Page 17 of Built of Flames
She nodded, but didn’t move away from the safety of his arms. It had been too long since she’d been held by someone she loved.
Mitch eventually forced himself to step back from the hug and release Isabella. He couldn’t stop himself from kissing her hair before he did. She fit perfectly in his arms. Like he’d always suspected.
Why had he been such a coward back then? If he’d had the balls to tell her he was interested in her, they could have figured something out.
Now, he had to build her trust in him. And maybe build some of his own in himself. He’d been lost in a swirl of emotions since he’d spotted her reading on the deck. How much worse had it been for her?
She’d turned away from her family and headed out completely on her own. And thrived. Not many people could say that about themselves.
He could kick himself for never searching for Bella Martinez before. She’d never liked the nickname as a kid and Roberto had been the only one allowed the privilege of calling her that.
Now, her friends all called her Bella. Which showed what a powerful influence Roberto had been in her life. The only one she’d felt had trusted her.
Mitch had a lot to make up for and that meant shoving aside his interest in her until he proved to her he wasn’t an ass. They lived in different states, but the distance was only in hours. It was workable, even if he was jumping way ahead of himself. Trust first.
Mitch turned to the conference table she’d set up in the main room of the cabin. The rustic feel of the cabin appealed to him, as did the main lodge. It showed an appreciation for the past, something he’d always thought was important. “You said you do a lot of your arson investigation work online. How does that work?”
She smiled as she sat. “I was lucky with the various places I worked over the past few years. I’ve made a lot of contacts and worked with some great people. Some of the smaller counties don’t have room in the budget for an investigator, but when an arsonist shows up in their jurisdiction, they need help.”
He took the chair perpendicular to her. “They don’t fly you out?”
“Sometimes, but mostly, I can do things online. A firefighter goes through the scene with me and then they send me the pictures and videos. I can work on thewhyand thehowwhile they work on the physical evidence. We share ideas back and forth. It’s fun to work this way.”
And smart. “Easier on the smaller budgets. Less travel for you. You can even do multiple consults at the same time. Very cool idea.”
How would the Chief react if Mitch told him he wanted to hire Isabella? Not that he’d shared his concerns with his boss yet. Or anyone else other than Marcus.
Fate appeared to be dabbling in his life, and Mitch didn’t mind it at all. Not if it brought Isabella back to him. “You should be charging me for this consult.”
Isabella rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you start by telling me what’s going on?”
Mitch took a moment. “I’m worried there’s a serial arsonist back in Kelsor.”
Fear flashed through Isabella’s eyes before she blinked it away. “What makes you say that?”
“This is where it gets tricky. It’s more of a gut feeling. The fires aren’t connected in any of the usual ways.”
“What do you mean?”
Mitch rapped his knuckles on the table and then got up to pace for a minute. “This is the first time I’ve said anything out loud. I’m worried you’ll think I’m jumping at shadows.”
When he looked, Izzy smiled at him. “You’re trusting your gut. You’ve always had good instincts.”
Except for that day when he hadn’t even thought to challenge the Chief’s pronouncement about his daughter.
“Okay. August has become a prime month for arsons back home. For the past few years, it seems like there’s a fire every couple of shifts. Some are minor, but there have been several large ones as well. We’ve solved a lot, but there have been a disturbing number of unsolved over the years. Have you come across any arsonists who are active during specific times of the year?”
Isabella nodded. “Sure. There are lots of people who get worked up because of the holidays or something that’s triggered them from the past.”
That helped. “Everyone attributes the higher numbers to kids living it up during the last few days of summer vacation, but it feels like there’s more. I think someone has a target.”
“You think that person is going to hit another building soon.”
She hadn’t made it a question, but Mitch nodded. He pulled his laptop out of his backpack and then a box from the No Fail Diner. “I figured I could at least pay you for the consult in cinnamon buns. Marcus tells me they’re amazing.”
Izzy’s face lit up. “Marcus is one hundred percent correct. Ginny is amazing. Consult paid in full. Now, let’s see what you have.”
Mitch pulled up his notes and let Isabella zip through them. He didn’t have all the details on the fire, but he had enough. He wouldn’t cross the line of taking files out of the station without official approval.