Kathryn Springer - Tested by Fire

“Do I get a preview of today’s lesson, Agent Gabriel?” She flipped the visor down out of habit and checked her hair, pulled out a tube of her favorite lipstick and then saw the look on John’s face. “What?”

“You’re primping,” he said in disbelief.

“But never while I’m driving.” She flashed him a saucy grin.

That remark was rewarded with one of John’s reluctant smiles.

“I’m going to give a mini-seminar on Internet crime,” he said. “Computers are like anything else—they can be a weapon in the wrong hands. Law enforcement has to keep up with the changing technology or the criminals have an advantage.”

Finn glanced at him. “Is this your area?”

“One of them,” John admitted.

“Your favorite?”

He shrugged, but she had seen the spark flare in his eyes. The spark of passion for an area of his chosen career.

“What’s yours?” he asked. “Besides trying to get little old ladies safely across the busy streets of Miranda Station?”

How to answer that unexpected question… Finn turned the car into the parking lot of the police station. “I guess I haven’t been an officer long enough to find out.”

She wasn’t about to tell John that there were too many days that her job was frustrating. She was only a small cog in the wheel of law enforcement. If she made an arrest, it went to the DA, who determined whether there was enough evidence to prosecute. If she made a referral to Social Services, then a case worker took over and made a determination. Too many times she felt as if she were wearing her own handcuffs. It was one of the unexpected struggles she’d faced since becoming a police officer. One she hadn’t voiced to anyone but God.

They got out of the car and walked toward the station. John suddenly paused just outside the doors.

“I’ve got to make a phone call. You can go in without me.”

“All right.” Finn wondered about the quicksilver change in his mood. She had the feeling that John didn’t make it a habit to share much of himself, but for a brief moment during their conversation in the car, it felt as if they’d had a connection.

Then again, maybe she’d only imagined it.

John waited until she had disappeared inside, pulled out his cell phone and called time-and-temperature, then walked in alone. He didn’t want any of the guys Finn worked with to see them come in together. He couldn’t let anyone think he and Finn were friends if he was going to try to get a handle on what was going on with her at the P.D.

The small conference room had been set up for his presentation, and Finn was right—the looks he got when he walked in told him exactly what some of them thought about being called in on their day off.

Finn was already sitting in the front of the room, an empty chair on either side of her. The rest of them were filled. After that one brief glance, John didn’t look at her again.

He spent two hours updating them on the latest ways to use computers to catch criminals and another hour answering their questions. After the first fifteen minutes of his talk, there was a change in the room. Even the most disgruntled officer was leaning forward, listening intently. John judged his presentation a success by that one officer. Carl Davis. Davis also asked the most questions. When Finn asked a question, however, he noticed two of the officers behind her look at each other. One of them rolled his eyes and the other, Wes Garrett, smirked. It was an intelligent question, showing that Finn had been paying attention, but he couldn’t show his approval.

Still, the temptation to make the guys eat their ASP batons was great.

The officers drifted away when the session was over, and Finn approached him while he was packing up his materials.

“Thank you. Your presentation was great.”

He shrugged off her praise. “Part of the job. And now I owe Seamus one less favor.”

“He never worked here, but you’d think he’d run the department at one time,” Finn said. “He and Chief Larson are golfing buddies.”

Another interesting tidbit of information that might explain why Finn was hired, John thought. He slowed his movements, waiting for the room to clear.

“Go ahead and take my car home,” Finn said. “I’ll get dropped off at the end of my shift anyway.” She handed him her keys.

“Thanks.”

Mike Alloway appeared in the doorway. “Kelly, I need you to mail some evidence to the crime lab. Think you can find your way to the post office?”

“No problem.” Finn smiled sweetly.

“Great presentation, Agent Gabriel,” Mike said. “Chief Larson was hoping we could set up another one with you.”

“I should be able to do that.” John read the officer’s name on the silver tag under his badge and remembered it. It had sounded like he’d been teasing Finn with his question about the post office, but it was hard to tell.

So, some of the guys obviously didn’t accept Finn as an equal. That was clear enough. But was she so thin-skinned that it would take such an obvious toll on her? One that had caused Seamus to get him involved?

The telephone rang, waking Finn up from a sound sleep. She fumbled for it in the dark, her gaze already focusing on her grandparents’ house. The last time she had gotten a phone call in the middle of the night, Seamus had had another heart attack.

“Hello?”

“Finn, it’s Donna at the P.D. There’s another fire and they need some extra people on.”

Finn closed her eyes in relief at the sound of the dispatcher’s voice.

“Sure.” She glanced at the clock beside the bed and almost groaned. Two in the morning. “I’ll drive myself in.”

“Go right to Fifth and Walnut,” Donna directed briskly.

Finn pulled out a clean uniform shirt and pants and dressed quickly. Fifth and Walnut. She sent up a prayer of thanks that it wasn’t a residential area. She walked quickly toward the garage, rounded the corner and bumped into something solid.

“Finn?”

“John.” She stepped back. “What are you doing out here?”

He didn’t answer. “Where are you going?”

“They called me back in to work because there’s a fire.”

“How much sleep have you had?”

“Three hours,” Finn said, already moving toward her vehicle.

“I’ll tag along.”

“That’s not necessary.” She paused when she glanced up and saw his expression. “All right. Suit yourself.”

The address the dispatcher had given Finn was just past the downtown business district, and as they got closer, the crimson glow from the burning building was visible from two blocks away. Black smoke billowed into the sky, shielding the stars from view.

Finn searched for a familiar face and finally saw Wes Garrett moving along the perimeter. He didn’t look very happy to see her.

“Kelly, we’ve got a bunch of people who’d rather watch this building burn than sleep. Can you believe it? Tape the driveway and then stand here to make sure no one gets past. There’s a reporter from the newspaper already trying to squeeze in.”

“What happened?” Finn had to lift her voice above the noise of the fire hoses pumping water. Already her eyes were watering and she could taste the smoke.

“We’re not sure, but the fire inspector has been called and he’ll be here shortly. There’s a bunch of stuff stored in this warehouse—maybe something flammable. Who knows?” Suddenly, Wes noticed John Gabriel standing several feet behind Finn. “Hi, John. Felt like losing a little sleep, too, huh? Kelly, make yourself at home—you’ll be here a while.” He disappeared into the hazy darkness.

For a moment, Finn just stared at the blaze. There was a panicked cry from the bystanders when one of the walls caved in, but the firefighters were clear. Most of the people watching were still in their pajamas. Finn scanned the faces of the onlookers until her gaze rested briefly on one of them. It was a young male, tall and thin, his shoulders slightly slumped. Even from the distance that separated them, Finn thought she recognized Ricky Calhoun. She took a few steps toward him, but the wind shifted and smoke poured between them. When she got close enough to recognize individual faces, the person she had thought was Ricky had disappeared.