Blue Smoke

shuddered out a breath. “I can see what he’s doing, why. More, why he has to do it. The fire fascinates him, too.”
    “Have you got some screwy idea that you and this crazy bastard have something in common?”
    “We do, more than one thing in common. But I’ve got that granite base, and thank God for it. And now I have you. I said you level me out, Bo. If I lose my balance, you’re going to steady me again. Why else would you sit here on this hellish night and talk about marriage and children?”
    “You want to know?” He hitched up a hip, pulled out a bandanna and used it to mop at her wet cheeks himself. “I’ve spent a good part of tonight sitting, standing, pacing in your parents’ house. Watching your family sit, stand, pace. And I realized if you love someone, when it’s the most real, the most important thing in your life, it’s not enough to coast. You need to dig in those footers, start building on that base. You want something to last, you put your back into it.” He kissed her hand. “I’ve got a strong back.”
    “Me, too.” She kissed his hand in turn, then, pushing back her hair, started the car again. “What kind of ring do you want?”
    “Something gaudy that I can show off to my friends to their envy and avarice.”
    Her laugh felt rusty in her throat.
    She pulled up behind the police unit in front of her house. “I’m going to talk to these guys a minute, then run in and get some things. Why don’t you wait here and start planning your dream wedding? You’re going to look amazing in a long white dress.”

    “That may be going a little too far. It’s not really appropriate for me to wear white.”
    She had her badge out, then recognized the officer who stepped out of the radio car. “Officer Derrick.”
    “Detective. Bastard killed O’Donnell.”
    “Yeah.” She steadied herself again. “How long have you been on?”
    “Since two. Another unit was doing circular patrols, but since it looked like he might be working his way here, we pulled off the clinic fire to do the sit and watch. Two officers are covering the back. Check-in’s every fifteen.”
    “Status?”
    “Quiet. Some people came out when they heard sirens. Had some milling on the sidewalk. We dispersed.”
    “I’m going in to get some fresh clothes. My—” She started to say “friend,” then gave herself a lift. “My fiancé’s in the car. Appreciate the duty, Officer.”
    “No problem. Want me to walk you in, stand by?”
    “It’s okay. I’ll be quick. Alert the rear team that I’m entering the premises.”
    “Will do.”
    Jingling her keys, she crossed the sidewalk, started up the steps.
    Four fires set in under six hours, she thought. Was he going for the record book, looking for fame as well as revenge?
    He knew the neighborhood, so that was to his advantage, but still it was fast work. Damn fast.
    She unlocked the door, flipped on the lights as she stepped in. She set her keys down as she brought the map back into her head.
    From Fells Point, entering around six-thirty. Exiting between nine-fifteen and nine-thirty. Plenty of time to get to John’s, set the fire. Had to leave that location after midnight. Cutting it close there, barely enough time to get to the other locations. Fire was hot, fully involved when they’d arrived at the clinic, minutes after he’d called her.
    Minutes, she thought on her way upstairs. And only minutes after that—five?—she and O’Donnell had raced to the old Pastorelli house.

    Not just one step ahead. Nobody was that good, nobody was that fast. An accomplice? Didn’t fit, just didn’t fit. This was his mission, his obsession. He wouldn’t share.
    But he’d fired the clinic, gone two blocks, broken into his old house, shot two people, planted the rigged extinguisher and set another fire. One that had been fully involved before she’d gotten there.
    Because he’d killed Carla and Don first. Before the clinic. Because he’d set both fires, used timers. Very likely set the clinic to burn before he’d gone to John’s. That’s the pattern, she thought. Xander then John.
    She’d missed it. Missed it because she’d been running around, just as he’d wanted. Because he’d had everyone scrambling to put out blazes that were as much distraction as they were points on his scoreboard.
    Missed more, she realized, because she’d been grieving.
    Since two . That’s what Derrick had said. They’d been on since two.
    Her palms went damp. She spun,