Page 27 of Burn With Me

“Yeah, I think the superintendent and owners are going to have some explaining to do.” I paused as I turned back to face the living room. “I’ll be right back.”

I marched off and began searching for something specific. I’d seen a white van parked outside the building about a week before the fire. I hadn’t thought much about it until now. I doubted anyone else would even remember it, but I had because of a work call meeting I had at home. It forced me to head into the office later than I normally would.

The van had boldly stated Pest Control. I’d briefly glanced at it and thought, ‘please don’t let that mean there was a rodent issue,’ before getting into my car and driving off. No one had been inside but…searching the corners and the edge of the floorboards, I stopped as my light hit the small and now badly charred, insect trap.

“Did you find anything?” Asher said

“Maybe.” I stood and held out the small insect trap.

“An exterminator?” Asher furrowed his brow as he stared at the small trap.

“What is it”

He shook his head. “Do you remember that subdivision fire like two months ago now? The one that was all the fancy estate homes?”

“How could I forget?” I said. “The final number was thirty-one people dead.”

“Well, I overheard a few people standing around talking as things were winding down, and someone commented that this neighborhood was cursed. First, a cockroach infestation, and now the whole thing burnt to the ground. I didn’t think anything of it. I mean, I hear weird shit like that all the time and never bat an eye.” He held out the trap for me to take.

“Well isn’t that another interesting coincidence,” I said.

“I thought you don’t believe in those.”

“I don’t.” I shook my head. “I’ll pull that file and go through it to see what was missed. If that really is the case, we may have just figured out how our arsonist is moving around and gaining access completely unnoticed.

“Very possible. Listen, I’m starving.” Asher rubbed his stomach. “You ready to go? I didn’t find anything in the other rooms.”

Taking the trap, I put it in a plastic bag. “I need a few more minutes,” I said, walking away to go find any more of the little metal containers. “I’m surprised you’re giving up so quickly. You didn’t strike me as a quitter,” I teased, knowing that would get under his skin.

It was actually much later than I’d planned on staying, and my stomach had already been bugging me that it had been a long time since dinner last night.

A snorting sound came from behind me, and I bit my lip not to laugh as Asher took the bait. “I didn’t say I was quitting. I just thought we could come back after eating something.”

I gave him a smile over my shoulder. “I was just teasing, give me five.”

I grabbed the small shovel attached to my belt and began moving some debris. It didn’t take long for me to find another handful of traps. It could be nothing. It could be another dead end, but I didn’t think so. One thing this job had taught me was to trust my gut, and my gut was screaming that this guy was using extermination as cover. He might even be using other trades like a painter. If that were the case, I needed to review all the cases in the last six months again and see if I could link them.

I was just finishing my inspection of the kitchen when Asher walked in behind me.

“Here, there was one in each of the bedrooms,” Asher said, holding out his hand with the traps.

Snapping a few photos, I turned to look at Asher. “I think I need to set up an appointment to speak to Kim. Do you want to come?”

A sly smile spread across his face, and I cleared my throat as I realized how that question must have sounded. “You can get that look off your face. That’s not what I meant.”

“And what do you think I’m thinking about?” He leaned lazily against the door, and I wasn’t sure if hitting him or kissing him would be more rewarding.

“Just answer the question.” I flicked my ponytail over my shoulder. As I did, something new glinted and caught my attention outside the window. “What the…?”

I walked away before Asher could answer. I stared at the spot outside the kitchen window across the way from my building.

“What are you looking at?” Asher asked as he came up behind me.

I leaned out the window to get a better look but decided not to try my luck on the unstable fire escape again. Once had been enough for my liking. “Do you see that?”

I pointed at the spot I was talking about, and Ash stared at the same spot. “Not really. What am I supposed to be looking at?”

“Look in the corner of the window of the balcony. You see that black dot with the lens?” I looked up as he leaned out the window, his body brushing mine. Heat seared through me, the scent of his bodywash from the shower he had at the fire station was making me want to lean in and sniff him. I refrained, but I really wanted to and licked my lips as I stared at the side of his neck.