Page 37 of Built of Flames

So much for the touching moment.

She probably didn’t need the caffeine with nerves running through her, but it seemed friendlier than asking for water. Requesting tea seemed too pushy. “Coffee would be great, thanks.”

He poured them both a cup and then gestured to the small dining table. The same one where they’d eaten most of their meals.

Bella took her old seat, and her father did the same, leaving them perpendicular to each other.

He stood back up and grabbed the sugar from the cupboard and brought it back then sat again. His big hands wrapped around his cup, then he spun it in a slow circle. “It’s good to see you.”

“Thank you. It’s good to see you as well.”

“How have you been?”

Bella shrugged, her eyes darting from her father to the cups, to the walls, and back. “I’m okay. I’m an arson investigator now.”

“No shit? Good for you.” His response made her smile. They made eye contact, and he smiled as well, then they both looked away.

“Where are you living?”

“I’ve been in a few different places, but I recently moved near a town named Phail in Vermont.”

“Phail?”

She nodded. “It’s a terrible name, but a nice town. A friend of mine has a large property not far out of town, and I’m working out of there.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“How are you, Dad? How have you been?”

He spun his mug around some more, took a sip. “Good. I’m good. Working.”

“That’s good.”

Could they throw the wordgoodaround any more?

They sat in awkward silence for a moment. “I’d like to come into the fire hall tomorrow, see some of the team.”

He nodded. “That would be good.”

Good.

She had to give him more. “In a weird coincidence, I ran into Mitch Robinson earlier this week. We got to talking, and I want to look into some Kelsor fires from over the years.”

He made eye contact at that. Work was easier to discuss. “Why?”

Bella shrugged. “It’s what I do. I want to see if there’s the possibility of a serial arsonist working here.” She hadn’t wanted to throw Mitch under the proverbial bus by saying it was his suspicion that had brought them together.

“We would have noticed if that was the case.”

She maintained eye contact. “Not always. Especially if the arsonist doesn’t require frequent burns. Some go months or years between fires.”

His frown appeared to be more concentration that annoyance. “Robinson brought this up to you?”

Another shrug. “It came up when we were catching up. Now, I’m curious and want to have a look at the files.”

He nodded slowly. “Okay.”

More awkward silence. She counted to thirty, waiting to see if he would break it. When he didn’t, she took another sip of coffee and then stood and brought her cup to the sink.