Page 19 of Scarred Trust

“But Mama, at least getting the answers will show that we cared enough.”

“Yes, sweetie, but I don't want you to risk your career as a firefighter in this town by going head to head with some of these people.”

“Jackie, I met with local non-profit legal advocates, and they want to help, so I'm gathering information on my side as covertly as I can. Wes has his tasks. Then we'll bring them together and have Ogden and Wells take it from there. We'll see what they recommend.”

“Do you have to sit in on interviews with the victims and their families?”

“I've sat in on some of them. They're heart-wrenching, but there's so much information: people who were silenced and communities that were displaced, all for a building. To think of the history that we lost with some of those buildings because they wanted to build a new high-rise.”

“That's why I joined the historical preservation committee. I want to make sure companies like these can't keep overturning the permits just because there's some fire damage.”

“Some of the buildings were obliterated, weren't they?”

“Most of them, including the one that Wes was in. Everyone was so glad they had saved it, then before we knew it that flashover took the whole thing down. Almost took Wes with it.”

“At least my partner who was searching the other part of the house didn't get injured.”

When we finished eating and cleared up the plates, Jackie said good night to us. Wes walked me downstairs to the basement.

“Oh wow! The picture did not do this justice. The wall is a thing of beauty, weirdly.”

“I'll take that as a compliment. My dad worked hard on getting it started, but I’ve made a little progress.”

“It looks like you have a bunch of information here I haven't seen. I didn't know about the fire inspector getting silenced.”

“We could trade files and dig in, or we could do presentations to each other.”

“How about we start with one incident at a time and see what we’re missing?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

We talked late into the night, making additions to the board, taking notes of what we needed to give to Ogden and Wells. This wasn't our first night compiling information, and it wouldn't be our last. I didn't know what was going to come from it, and part of me was afraid, but I knew it was important. It felt like something precious and important was being created here.

As we worked on the files late into the night, I must have fallen asleep at some point. The couch seemed so comfortable. I woke up in my usual early morning hours, covered in a blanket and with Wes curled around me.

Chapter 12

“TRINA.” I WAS HAVING a lovely dream about Wes when I heard him say my name. I rolled over to reach him, but he wasn’t there.

“Trina! Wake up! There’s a fire!” I grumbled at Wes, disturbing my lovely dream. His voice got more urgent, and he shook me.

“Get up now! Fire!” He was already picking me up, wrapped in my blanket, when I pulled myself out of my deep sleep.

“What time is it?” I rubbed at my eyes, trying to make sense of what was going on.

“It doesn’t matter. We have to get out of here.” With one hand, he threw things into one of my big tote bags. Whatever was close at hand seemed to get tossed into the bag.

“What’s happening?”

“There’s a fire. Put this over your mouth and nose,” he said, handing me one of my scarves. I did as he asked and took another out of his hand and put it around his face.

“Oh God, the pub—” Tears welled up as it suddenly registered, with smoke seeping under the door.

“Stay calm. The door isn’t hot,” he said with his hand against it. “We’re going to get safely out of here, and everything will be ok.” I wasn’t sure if he was reassuring himself or me. We were already on the stairs, the air thick and hazy, limiting the visibility. I realized that my lack of footwear wasn’t the only reason he was carrying me.

I heard glass breaking when we got through the second door to the hallway. We didn’t linger as Wes headed for the exit in the dark, heavy atmosphere. Over his shoulder, I could see enormous flames devouring the furnishings in the dining room.

Outside, cool air hit my face, and I curled into Wes’s chest. He moved quickly down the street.