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"He started writing to the papers and the television He wanted credit for the deaths He set fire to a couple of cops before we got hi silver suits that they wear to oil rig fires He couldn't get them to burn We took him down to the police station, and that was the mistake He set it on fire"

"Where else could you have taken him?" I asked

He shrugged massive shoulders "I don't know, somewhere else I was still in the suit, and I held onto hiether if he didn't stop it He laughed and set hilass very carefully on the edge of the desk

"The flaas fire, but paler Didn't burn hi is rated for sorees, and it started to rees, but somehow I didn't melt into a puddle, just the suit I had to strip it off while he laughed He walked out the door and he didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to grab him"

I didn't say the obvious I let him talk

"I tackled him in the hallway and sla, where my skin touched him, it didn't burn It was like the fire crawled over a space and started on my arms, so my hands are fine"

I nodded "There's a theory that a pyro's aura keeps the When you touched his skin, you were too close to his own aura, his own protection, to burn"

He stared at me "Maybe that is what happened, because I threw hi, 'I'll burn you I'll burn you alive' Then the fire changed color to yellow, noro and went for the fire extinguisher We couldn't put the fire on his body out The extinguishers worked on the walls, everything else, but it wouldn't work on hi out of his body from deep inside We'd dampen some of the flames, but there was just more of it until he was made of fire"

McKinnon's eyes were distant and horror-filled as if he was still seeing it "He didn't die, Ms Blake, not like he should have He screa and we couldn't help him Couldn't help hi at nothing

I waited and finally said, gently, "Why are you here, Captain?"

He blinked and sort of shook hi on our hands, Ms Blake Dolph said that if anyone could help us cut the loss of life, it was you"

"Psychic ability isn't technically preternatural It's just talent like throwing a great curve ball"

He shook his head "What I saw die on the floor of the station that day wasn't human It couldn't have been human Dolph says you're the monster expert Help me catch this monster before he kills"

"He or she hasn't killed yet? It's just property dae?" I asked

He nodded "I could loseto you I should have bucked this up the line and gotten permission from the chain of cos I want to keep it that way"

I took in a slow breath and let it out "I'll be happy to help, Captain, but I honestly don't knohat I can do for you"

He pulled out a thick file folder "Here's everything we've got Look it over and call ht"

I took the folder from him and sat it in the middle of my desk blotter

"My nu Maybe it's so else But whatever it is, Ms Blake, it can bathe in fla and shed fire like sprinkling water No accelerant, Ms Blake, but the houses have gone up as if they've been soaked in soet the wood in the lab, it's clean It's like whatever is doing this can force the fire to do things it shouldn't do"

He glanced at his watch "I' you on this officially, but I'm afraid they'll wait until people are dead I don't want to wait"

"I'll call you tonight, but it may be late How late is too late to call?"

"Any time, Ms Blake, any time"

I nodded and stood I offered rip was firht A lot of male clients that wanted to know about the scars squeezed my hand like they wanted me to cry "uncle" But McKinnon was secure He had his own scars

I'd barely sat back dohen the phone rang "What is it, Mary?"

"It'sh" Larry Kirkland, vaue staking vampires

"Nope What's up?"

"I need a ride hohtest hesitation to his voice

"What's wrong?"

He laughed "I should know better than to be coy with you I'm all stitched up The doc says I'll be fine"

"What happened?" I asked

"Coun hung up on me

There was only one reason for hiotten hurt Two bodies to stake Two bodies that wouldn't have risen for at least another night What could have gone wrong? As the old saying goes, only one way to find out

Mary rescheduled otHi-Power out of the top desk drawer and slipped it on Since I'd stopped wearing un in the drawer, but outside the office and always after dark I wore a gun Most of the creatures that had scarred me up were dead The majority I'd done personally Silver-plated bullets are a wonderful thing