man to speak one at a time, telling her his own version of the events at the Breckon Apartments. She started with Football, whom she had learned from Chris was the man who actually found Calvin. Terry spoke next, giving a nearly identical story, as he’d gone in with Football to pull out the elderly couple as well as Captain Mayna rd and the little girl. Logan spoke of encountering Jessica’s mother, whose name he didn’t know, and of spending much of his time on the ladder , until he’d been the one to carry an unconscious Jessica down to the EMS team . Rick had spent all his time on the ground just a few feet from Chris, and his story was much the same as his had been.
“The reason you asking us these questions is because BFS thinks there was some sort of negligence involved?” Terry asked her.
“No, Mr. Richards,” Martie said . “ The purpose of these questions is to see if any one of you reme mbers something, saw something, heard something, that the others did not. It helps me establish a timeline for the incident, which can become an essential component of the prosecution’s case should any fire be determined a case of arson.”
“If this is arson, does that mean whoever set the fire could also be tried for Calvin’s death?” Rick asked.
Martie nodded. “Captain Maynard’s death was a direct result of the fire, so yes. The arsonist would also likely be charged with numerous counts of endangerment, at least one for each of the residents, and possibly even attempted murder, if it can be proven that he or she intended for the residents of the building to die.”
“And Calvin?” Football pushed. “ What charges might the fuckhead face for his death?”
“I can’t say for certain, but based on my experience, the charge would likely be negligent homicide,” she answered. “Of course, if the target was the first responders, the prosecution could push for a murder charge.”
Martie glanced at each man in turn. “Despite this discussion of what could happen if this turns out to be arson, I want each of you to prepare yourselves for the possibility that it was an accidental fire.”
“No way,” Logan said with a shake of his spiky blond head. “It took us maybe ten minutes to get to that building, if that long. No way a little accident like a lit cigarette sparks a few flames that become an inferno in that short amount of time.”
“The building is fifty years old, Mr. Kilbride ,” Martie pointed out kindly.
Football shook his head. “Nah, I’m inclined to agree with Airborne,” he said. “ That fire was burning a while before we got there. We’d probably have heard about it sooner had more than half the residents not been out at the time. There were only the old couple, Jessica, and a couple of kids from the first floor home when it started. The old couple can’t move too well on their own, Jessica was hiding in her closet because her mom had stepped out, and the kids had their music up, from what I heard. They didn’t know the place was burning down around them until smoke started creeping under their door.”
Martie made a mental note to talk about that with the two young people when she interviewed them. “That’s an interesting point,” she said slowly. “Why do you think the businesses around the Breckon Apartments didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary?”
“How often do any of us?” Logan countered. “ That dentist’s office behind the Breckon building was already closed I think , but there’s a McDonald’s right next door, and they didn’t even know the building was on fire.”
“Perhaps I will just have to ask them about it,” Martie said then.
She turned her head when the four men from Chris’s unit looked up at someone coming in. Another firefighter, blond and probably early 30s, she noted. He also wore a mourning band on his left arm, despite being clad in a t-shirt and jeans.
“What’s up, Simon?” Logan asked.
Simon looked around, then
“The reason you asking us these questions is because BFS thinks there was some sort of negligence involved?” Terry asked her.
“No, Mr. Richards,” Martie said . “ The purpose of these questions is to see if any one of you reme mbers something, saw something, heard something, that the others did not. It helps me establish a timeline for the incident, which can become an essential component of the prosecution’s case should any fire be determined a case of arson.”
“If this is arson, does that mean whoever set the fire could also be tried for Calvin’s death?” Rick asked.
Martie nodded. “Captain Maynard’s death was a direct result of the fire, so yes. The arsonist would also likely be charged with numerous counts of endangerment, at least one for each of the residents, and possibly even attempted murder, if it can be proven that he or she intended for the residents of the building to die.”
“And Calvin?” Football pushed. “ What charges might the fuckhead face for his death?”
“I can’t say for certain, but based on my experience, the charge would likely be negligent homicide,” she answered. “Of course, if the target was the first responders, the prosecution could push for a murder charge.”
Martie glanced at each man in turn. “Despite this discussion of what could happen if this turns out to be arson, I want each of you to prepare yourselves for the possibility that it was an accidental fire.”
“No way,” Logan said with a shake of his spiky blond head. “It took us maybe ten minutes to get to that building, if that long. No way a little accident like a lit cigarette sparks a few flames that become an inferno in that short amount of time.”
“The building is fifty years old, Mr. Kilbride ,” Martie pointed out kindly.
Football shook his head. “Nah, I’m inclined to agree with Airborne,” he said. “ That fire was burning a while before we got there. We’d probably have heard about it sooner had more than half the residents not been out at the time. There were only the old couple, Jessica, and a couple of kids from the first floor home when it started. The old couple can’t move too well on their own, Jessica was hiding in her closet because her mom had stepped out, and the kids had their music up, from what I heard. They didn’t know the place was burning down around them until smoke started creeping under their door.”
Martie made a mental note to talk about that with the two young people when she interviewed them. “That’s an interesting point,” she said slowly. “Why do you think the businesses around the Breckon Apartments didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary?”
“How often do any of us?” Logan countered. “ That dentist’s office behind the Breckon building was already closed I think , but there’s a McDonald’s right next door, and they didn’t even know the building was on fire.”
“Perhaps I will just have to ask them about it,” Martie said then.
She turned her head when the four men from Chris’s unit looked up at someone coming in. Another firefighter, blond and probably early 30s, she noted. He also wore a mourning band on his left arm, despite being clad in a t-shirt and jeans.
“What’s up, Simon?” Logan asked.
Simon looked around, then
Similar Books
