David strode into the fire inspection office and rang the bell at the front desk. An older, portly man ambled out. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for John Gage." David told him.

"Hold on, I'll go get him." The man ambled back, and David could just hear the man's voice in addition to John's. Soon enough John came out, greeting David with a nod.

"Hey, John." David nodded in response, sliding the photo across the desk. "Found something on this photo, and I was hoping you'd be able to blow it up for me."

"Might be able to do that." John answered, taking the photo and studying it. "What're you looking for?"

"There's something on the bottom of that sculpture." David explained. "We're thinking maybe it's a clue."

John arched an eyebrow skeptically before he let out a short huff. "Come on back. Let's see what I can do with it."

John let David through, and David followed John to his office. He pulled something from his desk and put it to his eye, leaning over to study the picture for a long moment, his brows knitting together in a frown before he stood up, shaking his head.

He opened his desk drawer again, finding another eyepiece and repeating the process. Finally, he handed it to David. "Maybe you can tell what it is."

David put the eyepiece to his eye and studied the photograph. It didn't look like much of anything to him, either. He stood up with a long sigh, handing the eyepiece back to John. "Yeah, doesn't look like anything to me, either. Dammit."

"Sorry." John seemed to study David carefully. "Still nothing, huh?"

David plopped down in the chair. "Nothing. Went to talk to Martha…Mrs. Hawthorne today, and her son-in-law tried to tell her that no, her husband had already donated it, basically trying to say she was crazy. So of course, me and Maddie got to thinking, well, maybe Mister Hawthorne didn't die in the fire."

John put the eyepiece back in the drawer and took a seat, frowning thoughtfully. "I mean, it's possible. That body was in pretty bad shape when the rescue crew found it."

"You think maybe someone set the fire to cover up the murder?"

"It happens pretty frequently." John answered with a nod. "In this case, it was kind of hard to tell just from the burn pattern if it was set intentionally. If it was, someone was pretty damn clever about it."

David remembered reading over the report. "Your report was inconclusive."

"That's right." John replied. "Doesn't mean the fire wasn't set intentionally, but we couldn't find any solid evidence that it absolutely had been."

David shifted and leaned forward. "So, it's possible that someone used the sculpture to knock out Mister Hawthorne, set the fire to cover it up, then came back for the sculpture."

"Anything's possible." John pointed out. "Criminals can be remarkably creative."

"Yeah, yeah they can." David murmured half to himself. "Man, just when I think I've seen it all…well, hey, thanks again."

"Sure." John rose to meet David. "And listen, if I can help out in any way, let me know."

"You've done plenty, thanks." David told him.

As John escorted David out to the lobby, he remembered the other reason he'd come to see John. "Hey, uh, one more thing."

John smiled at that. " Columbo, right?"

"Oh, you're funny." David scoffed. "Nah, it's about Maddie."

John regarded him skeptically. "What about Maddie?"

"She's a nice lady, okay?" David told him. "Real classy, you know? Probably not like the other girls you're used to."

John scowled at that. "I don't think I like what you're trying to say."

David quickly realized he'd offended the man. "I just…look, if you're gonna do anything with her, just be good to her. That's all."

"Well, yeah, of course I will." John seemed thoroughly baffled. "I like Maddie. She's, uh, she's pretty special."

"Yeah, she is." David replied more sharply than he intended. "Thanks for your help."

"Sure."

David left the fire inspection office with the distinct feeling that he was right back where he started in more ways than one.

# # #

Johnny returned home that evening, puzzling over his conversation with David. Had he unintentionally stepped on David's toes by asking Maddie out for lunch? Well, that was too bad, he supposed. It was hardly his fault that David hadn't acted on any interest he might have had in Maddie. Besides, if Maddie hadn't wanted to join him for lunch, she could have said no.

But she hadn't, and they had spent a pleasant afternoon at the hot dog stand. With any luck, they'd spend another pleasant evening together for dinner.

Maybe he should hold off on calling her. After all, it sounded as if she and David were pretty busy with their case, and he had his own work to do anyway.

