Yours To Seduce

by Karen Anders

  She was just opening her door when she heard a car pull up. When she turned around, she saw it was her father. That trapped feeling intensified and she pushed the door open and dropped her gym bag on the floor.

  She held the door and let her father in. She walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. “Do you want some iced tea?”

  “Sure.”

  Lana went into the kitchen to pour two glasses. She walked back out to the living room and handed her father a glass.

  “How was the test?”

  The knot in her stomach tightened and a headache pressed against her forehead. “It was okay.”

  He stared at her, and then he released a long breath and glanced around the room. He finally spoke, his tone wary. “Okay? Do you think you passed?”

  Lana shrugged and took a sip of tea. She sat down on the sofa. “Yes. I think so. I knew the answers.”

  “You don’t sound too happy about it.”

  “I’m just tired, Dad. The test went okay.”

  He looked down and the knot tightened to something painful. She should have put the book in her backpack.

  “What’s this?” He picked her book up off the coffee table.

  “I’m taking a burning patterns seminar.” She took the book out of his hand and tucked it into her backpack at the foot of the sofa.

  “Arson investigation again?”

  Lana struggled for calm, shifted so that the knot in her stomach would loosen, but it didn’t. “I told you, Dad. It makes me a better firefighter and will make me a better captain.”

  His eyes narrowed and he said, “I never hear of you taking leadership seminars or classes.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’ll look into that. When did you want to reschedule the tune up for the car?”

  “I could do that now, if you like.”

  “Great. Let me go and change.”

  Lana rolled her shoulders to release the tension. The mindless task would keep her mind off why she was feeling so caged today. She’d drawn her father away from his questions regarding her arson classes. He would hit the roof if he knew she was investigating arsons on her own, jeopardizing her very career.

  He wouldn’t understand.

  Hell. She didn’t understand it herself.

  IT WAS SOME TIME LATER when they finished and Lana was now thoroughly exhausted. She said goodbye to her father and headed toward the shower.

  Before she could even strip off her clothes, the phone rang.

  “Hello,”

  “Hello, Lana, it’s Kate. I have bad news.”

  “The accelerants match with the most recent fire?”

  “I’m afraid so. Lana, you need to bring this to someone over Bryant’s head.”

  “I’m not supposed to be doing this at all. I just need a few more days. I have another lead.”

  “You know who’s doing this?”

  “No, not yet, but I have a hunch. I just haven’t had the time to take care of it.”

  “Right. You took the test today. How did it go?”

  “I think I passed. How well I did in the rankings is anybody’s guess.”

  “You studied hard. You deserve this.”

  “Yeah.”

  “What does that mean? You sound so dispirited.”

  “I don’t know. I wish I did. All of a sudden, I’m feeling this trapped sensation. I have a knot in my stomach the size of Texas.”

  “I’d say it was nerves. When you find out the results, everything will be fine.”

  “I hope so. Thanks for testing the sample for me.”

  “My pleasure. Good night.”

  Lana went into the bathroom and lit a few candles. She stripped down to nothing and got beneath the spray with a soft sigh.

  She wished that Sean was here, but he’d had as many errands to do as she did before they had to go to work tomorrow. After the lack of sleep last night, the grueling test, the workout, and her father’s pointed questions, she wanted to curl up in Sean’s arms and simply be at peace.

  But peace eluded her as she toweled off and quickly dried her hair. She climbed into bed and tossed around a bit before she finally gave up.

  Getting dressed into a sweat suit and grabbing her pressed uniform, she slipped out of her house.

  As the night deepened, she parked her car in front of Sean’s apartment and got out. At his door, she knocked. He opened it looking cranky and sleep tousled. The moment he saw her, he smiled.

  Reaching out, he pulled her inside and Lana felt a peacefulness slide over her as the door closed at her back.

  12

  LANA SAT OUTSIDE OF STATION 75 debating the wisdom of her actions.

  She held the picture in her hand. A really good likeness of the mysterious firefighter. The only way to find out who he was, was to ask. The helmet he wore had the number 75 on it. He had to be part of this station and if he was, then her hunch meant nothing.

  She opened the car door and got out. Entering the interior of the station, she stopped the first man she came into contact with.

  “Hi, I’m Lana Dempsey from the eighty-second and I’m trying to find out if this guy works at your station. Do you know who he is?”

  The man looked down at the picture for a few minutes. “Nope, I don’t know this guy. Maybe he transferred out or is on a different shift. He could also be new.”

  “Maybe,” Lana said.

  “Why do you need to find him?”

  “I’m investigating some arsons and want to question him.”

  “Sorry, I can’t help you.”

  “Thanks anyway.”

  Lana hit five more stations, but no one knew the mysterious firefighter.

  When Lana walked into work, she was faced with Bryant standing next to the entrance to her captain’s office. This couldn’t be good.

  “Dempsey!” he called as soon as he saw her and with a sinking sensation, she walked toward him.

  “Your captain wants to speak with you.”

  Lana walked in his office and closed the door. Bryant stood outside; she could see him through the glass.

