it might have gone on for longer without anyone realising. Guilt ate away at him. This was shit for Maddy. He’d seen the devastation over the years of people’s livelihoods and family possessions destroyed, never to be replaced. You couldn’t replace photos and memorabilia. He’d been the one to spot the fire and had called the emergency services. It looked like the kitchen had taken the worst of it, yet he feared her whole house would stink of smoke, and there would be a black layer of soot in places you wouldn’t dream of. Despite their differences, he knew he couldn’t have watched what was happening to Maddy from the sidelines and done nothing. What were neighbours for?
And at least nobody had got hurt … unlike Karin …
Don’t think about her now. He shook his head, unclenching his fists, shrugging off his dark thoughts.
‘Hey, Collins, what’s the damage?’ Harry called out to the fire officer in charge, jogging over to him. He wore a white helmet, while his colleagues wore yellow ones. His first name was Phil, but the guys of blue watch had nicknamed him Collins after the singer. He’d been caught singing in the kitchen while cooking for the watch one time and it had stuck.
‘Roses, good fellow.’ The two shook hands. ‘How are you doing? It’s good to see you.’
‘I’m good, thanks. Enjoying the landscape gardening.’
‘We were all sorry to see you go,’ Collins said. ‘But hey, you’ve got to do what’s right for you, huh?’ Harry smiled his agreement. ‘Did you get the damsel out of distress?’
‘Yeah, she’s a bit shook up but she’s safe in my house.’
Collins chuckled. ‘It’s not like we haven’t seen it before. Anyway, the boys are surveying the damage and securing her back door and kitchen window. Tomorrow a team will be back to put our report together – you know the routine.’ Harry nodded. ‘But it looks like one for the police.’
‘Okay,’ Harry replied, frowning. Did he tell Collins what he’d seen? Would it get Maddy into trouble?
‘Did you see anything suspicious?’ Collins asked, as if reading Harry’s mind.
‘How do you mean?’ See what Collins had to say first.
‘I’m not supposed to say anything,’ Collins lowered his voice, ‘but it looks like it could have been arson. We could smell the mild scent of an accelerant. Do you think she …?’
Harry shook his head. ‘No, no, she didn’t do this. She’s stressed about her paintings and her cat and all sorts. You saw how hysterical she was. Did you manage to contain the fire?’
‘Yes, most of the damage is in the kitchen. Good job we got the call as early as we did,’ Collins said. ‘Otherwise it might have been a different story.’
‘I made the call. I saw the smoke coming out of the gap in her kitchen window. In fact, I smelled it first.’ As quick as a Beagle could pick up a scent, Harry would always smell smoke at the slightest whiff. ‘Unfortunately I couldn’t get in, otherwise I’d have tried to stop it from spreading.’
Collins nodded. ‘You did good calling when you did. Please don’t enter the house until the fire investigation officer has been. I suspect the police will leave someone outside all night to guard it as CSI won’t come till the morning now.’ Harry nodded back; he knew the procedure. ‘We’ll secure the back door for now the best we can, and tomorrow we’ll get it boarded up, so the house is secure. Has she got somewhere to stay the night?’
‘Yeah, I’ve offered to let her stay at mine.’
‘Always the hero.’ Collins slapped Harry on the back.
Harry gave a fake laugh. What had he got himself into? ‘By the way, you haven’t seen a cat have you – dead or alive?’
Collins chuckled. ‘A black one?’
‘Well it will look black if it’s burnt to death.’
‘Oh, it’s not dead.’ Collins pointed to a tree in Maddy’s neighbouring garden to the right. A small tree, but big enough to provide refuge for a cat. Sookie’s eyes reflected the light from the fire engines, making it easier for her to be spotted in the dimming light.
‘Ah, yes, thanks.’ Harry shook hands with Collins then walked over to the tree. Tiptoeing, Harry reached up and grabbed the cat out of the tree while it hissed at him.
‘Hey, I’m not happy about this either, girl.’ She stank of smoke, reminding him of the smell of soot. ‘Sweep would be a good name for you right now … or as you’re a girl, maybe Sue.’ She hissed and struggled, and when Harry held her more firmly, dug her claws into his arm. Resisting the urge to release the cat – or drop her – he rushed back to his house, one-handedly unlocking his front door, and as soon as he closed it, released the cat as she gave another hiss. Frowning, he rubbed the scratches along his forearms.
‘Sookie!’ Maddy picked up the cat, stroking her between the ears. The cat purred and rubbed its head against Maddy, its mood changing immediately. ‘Where have you been, young lady? You smell like an old pub ashtray.’
Harry noticed Maddy brighten too, stroking her cat, so it purred and meowed more. He’d rescued many animals in his time, handing them over to relieved owners. Even the times when needing rescuing had been the stupid animal’s fault, to see the happiness and relief of pet and owner being reunited always softened Harry’s heart – he just never let his colleagues know it. Setting aside his dislike for cats as a landscape gardener, the cat being alive was a positive thing for Maddy. ‘I’ll get her some food.’
Back in his kitchen, he searched his cupboards. What did he have that a cat would eat? He found a can of tuna and opened it, draining the brine down the sink. He forked out a little on a saucer and placed it on the kitchen floor. In another saucer, he placed water. He put the rest of the can in the fridge. It could be the cat’s breakfast.
The cat ate hungrily, purring loudly.
‘I’ve got some sand in the garage. I’ll sort out a litter tray for tonight as she can’t go back outside until it’s safe.’
‘Thank you,’ Maddy said, smiling at Harry for the first time. Her eyes were still red and puffy where she’d been crying, and sadness shadowed them, but she certainly appeared calmer now he’d found her cat alive and well.
‘Hey, this is what neighbours are for, right?’
Harry found a seed tray, lined it with a carrier bag, and filled it with some sand. He placed this too in the kitchen. He really was doing his good deeds for the day, allowing a feline pest into his house. It had better not scratch his furniture.
Karin had liked cats. Maybe that was another reason why he hated them.
Don’t think about Karin.
He rubbed the back of his neck, taking in a deep breath, then breathed out slowly.
‘Right, time for a top up on your drink,’ he said, reaching for the two spirit bottles and grabbing the orange juice out of the fridge. He gestured for Maddy to sit in the lounge. She held out her glass while he poured her another large measure of vodka, then poured himself another Jack Daniels. Harry needed to think of a way to break it to Maddy about her house, so she was prepared for tomorrow.
Maddy sat rigidly on the edge of the sofa, obviously in a stranger’s house and unable to relax. Harry found himself doing the same in the opposite armchair.
‘You can relax, Maddy. I don’t bite, you know,’ Harry said, sitting back in the seat. ‘And I don’t mind you staying the night – unless you have somewhere else you’d prefer to go?’
She shook her head. ‘No, I haven’t. While you were fetching Sookie, I phoned my friend Valerie, and there was no answer. I didn’t want to leave her a distressed message either. Also, I think I’ve had too much vodka to drive myself anywhere even if I did.’
He