Page 23 of Ink and Ashes
Colson
“ G ood going, Sharpe,” I call out to the probie on our crew just as he finishes the hose run.
We’ve been running drills all morning, getting as much training in as possible while we wait for the next call. Knowing it could come any day now floods me with a sense of dread, so I’m doing my best to keep my mind off it.
“You’re getting faster with that. Way to go,” I add, patting him on the shoulder.
His smile glints in the sunlight. “Thanks, Lieutenant.”
I glance down at my watch then over at Whitlock, who was watching us drill. I nod and he does the same before he says, “Seems like as good a time as any to break for lunch. Let’s get this cleaned up and eat while we still can. Who’s on cooking duty today?”
Ace looks at Ethan. “Langley.”
He grins as he rolls the hose, while the rest of the crew groans.
“Oh, please no,” Mickey whines. “I can’t take another day of PB and Js.”
“Hey!” Langley says, offended. “They’re the best damn PB and Js you’ll ever have.”
Finn scoffs. “You wish. Hailey makes better, and she’s six,” he says, referring to his daughter.
Everyone breaks out laughing.
“Then I’ll make mac and cheese.”
“You mean microwaved Kraft Dinner? Gross,” Adler throws in with a scoff, grimacing.
“It’s better that way!” Langley defends.
“No, it’s not.” I laugh.
Whitlock joins in, the entire crew shooting the shit at Langley’s expense.
“Alright, someone call in an order to Marydale’s,” Whitlock eventually adds. “Langley can pick it up.”
“Hell yeah, thanks, Chief!” Langley says, always thankful to not have to “cook” for everyone.
Whitlock lets him feel joy for a moment before he nods at me. I take that as my cue to add, “But you’re buying too.”
Langley’s smile instantly falls while the rest of the crew continues to hoot and holler. I turn to head inside, shaking my head with a smile as their teasing echoes inside, and make my way to the bathroom for a quick shower before lunch.
Thirty minutes later, Langley arrives with a multitude of brown paper bags. For a guy who didn’t want to spend the money, he sure did buy a lot of food.
We chat as we eat, an easy camaraderie settling over the kitchen. After everything that’s been going on, it feels good to laugh and joke with the guys again. When we finish eating, the guys get to work on some afternoon chores, and I head back to my office to finish up some paperwork.
Just as I enter the room, I catch a whiff of perfume—a mix of orange and peonies. I turn around, already knowing who I’m going to find walking toward me. But the moment she turns the corner, my breath catches in my lungs.
Until now, I haven’t given myself the opportunity to appreciate just how stunning she is.
Her long, auburn hair is a stark contrast against her creamy skin, and it suits her perfectly.
She’s graceful yet assertive all at once, and if not for the chaos she’s brought into my life, I truly believe I’d fall to my knees for her.
With every step closer she takes, I fight the urge to do just that. She can’t be taller than five-foot-three without those four-inch heels that are practically an extension of her, but there’s something about the air of confidence in the way she moves that has me unable to look away.
Today, she’s wearing a flowy navy-blue dress that falls just below her knees, with buttons up the front and a tie around her waist. I lean against the doorframe, a smirk tugging at my lips. I can’t help but wonder if she has any idea how out of place she looks, dressed like that in this town.
Not that she’d care if she did.
Her eyes narrow when she spots me. “Are you actually happy to see me?”
I mask my expression. “I was actually just wondering why you’re dressed like you belong in a corporate office.”
I curse myself the moment the words fall from my lips. It’s true—she does look out-of-place, but it suits her in a way I’ve never seen the business look suit someone before.
“Ass,” she mutters under her breath. “Where’s Dom?”
I run a hand through my hair, appreciating the change in subject. “He’s off today.”
“Of course, he is.” She scoffs. “I should’ve texted first.” She shakes her head then turns her back on me.
“Rhodes, wait,” I say without thinking. She turns back around, an impatient look filling her features. So I blow out a breath, shifting my weight from one foot to another, as I admit, “I owe you an apology.”