  “What are you trying to do, Dempsey? Show me that you don’t know how to follow orders?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “What exactly is it that Bryant is saying?”

  “That you’re showing a picture around and butting into his investigation.”

  “That’s true.”

  “I’m going to have to put a reprimand into your jacket.”

  “I understand, sir.”

  “Dempsey, what is it about this case that’s gotten you so involved?”

  “I’m concerned that Lieutenant Bryant isn’t aggressively following every lead.”

  “In what way?”

  “He’s ignored the evidence I brought to him about the matching of the accelerants in each case, not to mention that the MO is the same in all three cases.”

  “How do you know that he’s not aggressively investigating this arson?”

  “He hasn’t announced that this is a serial arson case and has repeatedly told me that I’m off base.”

  “What expertise do you have to make this accusation?”

  “I’ve taken numerous seminars….”

  “I see that now. In fact, if you wanted to, you could apply to be an arson investigator yourself. You have the credentials.”

  “Frankly, Captain Troy, I’m interested in becoming captain someday. My focus is on that. I took the arson seminars to make me a better firefighter and candidate for captain.”

  “Have you taken the test?”

  “Yes, sir, yesterday.”

  “If I cut you some slack here regarding a reprimand in your jacket, can you promise—really promise me that you aren’t going to continue to investigate and second guess Lieutenant Bryant?”

  “With all due respect, sir, no. I can’t promise you one hundred percent. My conscience dictates to me what I must do. If I feel that lives are at risk, how can I turn my bac
k?”

  “You’re leaving me no choice, but to file a reprimand, but I’ll hold off if you can bring me definitive proof that you’re onto something.”

  “Well, I do have this lead. There’s a firefighter that keeps turning up in photos and he’s supposed to be with the seventy-fifth, but no one there knows him. I’ve asked around at other stations, but no luck.”

  “What makes you think he’s involved?”

  “The seventy-fifth wasn’t at the first or third fires.”

  “You’ve met this man?”

  “Yes, after I pulled Sean out of that apartment fire and again at the wharf fire.”

  “Get Bryant in here.”

  Lana opened the door and gestured to Bryant.

  “Dempsey tells me that the photos she received from your office show a mysterious firefighter. Have you followed up with this lead?”

  “What mysterious firefighter?”

  “Lana, show Bryant the photo.”

  Lana pulled the photo from her purse and handed it to Bryant.

  “Do you know who this is?”

  “No, sir, but there are hundreds of firefighters in San Diego and transfers happen all the time. Doesn’t mean he isn’t legit,” Bryant said, but Lana thought she saw recognition in his eyes.

  “Could you look into it and follow up with Dempsey’s suspicion that the fires are connected?”

  “Yes, sir, but what about Dempsey’s breach of authority, Captain? She should be punished for her insubordination.”

  “You let me handle Dempsey, Bryant. You do your job.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  They exited the captain’s office and Bryant turned to her.

  “You think that you can stick your nose into my job and get away scot-free? If I find out that you’re investigating again, I’ll go above Troy’s head. I don’t give a damn what he says.”

  Lana faced him. She pulled the picture out of his hands. “You see this? There is someone out of frame that he’s talking to. Do you have the negative?”

  “Yes, I have the negative.”

  “Maybe there’s a lead there.”

  “Maybe,” he said grudgingly.

  “And maybe there’s something to my assertions that these arsons are connected.”

  “Maybe.”

  “That’s all I wanted in the first place, Lieutenant Bryant was to make sure that this got investigated properly.”

  “So maybe I was a little off base.”

  “Why don’t you send the negative over to the police lab? Kate can blow up the picture and see who this guy is talking to, then if there’s nothing there, I’ll stop pushing.”

  “I’ll get the negative to Ms. Quinn. You can stop your pushing, because I tell you. There’s nothing there.”

  Bryant turned to go. “Why are you so interested in this investigation?”

  “I told you. Lives are at stake, not just civilian lives, but firefighters, too. I feel obligated to do something about it because you weren’t.”

  “Are you sure you’re not after my job?”

  Without waiting for an answer he walked away, passing Sean on his way out.

  Sean came up to her. “What was that about?”

  “Bryant is finally listening to reason. I think he’s going to give this investigation his full attention.”

  “What was that he said about you being after his job?”

  “An offhand remark. I’m not after his job.”

  He narrowed the distance between them until his mouth was dangerously close to hers. Dangerously tempting. Her lungs knotted with the inviting scent of him.

  “There wouldn’t be anything wrong with that Lana if you were,” he said quietly.

  “I’m not!”

  “Okay. Okay. I’m just saying that with you I think the sky is the limit. No need to get testy.”

  “I’m not,” she said a little softer.

  “You do need to be careful.” Sean took her hand in his.

  The fact that every scrambled nerve in her body leaped at his touch had Lana attempting to pull away. His hand tightened around hers, held on as his eyes darkened. “Something tells me we both need to be careful,” he added.

