Alone (Bone Secrets, #4)(53)



He pulled out his phone and started subtly taking pictures of the people who were watching.

“What are you doing?” she whispered. She had a hunch, but why didn’t he leave it to the investigators?

“Fire starters like to see their handiwork,” he stated. “I haven’t noticed anyone else shooting the crowd yet. Why wait? I’ll offer the pictures later.”

Three police cars and two fire trucks blocked her street. Not many people were gawking. It was about the number she’d expect on her quiet street at one in the morning. Several people were headed back into their homes. The excitement over for the night.

“If I was setting a fire, I wouldn’t stand and watch where someone could notice me.”

“They like to try to blend into the crowds. We had a serial firebug two years ago in Sacramento.” He pressed his lips into a tight line, and Victoria wondered how many burned bodies he’d dealt with.

“It started off with empty buildings and rapidly escalated. I spent some time reading up on what makes these guys tick.”

“I’ve never understood the appeal.”

“It’s control and excitement factors. With the single act of lighting a match, they can regulate events that aren’t normally controlled. They manage to orchestrate the fire, the exciting arrival of the loud fire engines, the creation of the fascinated crowds, and the thrill of the destruction. At first they’re satisfied with property destruction. But many move on to destruction of life. They get a taste of the excitement and need to feed it. It takes more and more to satisfy their needs.”

“Christ. It’s like a serial killer who can’t stop killing.”

“Very similar. Sometimes there’s even a sexual release that comes with seeing their power—”

“That’s enough.” Victoria cut him off. She didn’t need to hear about that aspect. She had enough on her mind.

Seth raised a brow at her. “Too much for you?”

“No. Some things I don’t need to research. I work in the ME’s office, I hear enough about the deviants out there. And see some of their results.”

“It’s really a fascinating area of study.”

“I’m good. Thanks. I’ll stick to bones.” She sought for a topic change and glanced at the dwindling crowd. “I think most of these people are my neighbors.”

“You think?”

“I haven’t met everyone. And even the ones I have, I don’t recognize unless they’re standing in front of their house. Occasionally someone will greet me in the grocery store, and I’ll be totally lost about how I know them.”

“She’s getting better. Didn’t know anyone for the first year she was here.” A new voice entered their conversation. “Everyone okay? No one got hurt?”

Victoria turned to see her neighbor, Jeremy. He held a small umbrella over his gray head. He wore a brightly colored housecoat and rubber boots. The sight of the man gave her heart a much-needed happy jump.

“Seth, this is my neighbor, Jeremy. No one was home, thank goodness.”

The men shook hands.

“Seth Rutledge. I work with Victoria,” Seth added.

“You the new medical examiner?”

“Not yet. I’m currently in the middle of a working interview for the position.”

Sharp eyes studied Seth as he placed his arm back around Victoria’s shoulders. She tried not to cringe. Jeremy was always threatening to introduce her to the straight men he knew, but she always declined. “Soooo, I guess I missed quite a bit while I was laid up with that bug.”

Seth gave his slow half smile. “Don’t tell me you’re the person to ask about the latest goings-on in Tori’s life.”

Jeremy’s eyes narrowed. “Tori, eh? Sounds like you and I need to have a glass of wine and a long talk, Dr. Rutledge.”

“Deal.”

“Not tonight, we won’t,” Victoria quickly added. “You’re not a hundred percent yet, Jeremy. And I don’t like you running around in the middle of the night in the cold.”

“Heck. I don’t sleep anymore at my age, anyway.” He met Seth’s gaze. “See how she mothers me? Doesn’t let a man have any fun.”

“Did you see the fire before the fire department got here?” Victoria asked, shifting his focus away from herself. “Hear or see anyone around?”

Jeremy shook his head. “Nothing. I was watching TV and didn’t know anything was up until the trucks came screeching up the street. Who called it in?”

“We did. Seth was driving me home when I spotted it.”

“Home, eh?” The old man’s eyes sparkled in the dim light.

“Stop that,” Victoria ordered. She felt a laugh rumble through Seth’s chest.

“Victoria, I think we’re ready to go,” Katy said as she and Trinity approached. Trinity looked exhausted and half-dead on her feet.

“I’ll be there as soon as they let me grab a few things,” Victoria said.

Trinity seemed deflated, like half the oxygen had been sucked out of her cells. The girl was in desperate need of sleep. Victoria moved out from under Seth’s arm, feeling the cold air wash over the spots he’d warmed. She touched Trinity’s arm. The girl met her gaze and gave a wan smile. “You two head to the house. I’ll be there in a minute.”

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