Chapter 3

I felt the first tear slide down my cheek and soon they were coming thick and fast.

I didn't even hear the door open and click shut. I did feel someone's hand on my shoulder though, I whipped my head up and came face to face with Sam, she was looking rather awkward and embarrassed but it was nothing to how I felt. My cheeks flushed red as I hurriedly wiped the tears off my face.

"Are you ok?" she murmured, her hand still hesitantly on my shoulder.

I nodded, "Fine" I muttered. She raised her eyebrow as if to say, I don't think so, people who are fine don't tend to sit crying in deserted briefing rooms. She was right of course.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked. I shook my head. "Ok, well the DCI asked me to come and find you, do you want me to say that I can't or do want me to tell him you'll be there in ten minutes?"

"Tell him I'll be there in five" I muttered.

She nodded and left the room. I dried my eyes again and I headed towards the bathroom to splash some water on my face and wash the salty tears off.

Five minutes later I knocked on the DCI's door, "You wanted to see me sir?" I asked. He nodded and smiled. "Thanks for coming Jo, I wanted to be the one to tell you." He took a deep breath and bit his lip. "Jo, there was a fire at your house this morning, we managed to get Tessa out with nothing more than a scratch or two and smoke inhalation but your house is rather damaged. I have organised for you to have the rest of the day off and I have asked Sam to drive you over there, ok" I nodded not knowing what to say. A fire! I wonder how that started? I was glad that Tessa was ok but if this was some sort of attention getter so I would take her back it wasn't going to work. I headed out the door and ran into Sam, apparently Jack hadn't told her what had happened. "So, why are we going to your house?" she asked. She seemed to be trying to be nice.

"It was on fire," I muttered not bothering to sugar-coat it. Her eyes widened but she didn't say anything and for that I was glad. We pulled up outside the perimeter and I flashed my warrant card getting them to let me pass. Sam followed me and I looked up to my house. The front was terribly blackened and the widows were non-existent. I could see the sodden remnants of curtains hanging at the windows and it was almost too bleak to look at. I heard someone calling my name and turned to see Tessa sitting in the ambulance. She had an oxygen mask on and her face and clothes were covered in soot. I walked over slowly, keeping my hands in my pockets so she couldn't see how clenched they were. She pulled off her mask and smiled hopefully. "Jo, thank God you're here. I was so —so scared" she murmured holding her arms out for a hug.

"I'm glad you're ok Tess" I murmured looking down at the ground. She dropped her hands and I could see the look of hurt on her face through the corner of my eye.

"You're still mad," she murmured.

"What did you expect" I spat back.

She was silent for a minute, "I thought you might give me another chance, I hoped you would give me another chance."

"Do you think you deserve another chance?"

"No, I know I don't"

"Well there you go then"

"Jo, please, I love you" Tessa pleaded with me.

"If you loved me you wouldn't have been sleeping with someone else." I spat and gave her one last look before I walked back towards the house. Sam was talking to the head fireman and when she saw me she thanked him and walked over.

"Is she ok?" she asked coldly. I knew she didn't like Tess but at least she was asking.

"Physically" I muttered. Sam raised her eyebrow. I didn't feel like elaborating though. "What did the fireman say?" I asked

Sam sighed, "He says it was arson Jo, do you know of anyone who might want to hurt you or Tessa?"

"Was there an accelerant?" I asked.

"Yeah, some sort of industrial oil" Sam muttered.

I nodded "Makes sense" I muttered and I wandered off and pulled out my phone. I rang Gary's number and he picked up saying, "Hey Jo, what's up?" he must have seen caller ID

"Hey Gary, umm I was just wondering if you could do a check for me."

"Sure, name?"

"Tessa Daniels" I answered. I heard the punching of keys and felt a little guilty but that was banished when Gary spoke again.

"No Tessa, but there is a Theresa Daniels, curly light brown hair, brown eyes? Hang on I'll send her photo to your phone" there was a minute or two of waiting then there was a beep from my phone. I opened the photo and felt the pit of my stomach sink deeper. It was Tessa but Gary had said her name was Theresa. My phone started ringing and I answered it.

"Is that her?" Gary asked.

"Yeah, that's her" I muttered, "What's her rap sheet like?"

"Rather impressive, shoplifting, possession, arson–"

"Arson?" I asked alarmed.

"Yeah, set fire to her boyfriend's house when he broke up with her. Used industrial oil. That was back in ninety-two" Gary answered.

