“That’s nice of him.”
“He seemed upset when I told him I’d called in sick this morning. Said he thought I’d be at the library.” She laughs, but it sounds forced. “I told him I’m an old woman who’s allowed to change her plans. He was relieved I wasn’t there, of course.”
Ryan thought she’d be at the library.
I file that information away without quite knowing why it feels important.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” I say.
“I’m glad you’re okay, too, sweetheart. And Tommy.” Her voice warms. “You’ve had such a terrible few weeks. Please take care of yourself. And Rachel? Maybe stay home for a while. Just to be safe.”
She’s trying to make it sound like a joke, but I hear the worry underneath.
“I will. You too, Dorothy.”
“I will, dear. Talk soon.”
She hangs up, and I stand on the porch staring at my phone.
Two fires.
Dorothy was supposed to be at both.
I was at both instead.
It’s probably nothing, just a coincidence. Just bad luck piled on top of more bad luck.
But my gut says otherwise.
My gut says something’s wrong, and I just don’t know what yet.
Chapter nineteen
Chapter 19
Theo
The Morgan house looks the same as it always does when we pull up—white siding, blue shutters, Jake’s truck in the driveway.
But everything feels different now.
Three days since the library fire, since I watched smoke pour out of that building, knowing Rachel was inside. Three days since Cole and I fought that fire like our lives depended on it.
Because hers did.
“You good?” Cole asks from the driver’s seat.
“Yeah. Fine.” I unbuckle my seatbelt. “Just checking in on them. Like we always do.”
“Right. Like we always do.” But his tone says he knows exactly what I’m feeling because he’s feeling it too.
Marco’s truck is already here. He probably came straight from work.
We find him in the living room with Jake and Tommy, still in his investigation clothes—dark pants, a polo shirt, and a badge on his belt.
Tommy’s showing Marco his dragon book, explaining in elaborate detail why the red dragon is the best in the entire story.
“And then he breathes fire on the bad guys and saves everyone.” Tommy’s eyes are wide with excitement. “Just like you guys saved us at the library!”
