cause too complex to determine initially? Is there a clear indication of arson? Is the fire suspicious?”
He watched with pride as she walked around, pointing out the multiple points of origin, the way the flames licked the walls from the floor upward, the blackened, charred cabinets in the back compared to the counter near the front that was only soaked in water.
Jonas walked over and smiled at Sean. “Your girl has got it goin’ on.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to remind his partner that Harper was not his girl, but he hesitated. Her hair was tucked under a helmet for protection. Her boots were comfortable, still on the edge of stylish while being practical. She was wearing dark slacks, allowing her freedom of movement as she bent and stooped in her observations. Her porcelain complexion showed off the slight blush of her cheeks, and her eyes were bright as well as intent on her subject. Her voice was authoritative but soft.
Staring at her, it struck him right in the chest. Smart. Caring. Beautiful. She might not be his girl yet. But he wanted her to be.
The fire evidence collection students left, leaving only him, Jonas, Harper, and the other man. Unheeding of the audience, he walked over to Harper. “I hate like hell our date was cut short. How about another lunch today?”
He kept his eyes on her face, seeing her smile spread and her eyes light with what he hoped was excitement. With his peripheral vision, he could see the other man bristle before stepping back and mumbling that he needed to get to work. It also did not escape Sean’s notice that she never even glanced at the other man’s retreating back.
“I’d love to, but Sean, you don’t have to have lunch with me just because our evening got interrupted. I know you’re busy.”
“We’re both busy but spending time with you is exactly what I wanted to do.”
Her smile beamed brighter, then slowly lessened as she looked around. “Do you think this is him?”
“I don’t know yet,” he said, wanting to tell her everything but keeping his suspicions to himself. “We’re trying to find a common denominator. The times of the fires. The dates of the fires. The location of the fires.” He looked from the charred rubble back to her face, and asked, “Can I call you later?”
“I should be in the office for the rest of the morning. Just give me a call whenever, and we can meet somewhere.” She stepped forward and placed her hand on his arm. “I know your job is unpredictable, Sean. If something comes up, I’ll miss you, but it’s fine.”
“I’ll do everything I cannot to miss lunch,” he vowed. Knowing that Jonas had walked back outside, he leaned down and whispered, “And I’d like to have a chance to finish what we started.”
Her fingers tightened as she gripped his arm and she sucked in a quick gasp. “I really want that, too.”
The air left his lungs in a rush, and until then, he had not realized that he was holding his breath until she agreed.
As though understanding what he was thinking, she said, “You weren’t imagining what I felt for you last night. What I’m starting to feel.”
Her words shot straight to his heart. “Good to know we’re on the same wavelength, Harper.”
He knew his reaction might not be professional, but he was unable to help himself. Bending, he placed a quick kiss on her lips before she turned and moved back to her car.
Stopping at the back of the building, she pointed downward. “Isn’t that crazy? At first, I thought it was a bird’s nest and then saw it was rocks. Weird!”
Jolting, he forced a smile on his face and watched as she called out her goodbye to Jonas, before climbing into her car and driving away. Fuck, she noticed. Hopefully, she would not say anything since they hoped to keep the strange habit of their arsonist under wraps. Looking down, he stared at it through her eyes. Nest… she’s right. It does kinda look like a nest.
“Hate to bring you back to earth,” Jonas said, “but I may have found something.”
Shoving thoughts of Harper out of his mind, he turned and looked upward to where Jonas was pointing. A piece of paper, possibly newspaper, was stuck next to the building, trapped between the brick and an outside light. “If that piece of paper was part of the accelerant that did not catch on fire but