I shut the dishwasher and started it. Yes, I said. She is trying. I didnt say what Christy was trying. I was pretty sure it wasnt what Mary Jo thought it was.
Her eyes narrowed at me, so I guess my tone wasnt as neutral as Id hoped.
Its okay to like her, I told her gently. To worry and feel sorry for her. Thats all just fine. I want her safe, too.
I wiped my hands off on the back of my jeans and let my voice drop into a threat. Just be careful, Mary Jo. Be very careful. Youve made mistakes before. Everyone makes mistakes. One you should not make is to imagine that Christy will ever be Adams mate. He is mine, and unlike her, I dont throw away people who are mine.
Mary Jo met my gaze, and I held hers. Held it until she looked at the floor and tipped her chin, exposing her neck.
Jesse had told me about her mother and Adam, back when shed been too young to know that people shouldnt share other peoples pain, and I had been too too involved to stop her. Her mother had told Adam he scared her, that the werewolves scared her, and that he smothered her. But Id always thought that the real trouble between them had a lot to do with Adams looking younger than she did. Which made her attraction to a younger man something to keep in mind.
I returned to the dining room and the interested faces of Adam and Warren. Both of them had heard the conversation between Mary Jo and me, but before they could say anything, Christy was back with her laptop.
She sat next to Warren, and the two of them paged through her email. Adams phone rang, and he glanced at the number.
I hired a man to watch over Christys condo, he told us. This is he. He put the phone to his ear, and answered, Hauptman.
Its Gaven, said a strangers voice; in the background, I could hear sirens. There is a situation here.
Adam stiffened. Hes there?
Uh, no. That is, maybe, but I havent seen him. Ive been watching your wifes sorry, exwifes apartment building since about two this afternoon. I havent seen anyone who matches his description, but her building is on fireyou might be hearing some sirens. The fire definitely started on her floor, and Im pretty sure it was set in her condo. I happened to be looking up and saw a flash of colorflames in one of the windows of her place. I called it in myselfthough downtown Eugene isnt exactly deserted this time of day, so I wont have been the only one. The fire department is fighting it, but its going up fast. Its been There was a pause and a muffled swearword. Sorry. Pieces of it are falling, and I was a little too close. Its only been ten minutes, and the whole place is in flames.
I glanced at Christy, who was watching Adam with a little frown that made me realize that she was the only one in the room who couldnt hear the other side of Adams conversation.
Youve told what you saw to the police? Adam asked.
Gave my card to the fireman whos giving orders. Told him Id seen something. Hell relay. Im planning on cooperating fully with the authorities.
Of course. Adam glanced at Christy, who had come to attention at the word police. They already know that there is a problem. Make sure they make the connections, all right? They have my number, but it might not hurt to give it to them again.
Theyll want to talk to her, too, the investigator said.
Whats wrong? Christy asked.
Adam held up a finger. Of course. Shes not answering her phone directly. Theyll have to leave a message for her to call them back.
Right.
Adam ended the call and looked at Christy. I think your stalker just burned down your condo, building and all.
She paled. Did they get everyone out?
Adam shook his head. Its a big building. There is no way that they could know that this early. Theyre still fighting it. Theyll know more in a few hours, but it could be days before everyone is accounted for.
The war committee continued to discuss Christys stalker with periodic interruptions from people calling with updates on Christys home.
Adams investigator told us the whole building was a loss and then gave Adam a few numbers of people involved in the investigation. Once he figured out that Adam was the famous Alpha werewolf, the arson guy got almost chatty. He told Adam that theyd have to wait until the building cooled
before anyone could be certain, officially, that the fire had been set. But unofficially, his gut instinct was that the fire was arson. The first police officer called shortly thereafter to ask pointed questions about insurance policieswhich seemed to imply that the arson investigator had not only shared his unofficial gut instincts with the police, too, but also told them that Adam was interested in the outcome.
Courteously, Adam told the policeman that Christy had filed a report about a stalker who had assaulted her. And when Adam had recently contacted the Eugene police on the matter, hed been told that Christys stalker might also be involved in the death of a man shed been dating. Adam gave him the phone number of the officer in charge of the Eugene police investigation without looking it up. The information seemed to mollify that police officer. But not the second one who called.