Linda O. Johnston - Special Agent Nanny

“Sorry,” he said. “I heard about this fire in the news a few weeks back. I was curious, so I figured I’d take a peek.”

His words were light, but Kelley sensed something behind them. Frustration? Anger? Pain?

Definitely lies.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to get that cup of coffee now, would you?” he asked.

To her surprise, she wanted to say yes. And yet—she felt a pang of unease. “Maybe tomorrow,” she replied noncommittally. When it would be daylight. Plenty of people around.

And she would have had time to prepare herself for a conversation with this very disconcerting man. There were some questions she definitely wanted him to answer.

“Tomorrow,” he confirmed. “See you then, Kelley. It’s okay to call you Kelley, isn’t it?”

She nodded automatically, then wished she hadn’t. Being on a first name basis with Shawn eliminated a barrier between them. One she suspected she would miss.

He brushed past and left her standing there, alone in the burned out, empty room, lit only from the hallway behind her.

Tomorrow? She didn’t really need those answers. She could always make up an excuse to put off their meeting. Put it off forever.

Yet she wondered, as she hustled out the door, if she would.

NIGHTTIME.

The arsonist stood alone, outside the administrative wing of Gilpin Hospital, and looked up at the stars.

It was better to look at them far from here, without the bright city lights of Denver interfering. There were a lot of fascinating things in the sky that couldn’t be seen here.

But Denver was still home.

And on this side of the building, at this hour, there were few office lights to disturb the darkness.

The arsonist liked the night, even here. When ambulance sirens weren’t shrieking to herald yet another serious case requiring emergency attention, the area around Gilpin Hospital was quiet, with only traffic sounds interrupting the stillness.

This was a time when things could be done in darkness.

Without being seen.

Like setting fires, when necessary.

Fires like the very successful one that had destroyed the Gilpin Hospital records center.

That task had been a pleasure as well as a duty. The arsonist had enjoyed watching the room burn, all the while anticipating the money to come for that job.

But several weeks later, the job wasn’t over yet. Too many loose ends.

Like Dr. Kelley Stanton.

There were things she knew. Things she didn’t realize she knew…yet.

But she had to be neutralized, in case she recognized them.

If discrediting her was effective, so much the better. It was certainly the least messy way.

If not…well, there were many kinds of accidents that could occur around a hospital.

The arsonist would keep an eye on her. Listen to her, and to what was being said about her.

Report it, when asked.

And, when ordered, the arsonist would act quickly. Efficiently.

Effectively.

Again.

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