1105 Yakima Street Read Free Page B

The fire engine carried five hundred gallons of water, which enabled them to get water onto the fire without the delay of hooking up to a hydrant. A second truck would arrive within minutes and those firefighters would engage the closest hydrant.
    Mack’s heart pounded as he ran toward the rear of the house carrying the bulky hose. Already he could hear the second siren in the distance.
    Ben and Charlotte, plus several of their neighbors,stood out on the sidewalk staring at the scene. Charlotte wore the horrified look of a woman who couldn’t believe what was happening. Ben stood next to her, his arm protectively around her shoulders. He seemed equally shaken.
    Because he was busy working on the fire, Mack didn’t get a chance to talk to the elderly couple until the blaze was extinguished, which took only minutes. Thankfully the damage seemed to be confined to the kitchen.
    The fire squad commander spoke to Ben while Charlotte wrung her hands. She seemed so distraught and anxious that Mack approached, hoping to reassure them all was well.
    “Oh, Mack, I’m so grateful you’re here,” Charlotte said, her eyes brimming with tears, which threatened to spill at any moment.
    “Everything’s fine,” he told her in a soothing voice. “The fire’s out.”
    “This is all my fault,” she cried. “I’m sure I must have done something. Oh, why wasn’t I more careful? I get so easily distracted these days… .”
    “The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined,” Mack said, trying to be diplomatic, although he suspected she was right. “Any number of things could be the cause.” With a house of this age, electrical problems weren’t uncommon.
    “But I was the one in the kitchen,” Charlotte said in a small voice.
    “It could’ve been an electrical short,” Mack said, hoping to calm her. He’d just finished speaking when a car pulled up on the other side of the street and Olivia Griffin got out. She wore a suit and heels and had obviously just left the courthouse, where she was a judge.
    “Mom, Mom!” she called as she dashed across the street, barely watching for oncoming traffic.
    Charlotte turned and hurried toward her daughter. They hugged fiercely for a minute, clinging to each other.
    “Are you all right?”
    “Yes, yes,” Charlotte assured her, tears slipping down her pale cheeks.
    “What about Harry?”
    Mack hadn’t seen the family cat and he’d been too busy to remember Charlotte and Ben’s pet.
    “Ben got him out of the house,” Charlotte explained. She glanced around as if unsure where he was currently hiding. “Oh, poor Harry, he must be terrified. He doesn’t usually go outside, you know… .” Her voice faded.
    Mack’s experience with the cat was limited. Whenever he, Mary Jo and Noelle visited, Harry made it clear that he was willing to tolerate them, but no more than that. After accepting the respectful greetings he considered his due, he generally ignored them all and retreated to his accustomed place on the back of the sofa. His other favorite perch was the windowsill overlooking the front yard. Harry was probably hiding somewhere, under the porch or maybe in some bushes. If the cat didn’t show up soon, he’d help with the search.
    The squad commander seemed to be finished speaking to Ben, who now joined the circle. “Mack,” the older man said, looking flustered. His white hair, normally carefully groomed, was in disarray, as if he’d rammed his fingers through it repeatedly. “Thank you,” he said, his voice husky, “for looking after Charlotte.”
    Mack didn’t feel he’d done anything out of the ordinary.
    “Mack, what about the damage to the house?” Olivia asked him.
    “That’s being assessed,” he replied, “but there doesn’t appear to be any damage to rooms other than the kitchen.”
    “I’m so grateful you got here when you did,” Charlotte murmured.
    “Mom. Ben.” Will Jefferson, her son, hoofed it up the last part of the steep street and