answer.”
“Well, I kind of lost my phone,” Marv said.
“Where did you see it last?”
“Falling out of the truck into the creek near the house.”
Marv had just officially graduated to moron status. “So you went to York and didn’t call her because you lost your cell phone and didn’t want Carolyn to know. How many phones have you lost?” Angus had to ask. “Is it eight?”
“Only six,” Marv said indignantly.
“And you don’t think Carolyn has a reason to be upset?” Angus knew that sometimes Marv needed to have things pointed out to him. “Go to the store and buy Carolyn some flowers and whatever else she’s been asking for. She loves you—God knows why—and you need to treat her better, because what would you do without her?”
“Okay, point taken. I’ll do that. But you haven’t told me why you’re all growly. You usually listen a little more before giving me hell.” Maybe Marv wasn’t totally clueless.
“It’s not important,” he answered.
“Uh-huh. This wouldn’t have anything to do with that guy you went out with on Sunday.”
“Maybe a little. I thought we had a good time, but he wanted to know about my past, and I got a little snippy and may have blown it. I left a message the other day and then today, but he hasn’t called me back.”
Marv snickered. “I take it you like this guy, because you’ve never obsessed over anyone before. If they don’t like you, and all the guys like you—the girls do too, but you don’t notice them at all—”
“Get to the point,” Angus said.
“Fine. You go from guy to guy all the time, having a good time. But you’ve never wondered if a guy was going to call you back. So take your own advice and go get some flowers or something and go see him. You know where he lives, right?”
“Yeah. I picked him up on my bike.”
“Then don’t sit around like a pussy—go do something.” Angus could see Marv rolling his eyes. He wondered when Marv had gotten a clue and figured that wasn’t bad advice. His phone beeped that he had another call coming in. He checked the number.
“I have to go. It’s work,” he told Marv and took the other call. “This is Angus.”
“MacTavish, grab your gear and get to the station. There’s an apartment fire, and we need all available hands.”
Angus was already moving through his house, grabbing the bag he kept packed next to his door. He hefted it. “I already have it. Do you just want me at the scene?”
“Do that. The address is 1245 Marshall Avenue,” the captain said.
Angus nearly dropped his phone. He knew that address. “We were just there not long ago for an oven fire.”
“This is a lot more than that. Part of the entire building is involved, and as fast as it’s spreading, there’s definitely accelerant.”
Angus was already at his car and threw his gear in the trunk. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He hung up and got inside the Mustang, heart pumping. He raised the garage door and backed out of the garage, then headed back to Kevin’s building, only this time it was for something potentially much more dire than a date.
Angus had worked as a firefighter for six years, but until this point he had never had to show up at the home of someone he cared about. The other guys told stories of arriving at the homes of family friends and even relatives, and all they could do was go to work, check that everyone was all right, and then comfort the ones they cared about after the fire had been extinguished. Angus had been spared that… until he pulled up in front of Kevin’s apartment.
The rear of the building was fully involved. He stopped his car out of the way and raced out. Within seconds he had his trunk open and was pulling on his gear. “Cap,” he called, and Justinian hurried over to him. “Is everyone out?”
“No. Get on breathing gear. An old lady and younger man are unaccounted for.”
“Kevin and Mrs. V?” Angus asked.
The captain nodded. “They’re
“Well, I kind of lost my phone,” Marv said.
“Where did you see it last?”
“Falling out of the truck into the creek near the house.”
Marv had just officially graduated to moron status. “So you went to York and didn’t call her because you lost your cell phone and didn’t want Carolyn to know. How many phones have you lost?” Angus had to ask. “Is it eight?”
“Only six,” Marv said indignantly.
“And you don’t think Carolyn has a reason to be upset?” Angus knew that sometimes Marv needed to have things pointed out to him. “Go to the store and buy Carolyn some flowers and whatever else she’s been asking for. She loves you—God knows why—and you need to treat her better, because what would you do without her?”
“Okay, point taken. I’ll do that. But you haven’t told me why you’re all growly. You usually listen a little more before giving me hell.” Maybe Marv wasn’t totally clueless.
“It’s not important,” he answered.
“Uh-huh. This wouldn’t have anything to do with that guy you went out with on Sunday.”
“Maybe a little. I thought we had a good time, but he wanted to know about my past, and I got a little snippy and may have blown it. I left a message the other day and then today, but he hasn’t called me back.”
Marv snickered. “I take it you like this guy, because you’ve never obsessed over anyone before. If they don’t like you, and all the guys like you—the girls do too, but you don’t notice them at all—”
“Get to the point,” Angus said.
“Fine. You go from guy to guy all the time, having a good time. But you’ve never wondered if a guy was going to call you back. So take your own advice and go get some flowers or something and go see him. You know where he lives, right?”
“Yeah. I picked him up on my bike.”
“Then don’t sit around like a pussy—go do something.” Angus could see Marv rolling his eyes. He wondered when Marv had gotten a clue and figured that wasn’t bad advice. His phone beeped that he had another call coming in. He checked the number.
“I have to go. It’s work,” he told Marv and took the other call. “This is Angus.”
“MacTavish, grab your gear and get to the station. There’s an apartment fire, and we need all available hands.”
Angus was already moving through his house, grabbing the bag he kept packed next to his door. He hefted it. “I already have it. Do you just want me at the scene?”
“Do that. The address is 1245 Marshall Avenue,” the captain said.
Angus nearly dropped his phone. He knew that address. “We were just there not long ago for an oven fire.”
“This is a lot more than that. Part of the entire building is involved, and as fast as it’s spreading, there’s definitely accelerant.”
Angus was already at his car and threw his gear in the trunk. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He hung up and got inside the Mustang, heart pumping. He raised the garage door and backed out of the garage, then headed back to Kevin’s building, only this time it was for something potentially much more dire than a date.
Angus had worked as a firefighter for six years, but until this point he had never had to show up at the home of someone he cared about. The other guys told stories of arriving at the homes of family friends and even relatives, and all they could do was go to work, check that everyone was all right, and then comfort the ones they cared about after the fire had been extinguished. Angus had been spared that… until he pulled up in front of Kevin’s apartment.
The rear of the building was fully involved. He stopped his car out of the way and raced out. Within seconds he had his trunk open and was pulling on his gear. “Cap,” he called, and Justinian hurried over to him. “Is everyone out?”
“No. Get on breathing gear. An old lady and younger man are unaccounted for.”
“Kevin and Mrs. V?” Angus asked.
The captain nodded. “They’re
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