Chap. 2

Three days later...

Mimi walked through her door exhausted. She had been in meetings all day and had just come from a business dinner that had ran from dinner to drinks after and now she was just getting home at 2 a.m. Never mind that she had a 8 o'clock meeting with the shareholders in the morning. Oh well, at least she could get a few hours of sleep in.

Ever since the launch of the catalogue, she and Jan had been swamped. They were constantly in meetings and press junkets. Most of their inventory had just arrived and was being stored in the warehouse, since that's were most of the orders would be shipped out of.
*****

He walked around the building trying to find the window he had opened earlier. He crawled in and gazed about the warehouse. He shook with excitement. In his hands, he held the power to destroy it all.
He picked up the heavy canister of gasoline and covered the wooden floor with it, soaking it. He glance up at the smoke alarms and pitiful sprinklers. He had taken care of those. There would be no stopping this fire. Not tonight.
Tonight this fire would cleanse the dirty souls of those who owned this business. Soon, he would cleanse them too.
****

The phone rang, waking Mimi out of her all too short slumber. "'lo?"
Mimi heard the frantic voice of her night watchman Joe. "Ms. Lockhart? Sweet mother of God, it's gone. The warehouse is on fire!"
Mimi sat straight up in bed. Her heart frozen in her throat. "What did you say?"
"It's on fire, the warehouse is burning down! I called the fire department and they are on the way. I got out in time, but the building-it won't be saved."
"I'll be right there." Mimi jumped out of bed and grabbed her coat. She flew to her car, calling Jan on the way there.

The two women stood there, watching together as their dream burned to the ground. Mimi stood stone silent. No emotion crossed her face.
Jan was another story. The curly headed girl shook with sobs. She turned her tear stained face toward Mimi. Mimi snapped out of her trance and put her arm around Jan. The girls comforted one another.

Jason pulled up to the scene. He got out of his car and leaned against the door. It was a b!tch of a fire, that was for sure. He could tell that Salem's capable fire department had the blaze contained. He pulled his boots out of the trunk and stepped in them with practiced ease. He sat his battered helmet on the hood of the car and shrugged into the heavy black fireman's jacket.
Hawk spotted him and made his way to Jason. "Hey, what's happenin?"
Jason shrugged, "Getting ready for work."
Hawk grinned, "Right. Hell of a fire here, huh?"
Jason nodded in agreement.
"It was women's panties."
Jason looked at Hawk confused, "Huh?"
Hawk grinned again, "In the warehouse. Women's panties. Unlock Your Heart."
Jason grinned, "Good catalogue."

Hawk went back to the fire site and Jason surveyed the crowd. There was always a crowd at fires. Any tragedy really. Human nature to be drawn to anguish. Then he saw her. She was standing with her back to him, with another woman. She looked out of place. Her hair was piled messily atop her head and a black trench coat concealed the rest of her from him. She turned slightly and he saw a small tank top and little shorts.
Her friend had a mass of curly hair cascading down her back and looked as if she had run there from sleep. Cartoon pajama pants and a t-shirt. She shivered in the night air. There was something familiar about the girls. Jason pushed it out of his mind. It was time to go to work.

Philip drove by the pier, on his way home from Titan. He had fallen asleep at his desk. A habit he had recently picked up. There was nothing like going home to an empty house. He saw the smoke before he came upon the blaze. "Holy Jesus! It's Jan and Mimi's building."
Philip leaped out of his Mercedes convertible and ran into the crowd. He pushed people out of his way, looking for either of his two friends. Finally he spotted them.
"Mimi, Jan!"
They both turned at the sound of his voice. Mimi spoke first, "Philip. What are you doing here?"
Before he could answer, Jan pushed herself into his arms. She sobbed against his neck. Philip looked over her shoulder at Mimi. "I was driving home and saw the fire. Oh God, Mimi. I'm so sorry." Philip felt Jan shiver against him. He took off his Armani trench and wrapped Jan in it. Jan nestled back against him.

Mimi stopped one of the firemen. "Do you know how this happened?" The fireman looked at her, "Look lady, I just put them out. You want cause, ask him." The fireman pointed in the direction of a group of men.
"And he would be?" Mimi asked confused.
"That guy right there, Jason Welles, Arson Inspector."