Page 46 of Built of Flames
Tess was a zoologist who studied migration patterns in a wide variety of animals, with a concentration in finding how they adapted to climate change. She hoped to use what she learned to help humans adapt to Earth’s changing climate. And help them realize they needed to do their best to stop it from changing any more.
The idea of it all boggled Bella’s mind. But if Tess could figure out how behavioural changes in bees and whales affected humans, surely she could help them find the key to this puzzle.
Bella hadn’t found so much as a fingerprint on the pieces of the pipe bomb. The bomb itself didn’t match any others in the arson database she’d created. Or any of the ones in Kelsor’s police files.
Most arsonists used the same combinations of ingredients or followed the same patterns. Something that they often didn’t even realize connected the fires together.
What was the connection? Where was the key?
“It was another Thursday. I do think that’s important.”
At Tess’s quiet voice, Bella stopped. “I agree. Something about Thursdays triggers the arsonist.”
She stopped at her whiteboard and shifted the magnets again. She put all the fires that weren’t Thursdays to one side and then grouped the others by months. In August, she set them up by the weeks, then she went back and did the same for the other months.
It wasn’t consistent, but there were often more fires on the final Thursday of the month with the biggest number in August.
Bella glanced over to find Tess’s eyes on the board as well. She was nodding with a slight smile. “Yes. That’s narrowing down the data. Let me adjust my spreadsheet with that. It’s doubtful the serial arsonist is responsible for all of these, but we should be able to find patterns in here.”
They had over sixty fires left on the board, but it was more manageable.
Bella returned to her own laptop and created a new sheet within her spreadsheet file.
She imported the data from the fires on the board onto the new sheet. Then she used the sort function with various columns to look for patterns.
Which didn’t work nearly as well as she’d hoped.
Tess lifted her hands from her laptop and sat back. “I don’t know much about arsonists, but from everything you’ve said, the arsonist involved with these fires doesn’t follow the typical pattern.”
Bella nodded and watched as Tess moved to the board. “It’s possible there are two people working independently of each other. It’s more likely there are two people working together, maybe even three. They’re taking turns setting fires and providing alibis.”
Bella nodded again. “If they’re working together, it would be more difficult to track. It would also make them more liable to make mistakes or to discuss things that could be overheard.”
“Unless one partner is dominant, and the other is an apprentice who follows orders well.”
That didn’t sound good.
Tess grimaced. “The other possibility is even less palatable.”
“Do I want to hear it?”
“Probably not. After looking at all the data, I think the most likely scenario is that you have one arsonist. I’m going to use male because it’s statistically more likely, but I wouldn’t rule out female. Anyway, he is intelligent and has done a lot of research. He knows enough about arson research to change up his pattern, to use not only different ignition sources, but various devices to start the fires.”
Tess had been right. Bella didn’t want to hear it, and she didn’t like where it was going. It was heading exactly where she’d hoped it wouldn’t head.
Tess tapped some magnets. “It’s likely this person has a grudge against at least one firefighter, or one firefighter family.”
“Mine.”
Tess nodded. “Or the department in general. Someone whose life, family, or business was damaged by a fire or a firefighter.” She blew out a deep breath. “And I think it’s most likely a person who has at least some experience being a firefighter himself.”
Bella’s stomach clenched. Tess had independently corroborated what she feared the most.
The arsonist was one of their own.
Mitch stopped at the No Fail Diner when he drove into town. He was a few minutes early for his meeting with Troy, but wasn’t early enough to drive out to Midnight Lake and then get back.
He had Ginny fill up his travel cup with coffee and put in an order for food he’d pick up after the meeting to take out to Midnight Lake.