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“Yes. I have to call the chief and see if he has any more information and when we can enter the house again.”
“Oh, goodness. I don’t have any clothes.”
“Can your friend bring some over? Until then, you look pretty sexy in mine,” I growl.
Her phone rings. “I guess I don’t need to call them.”
I reach for her phone and hand it over. “It’s Bethany,” I whisper, handing it over.
“Hey, girl,” she shouts. “Please tell me you’re okay. I didn’t hear about the damn fire until I got up this morning. Why didn’t you call me?”
“I’m good. My house isn’t, but I’m next door. I was just going to call you and Glen. I don’t have any clothes.”
“I’ll be right over, girl. You know the stores are closed, but I got some of your things here and I got some stuff that should fit. I don’t have any shoes, though. You have smaller feet.”
“That’s okay. I won’t go out until tomorrow I guess.”
My doorbell rings, and I head over to see who it is with the fireplace poker. For all I know, it could be that asshole stalker. “It’s the police and the fire chief.” I open the door.
“Mr. Snow, may we come in?”
“Sure. I’m sorry to see you both today. You should be with your families.”
“Yes, but we will be shortly. We wanted to give you an update.”
“Beth, I have to go.” Holiday ends her call and comes to my side. I grab the blanket and wrap it over her shoulders, giving her a little more coverage to my satisfaction.
“So what’s the news, Officers?”
“It was definitely arson, and Mr. Jones has already been apprehended. He accidentally caught himself on fire in the process. Mr. Snow, when you removed the vehicle from the garage, you apparently saved his life. He’d gotten himself caught in the blaze he created and didn’t have an escape route. He used the open garage as an exit, allowing him to run into the woods behind the house. We found the foot tracks through the snow. He’s in the hospital in stable condition and will make it.”
“What about Holiday’s home?”
“Well, there’s a lot of damage, so it’s going to need massive repairs. I can’t say what’s salvageable, but the back entrance didn’t receive any damage, and we were able to contain the fire to the front of the home. Holiday, you will not be able to enter the home wearing clothes like that. There is a lot of messy debris and dangerous fumes in the air from the melted plastic and other objects, plus any water damage that could cause mold.”
“I recommend you hire a team to come in here and clean it up.”
“I have to be back at work.”
“So where is your bedroom?”
“It’s toward the back of the house upstairs.”
“That area wouldn’t have seen too much damage.”
“Do you have any gear in your vehicle I can borrow to gather some of her work clothes that I can wash for her?”
“Yes, I do, Mr. Snow. I’ll take you in there right now.”
“I’ll get my statement from you, then, Holiday.”
We head on over and I’m glad that her place isn’t completely destroyed, but the charred smell in the air is definitely going to take a while to clear. “We turned off the gas lines, so it’s going to be freezing in there.”
“Fun. Let’s just grab what she needs and hope it’s not a total disaster.”
We head inside and upstairs. I find her bedroom, and thankfully there’s only a hint of icy water on the ground. It cracks into shards. Damn, the damage is going to be extensive.
“Okay.” I open her bedroom and the floor thankfully is dry, but the smell is still in here. Looking in her closet, I find a suitcase, so I fill it up with clothes from her underwear drawers, and then I look for her baking-type clothes, including the suit jacket I saw her wear yesterday. I’m grateful my place has a washer and dryer.
