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“I’m going to go check on Flynn.”
Still numb, she was in a state of disbelief. Hopefully they’d get there in time and save the house that meant so much to Tony. What it meant to her was freedom from staying with Tony’s family, as nice and accommodating as they were.
The baby was okay, snoozing in his little crib. Her phone beeped, a text from Tony.
It’s almost out. All water damage now.
Bowing her head, she was too tired to cry, but tears dripped off the end of her nose.
Chapter 8
Battalion Chief Charlie Saint was born five years after his brother Big Mike. It was a joke around the Saints’ households that Mike got the height, but Charlie got the abs.
“Don’t look now, but Charlie Saint just took his shirt off,” was a refrain often heard after the team returned to the station at the end of a call.
“I’ll watch any of the Saint boys strip,” Connie had whispered to Bridget.
Hardworking and no-nonsense, Chief Saint was also intuitive, and when he walked into his nephew’s house after the fire had been extinguished, he knew.
“This was arson,” he said, shining a flashlight on the soaking wet subflooring.
“Are you getting a feeling?” Big Mike asked.
“No, I’m not getting afeeling. See that serpentine burn pattern? It’s where someone poured something and the fire traveled the path of the pour.”
“Oh, okay. Who would try to set Tony’s house on fire?”
“We’d better get a team in here.”
The fire investigator, after conferring with Charlie, called in local law enforcement, and they called the ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“It’s gettin’ serious,” Tony said, repeating what everyone said. “Who would set my house on fire?”
“Any enemies?”
“No! Everyone I know works here in #34. Unless it’s my ma, who doesn’t want me to move out.”
“Ha! Not likely. She’s been complaining about you living at home for weeks.”
The alarm went off, and that put an end to Tony’s interrogation.
“I thought the rain was supposed to help keep fires down,” someone mumbled.
Christmas morning, Tony and Bridget’s house was converged upon by investigators from every agency. Under the circumstances, Charlie felt he had to allow Tony to be on the premises, so he left after breakfast. Big Mike drove the camper van so Bridget and Flynn could be comfortable there, able to watch the action out the window.
“You’re here,” Tony said, kissing her. “Pop, you’re the best. Merry Christmas, everyone.”
They waved to him as he crossed the street. The little house looked so forlorn with the front yard tramped on, and it appeared the huge front window had been broken.
“Oh, it’s so sad! I’m not an emotional person, but Tony has put so much thought and dreams into this place, and to have this happen is really awful.”
Big Mike patted her hand. “Hang in there, sweetheart. We’ll redouble our efforts to get it done before the little girl is born.”
She ran her hand over her belly. “We might have a name, but it’s supposed to be a surprise.”
He moved his shoulders up and down like he was excited, and Bridget found it so endearing, she had to tell Big Mike the name. “Promise, now, don’t tell Bertie. And oh my God, don’t tell Tony I told you!”
“Quick, I’m about to explode, what is it?”
