we're going to put this subject away and just enjoy our evening.”
Her voice softened. “Honey, ask me anything.”
“I know you and Sandy go out, often to one of the places where some of the firefighters hang out. Have you ever heard anything that gave you the feeling that someone was particularly enthralled with the idea of putting out a fire?”
Her head moved up and down slowly as she said, “I know you’re talking about more than just the excitement of having completed a job well done. Right now, I can honestly say that I’ve never heard any of the firefighters that I’ve been around talk about the fire in any way other than they’re just glad it was put out. When someone’s been injured or killed in a fire, there’s a pall that’s cast over them when they come to drink. Otherwise, the ones I’ve been around just seemed to be glad that their shift is over, and no one was injured.” She hesitated, then added, “Sure, some of the younger ones do seem excited. I think perhaps they still like the idea of the big shiny fire truck and the job of coming to someone’s rescue. But that doesn’t seem to last long.”
Leaning back in his chair, Sean tugged on her arm gently and she rose, moving to him. He settled her in his lap, kissing her deeply. “Dinner was fabulous, babe. And question time is over. Now, let me show you how grateful I am that you’re here… in our home.”
Leaving the dirty dishes on the table and in the sink, he scooped her into his arms and carried her upstairs, then proceeded to prove his gratitude.
32
Stepping out of Harper’s apartment, Sean hefted the box in his arms as he turned to make sure her door was securely locked. Hearing a noise behind him, he looked over his shoulder as Daniel stepped from his apartment closing the door behind him.
The older man’s face split into a wide smile. “Sean! Good to see you.” His gaze dropped to the box in Sean’s hands. “I told Harper that I would help move anything she needed. I’ve got more time on my hands then either of you and don’t mind helping at all.”
“Appreciate that, Daniel. This gets most of the things that she wanted right away. She has some other boxes filled with items that she’s decided she wants to give away. We’re also looking at her furniture to see what will go and what we’ll get rid of.”
Rubbing his chin, Daniel cocked his head to the side. “You know, if there are certain pieces of furniture that she doesn’t want, we can check with the apartment manager to see if he’d like them to stay. Sometimes they get more money if they advertise an apartment that’s furnished or partially furnished.”
“I hadn’t even thought about that. Thank you. I’ll talk to Harper, and that may be exactly what she’d like to do.”
“I’ll talk to the manager today and see what he thinks. I’ve got Harper’s number, so I can call her and let her know.”
“While I’m here, do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Of course not. I’ve got to check on the door for apartment 2-A, but they’re in no hurry.”
“I wondered if you knew of specific buildings in this area of town that are empty.”
“Oh, are you looking to invest?” Daniel asked, his eyes widening. “There’s a lot of condos going into old buildings. If you’ve got the money, could be good.”
Sean chuckled. “No, I’m just identifying areas in town that don’t have any residences.”
Leaning his shoulder against the door jamb, Daniel scrunched his brow. “There are an awful lot of storefronts around that I know are empty, but I don’t know about the upper floors. There’s an empty building over on Tartan Square, but I think some workmen are already in it to do some renovation.” His eyes brightened as he said, “There’s a small warehouse over on Shelton Street. Well, I call it a warehouse. I think it used to be a multilevel store, back many years ago. Anyway, I heard that it’s being renovated for condos, but I don’t think I’ve seen any workers over there yet.”
All the places Daniel mentioned had already been identified and investigated by Sean and Jonas. Thanking him nonetheless, he added, “That’s good information to have. I don’t suppose you know of any smaller places.”
That request produced another scrunched face from Daniel. “Yeah, I’d have to say there’s probably a