the footage.”
Rosie searched my face. “You’re worried. Why? Other than the obvious that an arsonist is on the loose.”
“Maybe to pin the blame on you? Or …”
“Or worse.” Rosie inhaled deeply. “What if they knew I’d see the footage?”
“So?”
“What if they were trying to get me up there? And then lit the fire hoping that … it got me.” She shook her head. “That’s a big gamble. Maybe they’re just not that smart. I mean they lit the fire when snow was coming.”
“Lots of locals dissed the forecast and were proven wrong.” The thought that someone had deliberately endangered Rosie’s life made my blood run cold. “Going to be staring at everyone’s work boots now,” I gritted out. “To match the slash on the boots in the footage.”
“You think it’s someone local?”
Ryan already thought so after the fire in which Stacey had become trapped. “It’s a possibility, yes.”
A door opened down the hall. “Rosie?”
Rosie wiped her palms down her dress pants and stood. “Hi Janette.”
“You’ll be fine,” I whispered, squeezing her hand. “And if you’re not, I’ll be out here, waiting. On this seat.” I pointed to my chair. “I won’t move until you’re done.”
“The dean is ready to see you now.” Janette smiled kindly and Rosie hesitated.
“Thank you,” she whispered and kissed me on the cheek.
My heart swelled. Part of me wanted to charge on into the dean’s office and lay down the law, but that’s not what Rosie needed or wanted.
But Rosie was a badass. Always was. “You’ve got this, love.”
* * *
We were late for our proposal meeting. Only twenty minutes. And it was worth it.
Rosie’s meeting went for an hour and a half with the new acting dean, a lawyer and a human resource officer. It concluded with Rosie being offered an adjunct professor position involved in their wildlife research program.
In a statement released by the university as we drove home, Richard had been sacked and they publicly denounced his behaviour. And they had strongly hinted without breaking any confidentiality, that the research assistant, Rachel, had made the video, but it seemed an agreement had been made between the university and Rachel so she could stay employed.
