Page 40 of Fortune's Ashes
‘The fire was deliberate?’ Liza whispered.
He nodded. ‘It looks that way.’
I stared at the blackened, disintegrating building. Was this my fault? Was this retaliation for what somebody believed I’d done to Alan Cobain? Horrified, I clamped a hand over my mouth.
My thoughts must have been written all over my face. ‘It’s okay,’ Liza said to me. ‘It’s only a building. Fred and Owen aren’t in there.’ She gave a shaky laugh. ‘Though as soon as I see Owen, I’m going to bloody kill him for not answering his phone.’
The firefighter murmured to Barnes and withdrew. She turned to us. ‘This is a difficult situation, but Liza May is correct – it could be a lot worse. We can’t draw any conclusions until a proper investigation is conducted into the fire. Don’t forget you remain on suspension, Emma.’
I managed a nod, irritated that she felt the need to continually remind me.
‘I know that this fire puts a different complexion on matters,’ she added, ‘but I do need you to return to New Scotland Yard first thing in the morning. We require a DNA sample from you.’ She said it casually, but even so I stiffened. The hair they’d found; that’s what this was about.
‘I didn’t kill Cobain.’
‘In which case a DNA test should prove no problem and will help to absolve you of any potential wrongdoing. We received an anonymous call earlier today stating that you were seen arguing with Alan Cobain outside his flat in the hour before his murder.’
I stared at her. ‘What? That never happened!’
‘Then you have nothing to worry about.’ Barnes looked over my shoulder at someone behind me. ‘What is it, sergeant?’ she asked.
I gritted my teeth as I turned to the police officer .
‘Good evening, DSI Barnes,’ she said. ‘I know this isn’t a good time but I thought you’d want to know. We have reports of two Met officers who’ve been involved in a serious RTC.’
A road traffic collision. I looked at the sergeant and suddenly knew what she was going to say before she said it. It wasn’t as a result of my Cassandra powers, but merely dread intuition.
‘It happened on the outskirts of the city. Both are alive but in a critical condition. They’ve been taken to the nearest hospital.’
I closed my eyes.
‘We’ve identified them as PC Frederick Hackert and DS Owen Grace.’
My knees buckled. Beside me Liza raised her head and keened a howl of pure agony.
ChapterFifteen
It was a small hospital, but busy. The Accident and Emergency waiting room was packed with people waiting to be seen when we rushed through it before being ushered to a quieter area to wait for further news. Both Fred and Owen had been taken to theatre and were being operated on; I sincerely hoped the surgeons were the best in their field.
DSI Barnes had remained at the scene of the fire, so only Liza, Lukas and I were there. I’d already called Fred’s parents, who were tearing through the streets of London to get here. Liza had told Grace’s sister, but she was in Manchester and couldn’t get to the hospital any time soon. The three of us perched on uncomfortable plastic chairs and watched the door as we waited for someone to appear and give us more information.
‘You need to eat,’ Lukas told me quietly, breaking the pained silence in the small room.
I nodded, distracted. The last thing I felt right then was hungry.
‘No, Emma,’ he said. ‘Youneedto eat. I’ll get something from the cafeteria. Liza, do you…?’
She shook her head. ‘No.’
Lukas acknowledged her response and left the room. I knew he’d get something for her anyway, though she wouldn’t eat it.
She turned to me, her skin pale and drawn against the vivid red of her hair. ‘You’re back with him then? For good?’
I picked at an invisible thread on my jacket. ‘Yes.’
‘What happened?’
I sighed; she was going to find out sooner or later. ‘I inadvertently acquired a new skill, one that Lukas has had problems with in the past. I left him because I didn’t think he’d be able to cope with it, but he’s persuaded me that it’s going to be fine.’
