The Fire Report
Chapter 09 - The Fire Report
Captain Cole reopened the fire investigation officially.
Raymond was dead.
But truth still mattered.
Investigators examined archived photographs.
A retired fire inspector remembered something.
The garage fire had been small initially.
Margaret might have escaped.
But an interior door had been jammed.
Someone had placed a heavy tool chest against it from the garage side.
Claire felt sick.
"Raymond trapped her?"
"We can't prove intent."
Cole remained cautious.
"He may have moved it during the argument."
"But she couldn't get out."
"That appears possible."
William was questioned.
For hours.
Eventually he admitted Raymond called him before emergency services were notified.
"How long before?" Claire asked.
Cole hesitated.
"Nineteen minutes."
Claire stared.
Nineteen minutes.
Her mother might have been alive.
William had spent those minutes trying to understand what Raymond had done.
Trying to decide whether to protect his brother.
Trying to protect himself.
Then he finally called 911 anonymously.
Claire couldn't forgive that.
Not yet.
William was charged with obstruction related to the original investigation.
Because of the years that had passed, prosecutors faced limitations.
But the financial fraud Margaret discovered opened another investigation.
William agreed to cooperate.
He surrendered documents.
Accounts.
Property.
The Bennett company collapsed.
Claire expected to feel satisfaction.
Instead, she felt empty.
Rebecca found her sitting outside the courthouse.
"You wanted the truth."
Claire nodded.
"Why doesn't it feel better?"
"Because truth isn't pain medication."
Rebecca sat beside her.
"It doesn't always make things hurt less."
"Then what does it do?"
"It gives you something real to build on."
Claire thought about Sophie.
Daniel.
Her mother.
For years, Claire's life had been built on a story someone else chose for her.
May you like
Maybe rebuilding would hurt.
But at least this time, the foundation would be hers.
