Page 83 of Fire and Bones

CHAPTER 19

W-C Commerce also owns the townhome currently rented by Phil and Devira Aaronson?” I couldn’t keep the shock from my voice.

“Yep.”

“The one with the parakeet?” Stupid question. But my mind was struggling to toggle this new information.

“What?”

“The other house fire?”

Doyle nodded. “W-C holds title to only three or four entities. Two of those are the pair of Foggy Bottom properties that just burned.”

“That can’t be coincidence,” said Zanetti, stating the obvious.

“Duh,” Doyle said.

“Have you shared this finding with Burgos?” I asked.

“Who’s Burgos?” Zanetti asked.

“Burgos is a dick,” Doyle said.

“Major league. But he’s the dick leading the team investigating the first fire.” An investigation involving four fatalities, I didn’t add.

Doyle said nothing.

“Who’s assigned to the Aaronson fire?” Zanetti asked.

“Burgos,” Doyle said.

“Bloody hell,” I said.

“Bloody hell,” Doyle agreed.

“You have to loop the guy in,” Zanetti said.

“Burgos has an ego the size of a container ship.”

“Still, you have to tell him.”

“I will.”

“There’s an MPD homicide cop on Burgos’s team,” I said. “Merle Deery.”

“Dreary Deery,” Doyle said.

“You know him?”

“Oh, yeah.” Doyle gave a little shake of her head. “I’m not sure the man knows how to speak.”

“He is the silent type.”

“You’ve met him?”

“Deery attended the Hill autopsy. Never uttered a peep the whole time.”

“That’s Deery. He’s with the VCB. The Violent Crimes Bureau. His name comes up in a lot of the stories I cover.”