Chapter 13 - THE SECOND FIRE
Rose locked the front door.
Ada called the police from the office.
Through the glass, Richard held up both hands as if she were the unreasonable one.
“I just want five minutes.”
“You can talk to Lena.”
“She won't let you hear me.”
“I've heard you my whole life.”
He moved out of view.
Rose reached for her phone.
Then she heard the side door strike the wall.
Its replacement lock had not yet been installed; Ada had braced it with the same tool cart.
Richard had shoved through the damaged frame hard enough to send the cart skidding.
He stopped when he saw Rose.
His coat was wet.
“Where's the notebook?”
“With the police.”
“Don't lie to me.”
He grabbed the folder on the workbench and dumped its contents across the floor.
Copies of bank notices scattered beneath his shoes.
Rose stepped toward the office, putting herself between him and Ada.
“You need to leave.”
“You have no idea what you've done.”
Richard swept the rest of the papers onto the floor.
His arm caught a hanging extension cord.
The old space heater tipped off its low stand into a pile of oily shop rags beside the cart.
Then the cloth began to smoke.
Ada came out of the office.
“The extinguisher's by the front—”
Richard lunged for her folder.
She stumbled against the workbench.
Rose caught her before her head struck the vise.
Flame climbed the edge of a rag.
“Dad, move!”
He was still gathering papers.
Still looking for something he could hide.
The smoke thickened between them.
Rose dragged Ada toward the front door.
Her bad knee folded.
She hit the floor, heard Ada gasp, and forced herself up again.
The keys were in the lock.
Her fingers slipped once.
Twice.
Then the bolt turned.
Cold rain struck her face.
She pushed Ada onto the sidewalk and pulled the fire alarm beside the neighboring building's entrance.
Richard appeared behind her carrying a handful of useless copies.
He caught her sleeve.
“Tell them it was an accident.”
Rose looked at his hand.
At the smoke coming through the shop.
At Ada bent over on the curb, coughing.
“The heater fell,” she said.
“And you kept searching while we tried to get out.”
Sirens rose at the end of the block.
Richard tightened his grip.
May you like
For one second, she was a child waiting for permission to speak.
Then she pulled free and walked toward the officers.