He sat down at the kitchen table with a case file spread out, writing out some notes on a legal pad in preparation to submit the case as an exhibit in an upcoming court case. Even after all this time, it amazed him how creative criminals could get, and how easily they could trip themselves up.

Maybe that's what was happening with this Hawthorne case. Johnny usually didn't get involved beyond the fire investigation. His job was to determine the cause of the fire and the likelihood that it was arson, and that was it. From there, if there were any criminal charges, it went to law enforcement, and he'd only get called in to testify.

This one was really bothering him, though. Had he missed something, something that would have indicated a cover-up of some sort? It seemed unlikely, but he was as human as anyone. It was entirely possible that he had.

"Dammit." He set aside his legal pad, letting his mind work over the Hawthorne case again. The burn patterns hadn't exactly been in line with what one would expect to see in a case of arson, and the samples hadn't come back with the same level of accelerant one would expect, either. He'd been comfortable with considering it accidental, but now he was second guessing himself.

No, he'd done his part with this. He needed to leave it alone. He never should have allowed himself to get dragged into this in the first place. Then again, if he hadn't, he never would have met Maddie.

He should call her.

Finally, after spending more time ruminating the Hawthorne case and trying to work on case notes, he decided to just call her already. He punched in the number and waited while it rang.

"Hello?"

"Maddie?" Johnny managed to cover his nerves by clearing his throat. "I mean, hi Maddie. How're you doing?"

"Exhausted." Maddie replied. "This case has us going in circles."

"Yeah, sounds like it." Johnny answered. "I was gonna see if you wanted to get dinner, but if you're beat, we can get together some other time."

There was a brief pause before Maddie spoke again. "Actually, now that you mention it, dinner sounds lovely."

"Great!" Johnny hadn't actually expected Maddie to accept. "How does Chinese sound? We can meet up, or I can pick you up. Whatever you want."

"If you don't mind picking me up, that'd be just fine." Maddie responded.

"Yeah, I can do that. Let me get your address."

Maddie gave him the address, and Johnny wrote it down quickly. "Great, I'll see you in a while."

They hung up, and Johnny changed clothes before heading out the door and climbing into his vehicle for the drive. He found himself pulling up to an elegant, expansive home, something in him wondering if he shouldn't just pull away.

If ever he needed a reminder that Maddie was way out of his league, this was it.

Instead, he parked and shut off his vehicle, climbing down and trotting up the steps to ring the doorbell. The door soon opened to reveal Maddie, who had changed into far more casual dress than she'd been wearing earlier. She still looked incredible, maybe more so now.

"Hi." Johnny managed to pull himself together enough to greet her.

"Hi, come on in." Maddie greeted him with that same smile she'd dazzled him with earlier. "I won't be but a minute."

"Thanks." Johnny entered and closed the door behind him, taking a look around. "Nice place you've got here."

"It's a bit ridiculous." Maddie answered as she returned with a purse tucked under her arm. "But it's nice of you to say so."

"You don't have to explain yourself." Johnny told her as they left the house and he opened the vehicle door for her.

"Oh, I'm not." Maddie responded. "It's just a relic from another era of my life, that's all. Really one of the few things I have left. I'm just trying to hang on to it."

Johnny supposed it must be worth it to her. He just couldn't see it. "I mean, you could always sell, right? Move somewhere…uh, less expensive."

"I could." Maddie acknowledged. "I probably will at some point. There's just…well, a lot of memories."

"Yeah, I guess I get that." Johnny conceded. "I didn't grow up with much myself, so I guess I don't have a lot to get attached to."

He caught Maddie's somewhat sympathetic expression and waved a hand dismissively. "No need to feel sorry for me. Had everything I needed, just not much beyond that. Got a pretty good life now."

Especially with a woman like Maddie beside him.

They soon pulled up to the small restaurant and went inside. The hostess recognized him immediately. "Hi, John."

"Hey, Mary." Johnny replied. "Two of us tonight."

"Of course." Mary answered with a smile. "Right this way."

She seated them at a booth near the back and set down a pair of menus, and Johnny turned over his cup for tea. "I didn't mean to give you a hard time about your house. It's nice."

"I'm not offended." Maddie turned over her own cup with a hint of a smile. "Anyway, that's not why we're here, is it, to talk about houses and such."