  Her heart pounded in her head, masking the sounds of their squad members in the kitchen. Its fast, demanding beat muffled the warning that struggled to sound in the far corner of her brain. She needed to step back, get away from this man who made her forget how to breathe.

  Her gaze lowered, settled on the mouth that seemed almost sculpted. She’d never wanted anything more in her life than to feel the press of that mouth against hers.

  Swamped by emotion, she forced a steadiness into her voice. “I intend to be careful.”

  “So do I.”

  Her gaze rose to meet his. “Are we still talking about the investigation?”

  “No. It goes way beyond that, and we both know it.”

  Wary, she shook her head. “I don’t—”

  “Something profound is happening between us. Something more than friendship, more than lovers.”

  She opened her mouth, closed it. It was hard to talk with nerves clogging her throat. Hard to take that next step when she knew she hadn’t been totally forthcoming with him.

  “I didn’t tell you about the mysterious firefighter because I didn’t have anything to back it up.”

  “And.”

  “And I thought you would try to talk me out of going any further with the investigation.”

  “You must think I can be very persuasive.”

  “You are.” She looked away and bit her lip.

  “What?”

  “I haven’t told anyone this, but do you know that rich developer William Morris?”

  “Sure.”

  “He’s buying up the arson properties and turning them into ritzy condos. It makes me wonder.”

  “About what?”

  “Those properties were run-down, but in areas where there’s been a rise in property taxes.”

  “Lucrative real estate.”

  “Yes. My thoughts exactly. What if he hired someone to torch those places because the owners wouldn’t sell or were asking too much?”

  “Burned out rubble isn’t very valuable.”

  “Do you think that I should bring this up with Bryant or go talk to the owners myself.”

  “Lana, Bryant will shy away from stepping on any rich guy’s toes.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  Pete Meadows popped his head out of the kitchen. “Bacon and eggs. Let’s go people.”

  They sat down at the table and Pete dished up a huge pan of eggs and another one with bacon. Lana reached out and put some on her plate. As she adjusted her chair, her purse hit the floor and the picture of the mysterious firefighter slipped out, landing near Pete’s feet.

  “What’s this?” he bent down to pick it up and Lana saw his eyes sharpen and narrow. “That’s John Fisher. Is this an old photo?”

  Lana shook her head. “I got this from arson. They took pictures of every site after the fire.”

  “That can’t be.”

  “Why not?”

  “John Fisher washed out of the program about six years ago.”

  “What happened?”

  “He couldn’t cut it.”

  When the alarm went off, there was no more time for conversation. Lana took the picture from Pete as they all headed toward their gear and the engines.

  The dispatcher announced it as a full box, meaning the fire was big. From ten blocks away, Lana could see smoke wafting across the rooftops.

  The paint factory was fully involved when the engine pulled up; large billows of smoke belched from the roof, and flames had already broken through.

  Lana rushed past a probie struggling with his gear and not yet into his air pack. She entered the warehouse next to the paint factory. Its wide, roll-up doors were flung open, and the space was crowded with cardboard boxes. With an ax in one hand and a nozzle in the other, she clambered up the stacks of boxes towa
rd the lathe and plaster wall. Lana knew that if she could get through the wall, she could get water on the fire. She hoped to then advance to its seat.

  She chopped at the lathe and plaster, cradling the nozzle between her knees. The wall sheared off easily, revealing metal corrugation underneath. She swung at the metal, but someone yelled behind her.

  Sean settled next to her with a chain saw. It was one thing Sean knew and it was the best way to confidently and precisely cut a metal wall. The corrugation sagged with each quick cut. She stood to one side, ready with the nozzle in case there was fire right behind the wall.

  When the flames leaped vehemently through the opening, Lana could see that the paint factory was completely enveloped. They couldn’t enter there.

  Lana knew from experience that if a third alarm wasn’t pulled, it would be soon. The loud sounds of exploding paint filled the air. She moved deeper into the warehouse, chopping holes in the corrugation and sending streams of water in.

  After searching for a good entrance, Lana and Sean found a place where the fire wasn’t as intense. With four squad members on their tail, they went through the opening.

  More paint exploded nearby and Sean ducked, driving down her head, too.

  When she could safely move again, she swung her ax toward a large plate glass window. Glass exploded outward and fell to the pavement below. Through the window, Lana could see that thick black smoke blanketed the nearby freeway. Traffic had completely stopped moving.

  The upper floor of the paint factory was a large, open space with only skeletal partitions. An open staircase led to a platform above with rudimentary railings. Next to this was an open attic space that gave her and Sean perfect access to the now burning virulent fire below.

  With a slightly higher angle on the fire, perhaps the water could douse the fire and salvage some of the owner’s property.

  The floor was nothing but plywood and Lana walked gingerly across it testing each step for any weakness before she placed her boot.

  Slowly they inched closer to the office that obviously had a direct stairway up to the roof. Her radio crackled and her captain told her to clear the way for the squad to reach the roof for ventilation.

  Through the smoke and fire, she spied the office door and as she watched she noticed the telltale sign of smoke wafting under the door, then abruptly, being sucked back in.