Glancing over at Devin, she wondered what was on his mind. He hadn't said a word since they'd left his building. Maybe he was just focusing on their upcoming meeting. She really hoped it would be productive.
As they stopped at a traffic light, she said, "This is a charming street, one of my favorites in San Francisco."
"It's not bad," he admitted.
"Your office is in an old Victorian house-how much more charming could you get?"
He tipped his head. "I got lucky. A friend of mine owns the place. He had to move to New York and was looking for a tenant. He gave me a deal. As you know, this area is pricey."
She nodded. The clothing boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants on union Street were definitely upscale. "You are lucky. Rents are high and apartments are scarce around here." She took off her sweater as a wave of heat ran through her. "I can't believe it's this warm in April. Spring has definitely arrived. I hope the good weather lasts for my sister's wedding."
"Where is she getting married?"
"At a chapel in the Presidio with the reception in a nearby hall, which will be packed."
"With all those Callaways," he said.
"And friends. Lots and lots of friends." As they neared the restaurant, she added, "Speaking of Callaways, there's Emma."
Emma sat at an outdoor café table and got to her feet as they arrived. She looked a lot better than she had earlier that morning, no signs of tears or drama. She also looked official in her SFFD uniform, reminding Kate that this was very much a business lunch.
After introducing Emma and Devin, Kate sat down between them, leaving Devin and Emma to face each other. So far, they'd both been polite but also restrained.
"Have you two met before?" Kate asked.
"No," Emma said. "As you know, Mr. Scott is not a popular person in my office."
"You can call me Devin," he said. "And I'm very aware of my unpopularity. I'm just trying to help your office catch a homicidal arsonist."
"My office believes we already did that," Emma returned.
"Then how do you explain the fire at St. Bernadette's on Monday?"
"Student vandals."
Devin rolled his eyes. "That's easy."
"It's also true that most fires at schools are started by juveniles. Kids like to mess with matches."
"Is that how you want to play this conversation?" Devin challenged. "I thought you were interested in actually having a discussion."
Emma frowned at his answer. "If I wasn't interested, I wouldn't be here."
"Okay," Kate said loudly. "I don't think we've gotten off on the right foot. We all have the same goal. We all want to stop anyone else from getting hurt. We can agree on that, can't we?"
Devin folded his arms across his chest but gave a nod. Emma did the same.
"Good. Let's talk about the fire at St. Bernadette's. Was there anything found at the scene, any evidence that wasn't reported in the news?"
"St. Bernadette's was not my case," Emma said. "But I did look at the file before I came here. The fire was started with gasoline-soaked rags in a Dumpster that was moved about twenty-five feet from its original position."
"What was the original location?" Devin asked quickly.
"By the cafeteria. The Dumpster was pushed against the wall underneath the counseling office. A brick was thrown through the window and a lit rag followed. The fire alarms went off and the fire was extinguished fairly quickly. Damage was limited to the counseling office and the Dumpster."
"Was there anything found at the scene?" Devin asked.
"Nothing of significance," Emma replied.
"What about a St. Christopher's medal?"
"Why would you ask?"
"A St. Christopher's medal was found at three other fire scenes."
"Have you looked at the photos from the scene?" Kate asked.
"Not in any detail," Emma said. "I didn't see mention of a St. Christopher's medal in the report."
"Would you look at the photos again?" Kate asked. "If there is a medal there, it should be noted as being relevant to the pattern of the other fires." She paused. "Was the Dumpster full? Would it have been too heavy for one person to move?"
"It wasn't full. There had been a garbage pickup earlier that day. And I think it was on wheels," Emma said. "It probably wouldn't have been difficult to move."
"What does the school have to say?" Devin asked.
"Interviews were conducted with the janitorial service, who were the last people at the school. The fire was started after midnight. There were no witnesses. There's an apartment building next to the school, but none of the neighbors saw anything."
"So there's not much to go on," Kate said.
"There's never much to go on when it comes to arson. It's the one crime where the evidence is destroyed in the process of the crime," Emma said.
"How do you do it? How do you not lose your mind with so many unsolved crimes?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"I try to focus on the ones I can solve." Emma looked at Devin. "The department is not trying to stand in your way, but the case was closed, and we have limited resources. We have to work on active investigations."
"The case is active again. St. Bernadette's was the beginning of a new trio of fires," he said.
"Have you read through the files on the other fires that Devin is referring to?" Kate asked.
"Not completely. I've seen some of them, but not all. I know there's a lack of agreement as to which fires fit the pattern Devin has come up with."
"It's pretty compelling," Kate said. "I took a picture of the map he's created. I'll text it to both of you, so we can talk about it."
Before they could discuss the map, the waiter appeared. They took a moment to order drinks and lunch and then went back to their phones.
"As you can see there's a distinct pattern to the fires," Devin said. "The circle is unfinished, and I believe that's where the arsonist will strike again. Since the second fire has always been set at a community or social recreation center, I've made up a list of potential targets."
"Send me that, too," Emma said, her brows drawing together as she studied the phone. "This looks like something, but what is it?"
"A peace sign," Kate put in.
"Whoa, you're right. That's odd."
"It also shows premeditation. The locations of the fires are being carefully chosen and executed to the pattern." Kate paused. "The arsonist isn't done."
"If the arsonist didn't die in the fire along with your partner, then how do you explain the man's presence at the scene?" Emma asked Devin. "It's my understanding that he was not the owner, nor a tenant, nor anyone who had any link to that house. So how did he get caught up in the fire?"
"I don't know yet," Devin said. "We talked to his coworkers, his friends, his neighbors, but no one could tell us why he was there. In fact, no one could tell us much of anything. Rick Baines was a twenty-six-year-old loner. He went to community college for a couple of years but never finished. He worked at a gym and lived in an apartment with four other guys who said they weren't friends; Rick had just answered an ad a few weeks earlier and moved in."
"He also wanted to be a firefighter. He'd applied and was rejected a few weeks before your partner was killed. Put that with everything else you just told me, and Rick Baines looks like the arsonist," Emma said.
Devin sighed. "Except he wasn't. That's exactly what Sam was trying to tell me. She said the profile was wrong. It wasn't what we thought. I don't know how or why Rick Baines was in that house, but I know he's not the one-or he's not the only one-who set that fire."
Kate looked at Devin in surprise. "You didn't say that before. You didn't say you thought Baines had a partner or that more than one person set the fire."
"I don't have evidence, just a gut instinct. Because as Emma pointed out, there has to be a reason why Baines was in that house with Sam. He's linked to the arsonist, but I don't know how."
"Or," Emma began, "it's possible that the fire at St. Bernadette's is a copycat crime. Not that I'm saying I don't still think it was vandals, but arsonists can sometimes have a mutual admiration society. They're fascinated with fire. They like each other's work. Sometimes they show up at fires to see what someone else did."
"That's creepy," Kate said. "You're telling me that arsonists have fans or groupies?"
Emma nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying. Some of them listen to scanners. They follow the police and fire trucks to the scene. I know there were some individuals who showed up at some of the fires Devin has been tracking, but none of them were proven to be guilty."