“Okay.” Holland stares at me, her lips parted. Both of us are silent for a moment, and when I don’t say anything more, she adds, “Are you going to give it to me, or…?”
My smirk returns briefly, and then I come out with it. “I’m sorry. Ever since you started coming around, I’ve been a total ass. You haven’t deserved any of that. And you didn’t deserve that note.”
“You’re right. I haven’t deserved it.” She knocks her knuckles against the doorframe. “Thank you. I appreciate the apology.”
“Is there something I can help you with?” I ask, curious about what she came to share with Dom.
“You finally care about the investigation?”
I shrug. “I’ve come to realize ignoring it isn’t going to make you go away.”
Her eyes narrow as she sizes me up, then she relaxes her shoulders and reaches into her purse. She pulls out a small Ziploc bag with a tiny piece of metal inside and hands it to me.
I examine the contents closely, trying to figure out what I’m looking at. “What is it?”
“It’s the tab found at the bottom of a candle,” Holland says. “You know, the little metal piece that holds the wick in place?”
I nod. It’s burnt and slightly bent, but I see that.
“I found it at the Welland barn.”
My eyes dart up, clashing with hers. “You what?”
We cleared the Welland Ranch the day after the fire.
Dom and I were both disappointed by the lack of evidence on the scene, especially considering how sure he was that the fire was set intentionally.
But we turned up empty, and so did Fire Investigation.
I received their report yesterday morning, and as expected, they labelled it as unknown causes.
I’m getting real sick of reading those two words regarding fires in this jurisdiction.
“When I was at Cass’s on Tuesday, Liv mentioned you guys cleared it and found nothing, but that Dom didn’t think it was an accident.
I wanted to check it out for myself on the off-chance I’d catch something one of your guys or FI missed.
” She points to the bag in my hands. “I almost missed that too. The only reason I caught it was because the sun was reflecting off it.”
“You think this is evidence?”
“Yes. I think the arsonist used candles to set fire to the barn. I only found the one tab, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there were more. Let a candle burn long enough in an old, wooden building surrounded by dry, highly flammable hay and grass, it’s bound to go up in flames. ”
I turn the tab over in my hands, thinking her words over.
I suppose it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility, but that doesn’t stop me from playing devil’s advocate.
“It could’ve just been there from years ago and the rest of the candle melted in the fire.
Plenty of people put candles in barns, as dumb as it may be. ”
“I know it’s not concrete, but you can’t stand there and tell me no part of you is at least a little bit suspicious of this. Are you really that na?ve, Colson?”
No, I’m not really that na?ve.
“I’m not saying I’m not suspicious of the fires, because I’ve come to accept something is off about them. But I also still can’t find it in me to believe it’s arson, and I don’t know that a weird timeline, a sketchy note, and a burnt candle wick tab are enough to prove that it is.”
She keeps her eyes trained on the bag in my hands, her shoulders falling as my words land. I expect her to argue, but instead, the next words out of her mouth are, “Am I making a problem out of nothing? Seeing what I want to just because it fits my theory?”
I swallow roughly, and for the first time since she arrived, I feel for the woman standing in front of me. Her words are a punch to the gut. I still don’t know what happened to her back home, but it’s clear that her confidence has taken a beating.
“I’m not saying that. I’m just saying…” I trail off, trying to gather my thoughts. “I do think you’re onto something. I’m just not willing to accept that it’s arson until we find more concrete evidence.”
Her eyes narrow. “ We ? What, you’re helping now?”
“ You ,” I correct, swallowing roughly. “You and Dom.”
She nods, and I hand the evidence bag back to her.
“Right. On that note, do you have his address?”
I rattle it off for her as she puts it into her phone.
“Thanks. I’m gonna…” Holland trails off, hiking a thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll see you later, Lieutenant Killjoy.”
I huff a laugh at the nickname, jerking my head even though she’s already turned her back on me. “See you later, Rhodes.”