"Suppose not." Johnny acknowledged. "And I'm guessing you don't want to talk about the case, either."

Maddie sighed as the waitress poured them each a cup of tea and left the pot on the table. "Well…I suppose it wouldn't hurt to talk it out a little bit. It's just bothering me."

"It's bothering me, too." Johnny told her. "Keep thinking maybe I missed something."

"Oh, I'm sure you didn't." Maddie assured him. "I mean, you only investigate the fire, not robbery or murder."

"Still." Johnny shook his head. "David thought he saw something in one of the photographs. Didn't end up being anything. He kinda brought me up to speed. Now you guys are thinking that Mister Hawthorne was murdered?"

Maddie leaned in closer. "I saw the sculpture in the gardens at the daughter's house."

"Are you sure?" Johnny asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Maddie shot back before seeming to gather herself. "And the son-in-law warned me to 'leave this alone'."

That sent a chill through Johnny. "I mean, maybe you should just leave this to David. He's the detective, right?"

Maddie shot him a disapproving look. "I can take care of myself."

"Didn't say you couldn't." Johnny answered. "Just that, you know, it sounds a little dangerous, that's all. No sense putting yourself in harm's way if you don't have to."

"Are we ready to order?" The waitress asked, cutting off further conversation.

They ordered a variety of dishes and settled back in to talk about anything but the case at hand. Soon enough, they both started to relax, much like they had back at the hot dog stand. Johnny told Maddie some of his stories from his paramedic and rescue days, and Maddie told him stories of her modeling career.

"Definitely not as glamorous as it seems." She told him after one particularly terrible tale.

"Yeah, I suppose after that, playing detective is a lot more, well, satisfying, anyway."

Maddie tilted her head and gave him another one of those looks that told him he'd stepped in it again. "We're doing real work. Most of it isn't dangerous. Missing people, cheating spouses, that kind of thing. Discovering a possible murder is, well, unusual."

"You know what? I think I wanna take another look at my case file."

"Oh, please don't." Maddie told him. "You've done all you can. More than we expected, really."

"It's more for myself than anything else." Johnny explained. "I hate it when I miss something. If I can't do anything about this one, maybe I can at least learn from it, right?"

"I suppose." Maddie acknowledged that. "Do you want any more of this beef and broccoli?"

"I'm done." Johnny told her. "We can figure out how to split it all up, I guess. I mean the food, not the bill. I'll take care of that."

"I don't know if I'll eat all of this." Maddie commented.

"Could always take some to David." Johnny suggested.

"Oh, I'm sure he'd love that." Maddie laughed softly. "'Hey, David, would you like some leftovers from my date with John?' I'm sure that would go over well."

Something about that caught him by surprise. "You consider this a date?"

Maddie briefly looked confused. "Well, yes. Don't you?"

"Well, sure." Johnny tried to sound casual. "I just…well, you and David. That's all."

"As I told you, we're merely business partners." Maddie replied smoothly.

The waitress brought containers along with the bill, and between the two of them, they got everything packed up and divided between them. Johnny laid down cash to cover the bill plus tip, and they were on their way out the door.

They chatted casually all the way back to Maddie's, though Johnny was still a little overwhelmed at the idea of pulling up to her house. "So, hey, I guess this is the part where we say good night, right?" He told her, still trying to cover up his nerves.

"I believe so." Maddie reached for his hand, squeezing lightly. "I had a lovely time."

"I did, too." Johnny replied, squeezing in response. "I'd like to take you out again, if you want."

He could see Maddie smile in the low light, and she nodded. "I'd like that very much."

"Great." Johnny leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Don't forget your leftovers."

"I won't." Maddie responded, catching him just before he pulled back, one hand on his cheek as she leaned in to kiss him lightly on the lips. "Good night."

"Good night." Johnny waited as Maddie climbed down and trotted up the steps. She unlocked her door before turning to look over her shoulder with a wave.

Johnny waved back, waiting until she was inside before pulling out of the driveway.

Maybe Maddie was out of his league, but he was going to his best not to strike out with her. It did seem they were off to a pretty good start.