Lena's jaw tightened as she pulled the door shut, and the click echoed in the small space.
Julia studied them both for a moment, her expression unreadable, then she set down her coffee mug and leaned forward slightly.
"I know about you and Fire Marshal Vance."
The words hung in the air between them, and Erin felt heat rise in her cheeks but kept her expression steady. Beside her, Lena had gone very still.
"Captain—" Lena started.
"Let me finish." Julia's voice was calm, professional. "Whatever's happening between you two, I need you to keep it professional at work. Fire Marshal Vance is good at her job." Her eyes found Erin's. "Damn good. I won't have this case compromised because someone can't maintain boundaries."
"It won't be," Erin said, finding her voice. "We're both committed to?—"
"I know you are." Julia's attention shifted to Lena, and her tone softened slightly. "But I also know you, Detective. You don't do anything halfway. Don't hurt her, Lena. She deserves better than someone who's going to put walls up the moment things get real.”
Lena's face flushed, but she met Julia's gaze steadily. "Understood."
"Good." Julia sat back. "Because I'm on your side. Both of you. Just be smart about it."
A knock on the door interrupted whatever response Lena might have said. "Captain? We've got that call from dispatch."
Julia stood. "We'll continue this conversation later. Both of you, conference room in five minutes. We've got a lead."
Erin followed Lena out of Julia's office, hyperaware of the eyes tracking their movement across the room. Officer Sofia Martinez looked up from her computer with barely concealed curiosity. Lieutenant Angela Hodges paused mid-conversation to watch them pass.
"Well, well," came a voice from behind them. "Look who's working together without anyone having to referee."
Erin turned to see Detective Vanessa Tribble grinning at them from her desk, coffee mug raised in mock salute.
"Remember when you two couldn't be in the same room without sparks flying? Now look at you. You’re Phoenix Ridge's finest crime-fighting duo."
"We're just doing our jobs," Lena said, but her voice was tighter than usual.
"Sure you are." Detective Tribble's grin widened. "Just saying, it's nice to see professionals who can put aside their differences for the greater good. It’s very inspiring."
Other voices chimed in from around the bullpen with comments about their improved teamwork and how much better it was when they were on the same side instead of arguing at crime scenes.
Erin felt her cheeks burning. Every comment was innocent enough on the surface, but the underlying awareness was unmistakable. They thought they were being subtle, but they weren't.
"Conference room," Lena muttered, steering Erin toward the hallway.
The conference room offered temporary refuge from the scrutiny, though Erin knew it wouldn't last long. Chief McKenna was already there, spreading a map across the table alongside someone Erin didn't recognize.
"Fire Marshal, Detective," McKenna nodded as they entered. "This is Dispatch Supervisor Kim Leventon. She took the call that came in this morning."
Kim was a woman in her fifties with silver-streaked hair and the calm competence of someone who'd fielded every kind of emergency call imaginable. She looked up from the map as they approached.
"The anonymous tip came in at 6:47 a.m.," Kim began without preamble. "Male caller, but wouldn't leave a name. He reported suspicious activity at Pine Ridge Cabins; that's about thirty minutes northeast of here, up in the mountains."
She pointed to a spot on the map where the foothills began their climb toward the peaks and continued, "Caller said he's been camping in the area for the past week and claims he's seen someone matching our arsonist profile making late-night visits to one of the remote cabins. Multiple trips carrying what looked like containers."
Erin leaned over the map, studying the location. The area was isolated and wooded, perfect for planning and storing accelerants without being observed. "How credible is the tip?"
"That's what we need to determine," McKenna said. "The caller knew details about the case that haven't been released to the public and specifically mentioned the containers from the previous fires."
"It could be someone with inside information," Lena said, pulling the map closer to examine the access roads. "Or someone who's actually seen our suspect."
"Either way, it's the first concrete lead we've had in days." McKenna's expression was grim. "The question is how we proceed. A full tactical response could spook our suspect if he's really using the area. But if this is legitimate, we might be looking at his base of operations."
