“You just saw me in action...trying to keep you from killing Rogers.”
He waved a dismissive hand in the air. “I wasn’t going to kill him. Now, his nephew? If he’s the arsonist, his ass might not be safe from me.”
“You think it’s this Kyle Rogers?”
He started his truck. “Sounds like it. He had disdain for the fire department as a whole, which sounds like fertile ground for his motivation for these arsons.”
“Motivation,” I repeated.
“When I went to my father months ago for his opinion regarding this case, he told me to look into what this arsonist’s motivation would be. If we figure out what the motive is, the who is easier to find.”
I agreed. Motive usually made it easier to track down the person responsible. It made it less of a task to know where to look.
“Time to look into this Kyle Rogers.”
“And to attend this gala so I can see what sexy ass dress you’ve picked out to wear.”
I rolled my eyes but grinned at the smirk on his face.
Chapter 28
Jocelyn
A few daysafter our encounter with Rogers, I breezed through my office door, feeling light and unencumbered. Despite the danger that continued to surround this case, spending so much time with Don seemed to make the threat disappear.
“You’re glowing,” Hallease said, looking up from her computer. “You look great.”
Frowning, I waved her off. “I look like my normal self.”
For good measure, I held my arms out wide and looked down the length of my body.
Her expression turned doubtful, and she slanted her eyes as I moved closer and handed her the cup of coffee I’d picked up from the shop across the street.
“No, something’s different.”
“Drink your coffee and leave me alone,” I teased, taking a seat on the corner of her desk. “What are you working on?”
“Looking over the calendar for the next few weeks. Are you still attending that gala next week? The one for the Injured Firefighters.”
I sipped my cup of brew and thought back to seeing Don try on his tuxedo for the gala. We’d gone shopping for his tuxedo and my dress the day after our encounter with Rogers.
“Yeah, I’m going.”
“See,thatsmile. You’re glowing.”
I quickly wiped the smile away from my face and sat up straighter. “A woman can’t even smile in her place of work. The gala will be my opportunity to get up close with Kelvin. Marjorie will be out of town, and there’s a chance he’ll either bring or meet up with that woman. Do we know her name yet?”
“Yes, it’s Olivia McClain. She’s a travel agent.”
I took another sip of my coffee. Marjorie hadn’t recognized the woman either.
“How convenient,” I replied. “I’ll look her up to see what she’s about.”
“You have your first appointment with Randy Carson today.”
“All set for that one,” I said with a firm nod. “I’ve printed the images for him to keep so that he has the proof he needs. After that, it’s up to him to do what he wants with them.”
I blew out a breath, my chest tightening with sadness as I eased off the edge of Hallease’s desk. I never wanted to convey bad news to my clients. I never got off on it, but now, for some reason, I felt a more profound sense of sadness at having to tell Randy the truth.
