the investigator to believe that the fire had been started approximately two feet inside the door, with the use of gasoline as an accelerant. No forced entry into the building could be determined by the inspector, or the police department. Arson is indicated.”
She took a careful breath. “You’re angry with me.”
“Yeah, I’m angry with you. You’re pushing me, Natalie, and yourself. You want this all tidied up, because people are worried about you, and you’re concerned with selling your pantyhose on time. And you’re missing one small, very important detail.”
“No, I’m not.” She was pale again, and rigid. “I’m trying not to be frightened by it. It isn’t difficult to add the elements and come up with the fact that someone is doing this to me deliberately. Two of my buildings within two weeks. I’m not a fool, Ry.”
“You’re a fool if you’re not frightened by it. You’ve got an enemy. Who?”
“I don’t know,” she shot back. “If I did, don’t you think I’d tell you? You’ve just told me there was no forced entry. That means someone I know, someone who works for me, could have gotten in here and started the fire.”
“It’s a torch.”
“Excuse me?”
“A pro,” Ry explained. “Not a very good one, but a pro. Somebody hired a torch to set the fires. It could be that somebody let him in, or he found a way to bypass your security. But he didn’t finish the job here, so it’s likely he’ll hit you again.”
She forced back a shudder. “That’s comforting. That’s very comforting.”
“I don’t want you to be comforted. I want you to be alert. How many people work for you?”
“At Lady’s Choice?” Frazzled, she pushed at her hair. “Around six hundred, I think, in Urbana.”
“You got a personnel list?”
“I can get one.”
“I want it. Look, I’m going to run the data through the computer. See how many known pros we have in the area who use this technique. It’s a start.”
“You’ll keep me up-to-date? I’ll be in the office most of the day. My assistant will know how to reach me if I’m out.”
He straightened, walked to her and cupped her face. “Why don’t you take the day off? Go shopping, go see a movie.”
“Are you joking?”
He dropped his hands, shoved them in his pockets. “Listen, Natalie, you’ve got one more person worried about you. Okay?”
“I think it’s okay,” she said slowly. “I’ll stay available, Ry. But I have a lot of work to do.” She smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Starting with getting a cleaning crew and decorators in here.”
“Not until I tell you.”
“How did I know you’d say that?” Resigned, she glanced toward the wooden cabinets against the left wall. “Is it all right if I get some files out? I only moved them out of the main office a few days ago so I could work on them here.” She lifted a shoulder. “Or I’d hoped to work on them here. More delays,” she said under her breath.
“Yeah, go ahead. Watch your step.”
He watched it, as well, and shook his head. He didn’t see how she could walk so smoothly on those skyscraper heels she seemed addicted to. But he had to admit, they did fascinating things to her legs.
“How are your hands?” she asked as she flipped through the files.
“What?”
“Your hands.” She glanced back, saw where his gaze was focused, and laughed. “God, Piasecki, you’re obsessed.”
“I bet they go all the way up to your shoulders.” He skimmed his eyes up to hers. “The hands aren’ttoo bad, thanks. When’s your doctor’s appointment?”
She turned away to give unmerited attention to the files. “I don’t need a doctor. I don’t like doctors.”
“Chicken.”
“Maybe. My throat’s a little sore, that’s all. I can deal with that without a doctor poking at me. And if you’re going to lecture me on that, I’ll lecture you on deliberately sucking smoke into your lungs.”
With a wince, he tucked away the cigarette
She took a careful breath. “You’re angry with me.”
“Yeah, I’m angry with you. You’re pushing me, Natalie, and yourself. You want this all tidied up, because people are worried about you, and you’re concerned with selling your pantyhose on time. And you’re missing one small, very important detail.”
“No, I’m not.” She was pale again, and rigid. “I’m trying not to be frightened by it. It isn’t difficult to add the elements and come up with the fact that someone is doing this to me deliberately. Two of my buildings within two weeks. I’m not a fool, Ry.”
“You’re a fool if you’re not frightened by it. You’ve got an enemy. Who?”
“I don’t know,” she shot back. “If I did, don’t you think I’d tell you? You’ve just told me there was no forced entry. That means someone I know, someone who works for me, could have gotten in here and started the fire.”
“It’s a torch.”
“Excuse me?”
“A pro,” Ry explained. “Not a very good one, but a pro. Somebody hired a torch to set the fires. It could be that somebody let him in, or he found a way to bypass your security. But he didn’t finish the job here, so it’s likely he’ll hit you again.”
She forced back a shudder. “That’s comforting. That’s very comforting.”
“I don’t want you to be comforted. I want you to be alert. How many people work for you?”
“At Lady’s Choice?” Frazzled, she pushed at her hair. “Around six hundred, I think, in Urbana.”
“You got a personnel list?”
“I can get one.”
“I want it. Look, I’m going to run the data through the computer. See how many known pros we have in the area who use this technique. It’s a start.”
“You’ll keep me up-to-date? I’ll be in the office most of the day. My assistant will know how to reach me if I’m out.”
He straightened, walked to her and cupped her face. “Why don’t you take the day off? Go shopping, go see a movie.”
“Are you joking?”
He dropped his hands, shoved them in his pockets. “Listen, Natalie, you’ve got one more person worried about you. Okay?”
“I think it’s okay,” she said slowly. “I’ll stay available, Ry. But I have a lot of work to do.” She smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Starting with getting a cleaning crew and decorators in here.”
“Not until I tell you.”
“How did I know you’d say that?” Resigned, she glanced toward the wooden cabinets against the left wall. “Is it all right if I get some files out? I only moved them out of the main office a few days ago so I could work on them here.” She lifted a shoulder. “Or I’d hoped to work on them here. More delays,” she said under her breath.
“Yeah, go ahead. Watch your step.”
He watched it, as well, and shook his head. He didn’t see how she could walk so smoothly on those skyscraper heels she seemed addicted to. But he had to admit, they did fascinating things to her legs.
“How are your hands?” she asked as she flipped through the files.
“What?”
“Your hands.” She glanced back, saw where his gaze was focused, and laughed. “God, Piasecki, you’re obsessed.”
“I bet they go all the way up to your shoulders.” He skimmed his eyes up to hers. “The hands aren’ttoo bad, thanks. When’s your doctor’s appointment?”
She turned away to give unmerited attention to the files. “I don’t need a doctor. I don’t like doctors.”
“Chicken.”
“Maybe. My throat’s a little sore, that’s all. I can deal with that without a doctor poking at me. And if you’re going to lecture me on that, I’ll lecture you on deliberately sucking smoke into your lungs.”
With a wince, he tucked away the cigarette
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