"Ok, thanks Gazza" I murmured and hung up. I turned around and I saw Tessa –Theresa sitting in the ambulance. I couldn't arrest her I knew that, I turned around again to see if I could see Sam. She was sitting on the front wall of my house, looking down at the ground. I walked over to her slowly and I knew what was going to happen, if Tes–Theresa guessed who Sam was she would start mouthing off about how I felt about Sam. But frankly I didn't care, maybe if she heard it from someone else she would listen, after all she wouldn't talk to me. She looked up as I approached and she smiled slightly, "Do you want to go check out the damage?" she asked. I hadn't thought about that yet. "The firemen said it's safe now" Sam murmured.

I smiled, "You want to come?" she nodded and got up, Sam followed me up the front stairs and into my house, any other circumstances and I would only be to happy to have her in here but as it was, well everything was sodden and burnt. She followed me through the living room and the kitchen back to the hall and along the corridor to my room. "This is where they said the fire started." Sam murmured. I nodded. Everything was ruined, I saw a pile of rags that were probably my clothes on the middle of the bed. I turned around to see Sam had gone into the walk in closet to see what the damage was in there. "It doesn't seem to be so bad in here, and there are some clothes on the hangers, are they yours?" I headed into the closet and looked around. I saw that a lot of my things were still intact, that was good. It wasn't a very big closet and as I turned to survey the rest or the damage I came face to face with Sam. I felt my heart pick up speed and I knew this was my last opportunity. I stepped closer to her and she looked at me. She had been leaning against the back wall where the mirror was and there was nowhere for her to go. Our bodies were so close and I could see this was having an effect on her too. For a moment I just stared then it was like I was outside my body watching myself move in and push my lips against Sam's for the second time in twenty-four hours. I didn't think it was possible but it felt better than the first time, electric shocks running up my spine and when she responded, her hands moving up to my shoulders and around my neck, electric sensations rippling over my skin where she touched. I couldn't get enough of this gorgeous woman in front of me. And it seemed she couldn't get enough of me because she was pulling me closer, kissing me harder. One of her hands moved down, trailing along my chest to my waist and running up inside my cardigan. Her smooth nails dug in gently and I gasped, my leg pushing in between hers and making her moan. I was completely aware of my senses now and I wasn't going to push Sam away a second time. She grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me away, for a moment I thought that she didn't want this. Sam smiled and pressed her lips against mine gently then she called out, "Yeah we're in here" the fire man opened the door and grinned cheerfully, "What can you find to do in here?" he asked chuckling, you've been in here almost twenty minutes"

"We're packing up Jo's things, she's coming to stay with me" Sam answered smoothly while I just gaped.

The fireman nodded and smiled at me, "It's good to have friends around you when this happens isn't it?" and he turned around, apparently he didn't notice that none of the stuff was packed up. "Your place?" I asked rounding on Sam as he left the room. My voice was joking but I really couldn't believe that she had said this, it was just too nice.

"Mmhmm, you didn't think I was going to let you go to a B&B did you?" Sam asked, her voice was light but I could see that she was nervous about this. Sam had grabbed another holdall off the top shelf and she was shoving clothes into it. She managed to fit all the clothes that were left into the bag then she turned to me, I still had my mouth open, I couldn't believe what a turn around she had done.

"You coming?" she asked

"Erm –I've kissed you twice in twenty-four hours, aren't you worried about…" I trailed off unsure of how to phrase what I wanted to say nicely.

Sam grinned and leaned towards me conspiratorially, "I'm counting on it" she whispered grinning and she turned around and left leaving me gaping. I only stood there for a few moments before my brain registered the smell of smoke again and I hurried out after Sam. When we got outside I could see that the medics were having some trouble and I tapped Sam on the shoulder, "Can we just see what's going on?" I asked. I saw a look of hurt flash across her face and it looked like she was losing her control on her emotions as it stayed there longer than it had the first time. I put my hand on her shoulder, "It's over between me and Tess, I ended it last night when I found her in bed with someone else and frankly I would have probably ended it anyway. The relationship has been stale for a while now and you gave me the kick in the pants I needed to get out of there." I told her and a look of surprise crossed her face as though she couldn't believe I had read her thoughts so accurately. I continued on not wanting to keep anything from Sam, "When Jack told me about the house –I thought it might have been her and after they ruled it arson…I called Gary to get him to check something for me…" I trailed off just realising how much Tessa had betrayed me, I didn't even know her real name. I felt the tears start rolling down my cheek and Sam shoved me towards the wall and made me sit down. As she pulled me into another hug I wondered what had I ever done without her, God what was I thinking, I wasn't even sure we were a couple yet and…stopping this train of thought right now. I decided it would be best to plough on and get it over with, "Turns out I didn't know her at all…her name's not even Tessa, it's Theresa, and I'm sure she was the one who set fire to the house. She's got a record for it"

"Oh my God, Jo….I'm sorry –I know how hard this must be for you…" I knew what Sam was trying to say.

"I can't arrest her, can you?"

She nodded understanding completely. She gave me one last hug and headed over to the ambulance.