Katy wrapped her arms around Trinity as she stared at Victoria’s smoking home.

The home didn’t look too bad from the outside. The fire had been put out quickly. There was probably more smoke and water damage inside the home than anything else. Thank goodness there were companies that specialized in cleaning up that sort of mess.

It’s just a house. Things can be replaced.

She sucked in a deep breath.

The firemen had made a disaster in the front yard, which had already been a swamp from the constant rains. Smoke scarred the outside walls where it had poured out the front window. Bulky shadows of men moved inside while others tramped in and out of the home, putting away their equipment.

A small crowd had gathered in the street, under the protection of the giant firs, avoiding the pounding rain. Katy had run to her house and returned with three oversized umbrellas, standard equipment for life in Portland.

Seth held one over his and Victoria’s heads, his other arm wrapped around her shoulders, watching the movements of the firemen. “What a fucking mess,” he muttered.

She nodded. It was an understatement. How long would it take to get her house back to livable shape? How would they remove the scent of smoke?

“They said something containing an accelerant had been thrown through the window. It was deliberate,” Seth added.

Victoria numbly nodded again. “Arson” was the word on everyone’s lips now. The firemen hadn’t let her in the house yet. They’d promised she could go in to collect a few things soon. Would any of her clothes be wearable? Katy had immediately informed her she’d be staying with them. In a mind fog, she’d agreed.

As if she could sleep tonight.

What a horrible day. For all of them. A deep shudder sped through her body, and Seth pulled her closer. “Cold?” he asked.

“Yes.” It was a good enough reason. Seth was like a furnace. She could feel his body heat seep through his coat and into hers, warming her skin. She needed more of it. Most of her body was freezing. Even her brain felt like it’d been lightly coated with ice; it was numb. Watching Seth pound on the door of the burning home had raised a level of alarm in her that she’d never experienced. He hadn’t been in much danger, but seeing him run toward the fire as she stayed back had ripped a raw spot on her heart.

She’d wanted to keep him safe. And the lack of control over the situation hadn’t sat well with her. She’d been shaking by the time he’d returned from investigating the back of the home. While he’d been out of her sight and she’d spoken with the 911 operator, she’d never felt so powerless.

What was he doing to her? Part of her wanted to shove his arm off her shoulders, while the other half of her wanted to burrow deep into his coat and hide her face, pretending nothing bad was happening.

He pulled out his phone and started subtly taking pictures of the people who were watching.

“What are you doing?” she whispered. She had a hunch, but why didn’t he leave it to the investigators?

“Fire starters like to see their handiwork,” he stated. “I haven’t noticed anyone else shooting the crowd yet. Why wait? I’ll offer the pictures later.”

Three police cars and two fire trucks blocked her street. Not many people were gawking. It was about the number she’d expect on her quiet street at one in the morning. Several people were headed back into their homes. The excitement over for the night.

“If I was setting a fire, I wouldn’t stand and watch where someone could notice me.”

“They like to try to blend into the crowds. We had a serial firebug two years ago in Sacramento.” He pressed his lips into a tight line, and Victoria wondered how many burned bodies he’d dealt with.

“It started off with empty buildings and rapidly escalated. I spent some time reading up on what makes these guys tick.”

“I’ve never understood the appeal.”

“It’s control and excitement factors. With the single act of lighting a match, they can regulate events that aren’t normally controlled. They manage to orchestrate the fire, the exciting arrival of the loud fire engines, the creation of the fascinated crowds, and the thrill of the destruction. At first they’re satisfied with property destruction. But many move on to destruction of life. They get a taste of the excitement and need to feed it. It takes more and more to satisfy their needs.”

“Christ. It’s like a serial killer who can’t stop killing.”

“Very similar. Sometimes there’s even a sexual release that comes with seeing their power—”

“That’s enough.” Victoria cut him off. She didn’t need to hear about that aspect. She had enough on her mind.

Seth raised a brow at her. “Too much for you?”

“No. Some things I don’t need to research. I work in the ME’s office, I hear enough about the deviants out there. And see some of their results.”

“It’s really a fascinating area of study.”

“I’m good. Thanks. I’ll stick to bones.” She sought for a topic change and glanced at the dwindling crowd. “I think most of these people are my neighbors.”

“You think?”

“I haven’t met everyone. And even the ones I have, I don’t recognize unless they’re standing in front of their house. Occasionally someone will greet me in the grocery store, and I’ll be totally lost about how I know them.”

“She’s getting better. Didn’t know anyone for the first year she was here.” A new voice entered their conversation. “Everyone okay? No one got hurt?”