Page 81 of Heating Up (Nugget)
“Griffin doesn’t think it’s one of the Rigsby boys. He says Sean’s too, uh, mentally challenged to have pulled it off.”
The majority of arsonists had IQs below normal—typically between seventy and ninety. So Griffin didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.
“When did you talk to Griffin?” He didn’t know why, but it bothered him. The guy always seemed to be coming around.
“He walked over to the office from the Nugget Market today to say hello and asked about the case.”
If the whole damn town wasn’t obsessed with the fire, Aidan might’ve suspected Griffin because offenders liked to relive the crime by talking about it. For some of these guys it was like sex.
“You didn’t tell him anything, right?”
“Aidan, I don’t know anything.”
He never used to talk about his cases with Sue, mostly because she hadn’t been interested. But Dana always asked about his work, and more likely than not, he’d eventually tell her something he shouldn’t. It was normal—at least it should be—to tell the woman you’re living with about your day.
“Sometimes I might slip and give details about a case that I shouldn’t. I know this town likes to gossip, but can you promise to keep quiet?”
“Of course; I would never tell anyone something you told me in confidence.”
“Good, because I like being able to tell you stuff.”
“You do?” She beamed.
“You’re a good listener. What else did Griffin have to say?”
“He and Lina are going to Hawaii. She’s never been. And that any time we want we can use the pool at Sierra Heights.”
“How did the pool come up?” The idea that Dana might’ve said something about their sexcapade in her parents’ pool niggled at him.
“God . . . you don’t think . . . seriously, Aidan. He asked about the plans for my new house and I told him I was thinking of putting in a pool.”
“From a firefighter’s point of view, I love the idea. From a practical point of view, it seems crazy, given how cold everyone tells me the winters are up here. Besides, we’ve got a river right outside our door.”
He realized his mistake when she suddenly clammed up. “Dana”—he tilted his head to look at her—“are you afraid to swim in the river because of what happened to your brother?”
“No. It’s not even the same river. It just brings back that day.”
And what she had lost, which Aidan now knew was more than Paul. She’d lost her whole damn family.
“I’m sorry, baby.” He draped his arm over her shoulders, not knowing what else to say.
“It’s okay. It’s been a long time. Wanna watch a movie?”
“Is it gonna be a chick flick?”
“Probably.” She stood up and he watched her wipe the dust off her butt.
“I’m in.”
Dana made a bowl of popcorn and Aidan got throughBridesmaidsthanks to Melissa McCarthy. They must’ve fallen asleep on the couch because he was awakened at two in the morning by the ring of his cell phone.
“Hello?”
“Get dressed; we’ve got another one,” Captain Johnson said.
“Suspicious?” Aidan felt Dana stirring in his arms.
“Oh yeah.”
