“You ok?” I ask.
“Yeah. I just need some fresh air for a second away from you smoke-induced assholes,” he says, excusing himself to sit with the driver by the window.
“Did everyone hear the same thing about the thin woman with a blonde tail?” A rookie asks, hoping to demonstrate initiative.
“Tail? Is she a pony?” I say.
“I don’t know what they call it- the hair in a hair tie thing at the back of the head. You know what I mean!” The rookie defends himself.
To be honest, he shows decent potential.
“Yeah. I got the same report a few times,” I confirm.
He appears to take pride in my affirmation. Does that mean people respect my opinion around here? It almost makes me wish I didn’t acknowledge it. What if it leads to Emma’s arrest?
Even more confusing than my sexuality, I try to understand why Emma might go through with it. I have to admit that the pieces fit together a little too snugly.
Growing up with the Captain as her father, Emma knows their jurisdiction, and she knows just as much about starting fires as putting them out. She also likes to create chaos.
I stop my thoughts. Emma likes wild sex and drinking a bit, but she doesn’t harm anything or anybody. She doesn’t have it in her (I don’t think).
Who could the arsonist be then? Nothing seems to make sense.
When we arrive back at the station, I walk alongside the Captain.
“So do we label it arson again?” I ask.
“It fits the M.O.,” the Captain acknowledges.
The rookie rushes past us high off his first tip.
“Do you think the hot blonde tail lady likes firemen? Maybe she’ll take out her anger on me next time instead of an abandoned house,” he jests with another rookie.
I can see the Captain jolt a bit.
“Maybe we don’t label it arson quite yet,” he suggests.
Did the Captain share my suspicions?