Page 57 of Flint’s Strike

“We’d like to speak to them as well.” I smile, though my jaw is starting to ache from all the clenching.

“That won’t be necessary. We’ll make copies of everything and forward it to your office later this week.”

Nate straightens his shoulders. “Sergeant?”

Shit. If this idjit knew what that meant, he’d be quaking in his boots right now.

With a tone that can only be described as condescending as fuck, Nate continues, “If the arson investigator ties this fire to the ones we’re working in Round Rock and Cedar Park, your lack of cooperation is going to be a real problem.”

A vein at the sergeant’s temple throbs. “Stay the fuck out of our way.”

I pull a notebook and pen out of my back pocket. “Of course. We wouldn’t want to be a bother, would we, Nate?”

“Perish the thought,” he replies as Thurgood stalks away.

Interviewing witnesses ain’t glamorous work. After an hour, my dress shirt is stuck to my back, my leg is throbbing, and I’ve got one half less than nothing to show for it.

One of the firefighters hustles over to me, a bottle of ice water in each hand. “Captain? You and your partner are lookin’ a little worse for wear.”

I press one to the side of my neck for a moment before cracking the seal. Nate, who I swear wasn’t at my side a second ago, takes the other bottle and drains half of it in a single swallow.

“Is it cliche if I call you a life saver?” he asks.

The firefighter chuckles. “A little. But my ego can always take the boost. You might want to talk to the lady with the goldendoodle sittin’ in the shade over there.” He points across the street where a tall poplar tree blocks the worst of the sun’s rays. “She said she saw somethin’ early this morning.”

“Thanks. For the water and the tip.” I give the brim of my hat a quick tug and glance at Nate. “Field trip?”

He narrows his eyes at me. “On one condition. You sit down for as long as it takes to question her.”

I should object to being handled, but if I show back up at the station lookin’ like five miles of bad road, AJ will blow a gasket and I’ll be on desk duty for a full month. “I want it on record that I’m agreeing because shade gives me a tactical advantage.”

Nate gestures for me to lead the way. The street’s closed off, and only a handful of people have been allowed inside the tape. I only limp a little. I’m calling that a win.

“Ma’am? I’m Captain Elmore and this is Captain Hardison. We’re with the Texas Ranger Division. You wanted to speak with someone?” I ask as I lower myself onto the bench next to her.

“Betty Sue Grishim. This is my Chester.” Her lips curve when she says the dog’s name, and his tail thumps once against the pavement.

The doodle’s fascinated with Nate’s boots, and takes his time sniffing around each one while my partner smiles down at him, a look of nostalgia in his eyes.

Betty Sue peers up at us from under the brim of a well-worn straw hat, fanning herself with a takeout menu. “I wasn’t sure if I ought to say anything. Probably nothin’.” She wrings her hands around the dog’s leash. “My Chester here, he gets me up at five thirty every morning, rain or shine, and I had him out around six. Saw a light on in one of them middle units.” She pauses. “Figured it was just somebody gettin’ an early start. Construction folks keep all kinds of hours.”

“Did you see anyone go in or out?” Nate asks, reaching down to give Chester a scratch behind the ears.

Betty Sue shakes her head. “Just the light. Was on when we passed, gone when we came back around.” She peers across the street at the building. “It was probably nothin’. But…”

“Do you remember which unit?” I point to the six windows, only two of which are still intact.

“Third one from the left. We were all the way across the street, so I didn’t get a good look at it. You know those construction guys…working all hours of the day and night. I thought it was nothin’.”

“You never know when nothin’ will turn into somethin’. Thank you, Ms. Grishim.”

Before we can return to the crowd, Thurgood decides to test his luck again, planting himself directly in our path. “I’m gonna need you to hold off on any other interviews until we’re done here.”

Nate tilts his head. “Are you?”

I push a few strands of hair behind my ear. “Sergeant, you’ve got two bodies and a serial arson case that’s about to land on the front page of every paper in Austin. The moment this becomes a joint investigation—and it will—every decision made at this scene today gets reviewed. Every one.” I hold his gaze. “You want to be the sergeant who cooperated, or the one who didn’t?”

“Captain Vern is gonna hear about this,” he snaps.