* * *
Seth slammed on the brakes a block away from Dan’s house and jumped from the car. Fire trucks and police cars blocked the middle of the street, and he zigzagged through the obstacle course they created as he raced toward the burning house.
He stumbled when his foot struck a fire hose, slamming him against the side of a hook and ladder fire truck parked next to the curb. Taking a deep breath, he pushed back to his feet and ran toward Dan’s front yard.
Smoke poured from the burning building, and he stopped in the driveway of the house next door to survey the scene. In spite of the valiant efforts the Memphis firemen were waging, it was evident there was no way this house could be saved. At that moment the roof gave way and crashed to the ground.
Seth scanned the gathered crowd, but he couldn’t spot Callie anywhere. Captain Wilson stood in a group of firefighters a few feet away, and he moved over to them. The captain acknowledged his arrival with a nod. “Can you believe this?” he said.
Seth shook his head. “How much more is going to happen to Dan and Callie tonight?”
The captain exhaled a deep breath. “I don’t know. This is the busiest night we’ve had in a long time, and a lot of what’s happened has centered on Dan.”
“I know.” Seth glanced around the bystanders. “Where is Callie? I don’t see her anywhere.”
Captain Wilson pointed toward his cruiser, which sat about halfway down the block. “She’s in my car. Of course she was wearing her robe and pajamas and wasn’t able to save any of her clothes. I told her to sit in there until we could figure out what to do.”
“I’ll go check on her. Maybe I can help.”
Captain Wilson nodded. “Thanks.”
Seth jogged down the street and stopped at the squad car parked there. He opened the front door and leaned in on the driver’s side. Callie sat huddled against the front passenger side door, her head resting against the back of the seat.
“Callie, are you all right?”
She opened her eyes and sat up straighter. “Seth, what are you doing here? You should be home getting some rest.”
He shook his head, climbed in the car and closed the door. “Captain Wilson called me when he got here, and I rushed right over. I wanted to check on you. How did you get out of the house?”
“The way Uncle Dan taught me when I was a child. Out my window, across the garage roof and down the drainpipe to the ground. I used to get tired of him making me practice, but now I’m glad he did. Otherwise I might be burned to a crisp in that house.”
“Do you know how the fire started?”
She gave a wry chuckle. “Well, it wasn’t faulty wiring, that’s for sure.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I’m sure the firemen have already discovered the smell of accelerant in the flames.”
His eyes grew wide. “Are you saying the fire was set deliberately?”
“Yes.”
For the next few minutes Seth listened as Callie related what had happened after he’d left her at the house. His heart sank when she described the flames racing across the entry and how she’d had to leap over some of them to get to the staircase. When she’d finished, she directed a somber stare at him.