Then I whipped off a text to Luke and Darnell warning them that our inspection was early. Tucking my phone back into my pocket, I left the cottage and headed to the side closest to the driveway. Sure enough, Mr. Armstrong was making his way down the hill, carrying the same clipboard he had last time.
"You're early," I said. "Hopefully this means you can get a little time off when you're done here." I smiled, doing my best to make it actually look friendly.
The man just grunted at me. "So, you expect me to believe that you got thirty-two smoke detectors installed in a little over a day?"
To answer, I simply gestured to the closest cabin. Together the pair of us headed that way, and once we were inside, I gestured to a detector placed in the peak above the door. The subtly glowing green light showed it had power, but I had a feeling he'd want to test it.
"They are rated for smoke, carbon monoxide, and any other noxious gases," I assured him. "We made sure to keep both the box and the insert so you can verify that they have the necessary capabilities."
The man grabbed a wooden chair from the desk right before the door. "May I?" he asked, making it clear he intended to climb on it.
"Go ahead," I told him.
So Mr. Armstrong stepped onto the seat and then reached up to press the testing button on the detector. Immediately, a shrill beep sounded, with a voice right afterwards announcing that it was a test. In other words, the device was working as intended.
"I'm not sure that all of the cabins have a chair inside, but I can get a stepstool brought over if you intend to test all of them," I offered.
The man shot me a dirty look, clearly annoyed with how prepared we were. I wanted to believe that he was just a hard-ass trying to do his job, but I also wasn't stupid. I couldn't even imagine how this guy might be tied to Paul Simmons, but after the ordeal with the ag assessor, everyone was suspect.
"No, so long as the light is working, I think we can assume they were installed properly," he grumbled. "So, show me the next."
Just like we had the first time, I walked him down the rows of cabins. We stopped at each one, he verified that the appropriate smoke detector was installed and working, then we moved on. At the fourth one, Darnell joined us.
"Hey, Dr. Marshall," he said as he stepped in, "did you want me to take over here?"
I gave him a warning look. "I think we're fine, unless Mr. Armstrong wanted to see anything else?"
The man made a mark on his paperwork, then lifted his head. "It looks like I'm going to need an accounting of fire extinguishers as well," he said. "Since these are individual units, and intended for long-term use, they really need to have one installed."
"In each cabin?" Darnell asked.
Mr. Armstrong began to smile. "Because of the nature of their use, yes. So far, I haven't seen a single one."
Darnell just nodded his head slowly. "That's because we have four in the mess hall and classrooms, plus another in the chaperone's cottage. The concern was that teenagers might decide to use the fire extinguishers as toys."
"Then I suppose you need better discipline at the supposed school," the man replied in a lazy drawl.
Which proved my suspicions. I was pretty sure that none of us had told him this was going to be a school. We hadn't made a big deal out of why we were getting the approvals, just that we needed them. Paul Simmons, on the other hand, was livid about the idea of us bringing in criminals as students. Granted, "proof" was a strong word. It was still proven to me. I also hated that man and was willing to blame him for just about anything.
"So, how many fire extinguishers should we have?" I asked. "And, just to cut to the chase, since we both know you're going to fail us again, what other changes do we need to make?"
"Oh, I can't be sure of that," Mr. Armstrong said.
"Isn't it your job to be sure of that?" Darnell asked. "You have passed the appropriate certifications for this job, right? Because if that's the case, then you should know that bylaws for this county state that there needs to be a specific number of extinguishers available per square footage, not per building. You see, we have been following the law as we've renovated this camp."
"You are more than welcome to file an appeal," the fire marshal said.
"Uh huh," I mumbled. "Tell me, sir, just how long would it take for that process to be completed?"
"Typically it's about six months," Mr. Armstrong said. "Your other option is to make the changes that I suggest. It's your call either way."
Darnell's lips split into a devious grin. "So, how about you write up exactly what we need to have changed, hm? That way we can comply. I mean, anything you think might possibly be a problem. You go ahead and let us know, so we can be the best-prepared place you've ever inspected, ok?"
Mr. Armstrong glanced at him in confusion. "That could be a long list."
"Southwind is more than happy to comply," Darnell said. "You see, we put safety above all else."
"And let's go ahead and schedule the recheck," I decided, thinking about how smoothly Violet had gotten her appointment last time. "This way we can let you get out of here, and take this property off your list. I'm sure you're a busy man and don't need to keep coming back."
