Against the Fire Read Free Page A

need to talk to whoever is in charge of the fire investigation at the Dallas Towers.”
    Gabe paused as the information sank in. She was there about the fire. Pausing, he gave the woman a more thorough inspection. About five-foot-four. Late twenties, maybe early thirties. Slender but nicely curved, though it was hard to tell for sure in the conservative brown suit and pale yellow blouse she wore. A great pair of legs, though, and that hair. It wasn’t just auburn; it was warmer, hotter, reminding him of the flames last night.
    Gabe inwardly smiled. The lady was a looker. The splash of freckles across her nose and the high cheek bones only seemed to emphasize the fact. And yet the clothes she wore and the way she had drawn all that glorious hair into a tight knot at the nape of her neck made him wonder at the sort of woman she was.
    Curious now, Gabe waited patiently as the older blond officer behind the desk looked down at her computer and finally came up with the answer to the lady’s question.
    “The man in charge…that would be Captain Thomas Daily. I assume you have information in regard to the fire.”
    “Yes, I do.”
    “The captain’s here. I’ll tell him you wish to see him.”
    When it came to women, Gabe was usually more the pursued than the pursuer, but there was something about this particular female that intrigued him.
    He crossed the several feet between them, used the name he had overheard. “Ms. Baker?”
    She turned at the sound of his voice. “Yes?”
    “I’m Gabriel Raines. My company was working on the remodel of the Towers. I couldn’t help overhearing. I gather you have information on the case.”
    “Actually, I’m here for a friend.” She flicked an anxious glance toward the long white hallway where Gabe had viewed the lineup. “The police believe he is somehow involved in setting the fire.”
    “And you don’t?”
    “No. Angel wouldn’t do a thing like that.”
    “From what I understand, he set another fire a few years back. And I saw him at the Towers last night. If he didn’t set the fire, why was he there?”
    Huge blue eyes a softer shade than his own stared up at him in disbelief. “You…you saw Angel there? At the fire?”
    “That’s right. He and another kid were standing on the sidewalk when I got out of my truck. It was still very early. Not too many people had shown up yet. That’s the reason I remember seeing him.”
    Her shoulders drooped, then subtly straightened. “I need to talk to him. There has to be some other explanation.”
    “Excuse me, Ms. Baker,” the desk clerk said. “Captain Daily will see you now.”
    Gabe reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out his wallet. He drew out a business card and handed it to Mattie Baker. “This has my address and phone number. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”
    Mattie took the card. “Thank you. I will.”
    “Good luck,” he said, figuring she would need it if she planned to help the kid.
    The desk clerk pointed toward the hallway and Captain Daily appeared at the entrance. Mattie started hurrying in that direction, strands of fiery hair flying out from the tidy knot at the nape of her neck. Gabe headed for the door, wondering if he would ever see Mattie Baker again.
    And hoping like hell he would.
    Two
    “I didn’t do it, Mattie.” Angel fidgeted on the seat across from her. He was smaller than other kids his age, only five-foot-five, with a stocky build and wide-set brown eyes, but he was a handsome boy, and smart. At least most of the time.
    “I learned my lesson three years ago,” he continued. “I would never do anything like that again.” He looked up at her and she could see the fear in his eyes. “You believe me, don’t you?”
    Mattie sighed. “If you say you didn’t set the fire, I believe you. Just tell me what you were doing downtown last night.”
    Angel glanced away.
    “Angel, look at me.” His troubled gaze returned to her face. “You live in central Oak