Free Fire Born (Firehouse 343) by Christina Moore Page A

answer, but then realized she had to be. Given the Breckon Apartments building’s age, the fire could very well have started by accident du e to faulty wiring and the simpl e the wear and tear of time. Even if Martie was somehow already aware of the ru mored mismanagement , she couldn’t very well declare any one person a suspect until there was concrete evidence of wrongdoing.
    “Somebody did this,” Kara said then, her voice actually much stronger than it had been since yesterday. “I feel it in my gut.”
    Or maybe you just want someone to blame , Chris thought sadly. He certainly did. It was never easy to accept when something like this happened because someone was careless , like falling asleep with a cigarette in hand or leaving a towel on a lit stove . If the fire was set on purpose, or started because the management firm didn’t do their job, then somebody was responsible for Calvin’s death, however indirectly. It meant that somebody could—and damn well would, if he had anything to say about it—be held accountable. At least if there was a person or persons at whom to direct his anger, he might begin to feel a little better.
    Maybe they all would.
    “I will find out what started the fire, Karalyn , I can assure you of that,” Martie replied. “If there is a person directly or indirectly responsible, the truth will be uncovered and they won’t get away with it.”
    She took a breath then, and added, “However, I really think that you need to prepare yourself for the possibility that the fire was started accidentally. That there is no one to blame.”
    Kara shook her head vigorously. “No. Somebody did this,” she repeated.
    Chris watched Martie look to Irene, then up to him. He gave her the subtlest of head shakes, then said to the other ladies, “Why don’t we get ourselves checked out now, huh? Time to go home.”
    Tears filled Kara’s eyes again, spilling over as she silently nodded her head. Irene wrapped her arm around her daughter’s shoulders and took a quick glance around. When it appeared nothing was being left behind, she picked up her purse and headed for the door, Kara’s head resting on her shoulder as they walked together.
    Martie grabbed Chris by the hand as he started to follow. He turned back with a surprised expression. “What is it?”
    “Two things,” she said quietly. “First, I really hope you or Irene can talk that girl into seeing a grief counselor. It will be good for her, especially if it turns out the fire was an accident. She really seems to have her head wrapped around the idea that someone started it on purpose.”
    Chris nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing. Part of me wants someone to blame because then there’s something to focus all this pain and anger on, ” he said. “I mean, if the fire made the beam fall, which is ultimately w hat killed Calvin … If that was something accidental, then it’s like he died for nothing.”
    “I wouldn’t say for nothing, Ch ris,” Martie returned . “He saved a little girl’s life.”
    “I know,” he replied with a sigh, and started for the door again.
    Once again, he was stopped when she tugged on his hand. When he turned back, his expression was puzzled. “What?”
    “Second thing,” she said, reminding him that she’d had something else to say. Only it turned out that the second thing wasn’t words, but an action, as she stepped up to him and raised up on her toes to touch her lips lightly to his.
    Chris felt his blood begin to rush through his veins and he leaned into the kiss, managing to slip his tongue into her mouth to touch briefly with hers before she pulled back and stood straight again. He smiled.
    “What was that for?”
    Martie returned his smile. “Just because I wanted to,” she said, then took him by the hand a third time and led him out of the room.
     
    ***
     
    Kara fe ll asleep in the back of Martie’s Kia Sorento soon after they started out , being emotionally drained from