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Mike and Liv crouched by some of the burnt remains, examining the wreckage. Liv turned to him. “Any initial thoughts?”
Mike furrowed his brow. “Based on the burn patterns and the way the structure collapsed, I'd say it likely began in the rear corner of the building. The flames spread quickly, which suggests an accelerant.”
Liv nodded, jotting down notes in her notebook. “I agree. Looks like we have another arson.”
“Yeah,” Mike sighed. “We just need to confirm it.”
As they continued their examination, Liv noticed a strange shape in the debris. She motioned to Mike. “Over here. I think I see something.”
They carefully cleared away some of the debris, and a charred body revealed itself. The carnage was barely recognizable. “Damn it,” Liv cried. “Looks like we've got a fatality here. I’ll call it in.” Her voice went over the radio, sealing the scene. She caught Jackson and Turk looking in her direction.
Mike nodded, his expression solemn. “Let's secure the scene and preserve any evidence we can find.”
As they awaited the arrival of the other investigators, Mike and Liv shot more pictures and took samples from the area. This investigation had just taken a very dark and unsettling turn.
Molly Everhart walked over to where Mike and Liv were standing. “You’re a jinx to my sex life. I had a dance competition with a new partner today.”
“Give me your calendar. I’ll ask the bodies to only show up on a workday,” Liv said sarcastically.
Molly slid on a pair of gloves and started to work the scene. Her assistant shot pictures as Molly circled the body like she was running laps.
Liv smiled. “She’s thinking. Watch for smoke,” she warned Mike.
“I heard that. Body is in the same position as the other two. Arms bent and curled from the fire,” Molly noted. “Let’s see if we have another gift.”
As she and her assistant scooped the remains into the body bag, Liv slowly knelt at the edge of the pit where the body had lain. She ran her gloved hand through the area where the corpse’s heart would have been. “Shit.” She found another glass vial with an etched phoenix. “Mike.” She held it up for him to see.
His lips pressed together. “Liv, we have a problem.”
“Mol, I need you to push the investigation. Until we know who the dead are…” Liv’s voice drifted off. She looked up and caught the dark expression on Jackson’s face. She wondered if he was thinking of the next possible fire.
* * *
Liz entered her apartment and headed straight for the bathroom, where she peeled off her smoke-scented clothing with a groan. Her body was covered in bruises. “Fire School and a real fire.” She winced as she saw the extent of the damage.
After turning on the shower, she let the warm water cascade over her, washing away the grime and soot from her body. She winced some more as the stream hit the bruises.
As the water washed away the physical residue of the night, her mind went into overdrive. Her gut told her there was more of a connection between the three dead than the glass vials. She lathered her hair with shampoo, letting her thoughts swirl as she tried to make sense of the evidence they'd found. “Another phoenix vial.”
Wrapped in a towel, Liz stepped out of the shower and threw on a tee shirt and yoga pants. She needed to connect the dots, but her bed was calling. She folded back the covers and slipped into the sheet’s embrace. Her eyes closed.
Ten
Friday, October 13th
Liv, exhausted from the last day of fire school, grabbed a coffee with a double shot of espresso and headed to the dingy basement of the town clerk’s office. She pored over the dusty property records that detailed the history of the first Waverly estate, the old theater and restaurant. Her fingers traced the faded lines on the brittle pages as she delved deeper into the past, trying to unearth the connection between them. The records were a maze of names, dates, and deeds, a history that went back more than a century.
As she uncovered the ownership history, Liv's heart quickened when she found the mention of the Waverly family on the deeds of all three. Were the town’s founders the key to understanding the puzzle? She wrote a note to dig deeper into their history.
With a sigh, Liv gathered her findings and decided to seek some answers elsewhere. She knew Molly might know more about the three dead by now. Perhaps their identities and the circumstances of their deaths would provide a lead.
* * *
Liv strode into the ME's office unannounced, chased by her secretary. Molly gave her a bemused look and said with a touch of sarcasm, “Well, well, well, if it isn't the Detective of the Year gracing me with her presence. What brings you here today?” She also thanked her secretary.
Liv, used to her sister's playful banter, offered a wry smile. “I might need you to complete your job and ID the bodies I found.”
Molly leaned back in her chair, her expression growing more serious. “The first body, from the pit at the Waverly estate, is Robert Kendrick, a former town attorney.”
