Incendiary Questions
Author’s Note: A Public Information Officer (PIO) contributed to this episode.
Central Station, Grandview Fire Department, 0410 Hours November 21st
21 Days since Halloween and the fire at 431 Maple Street.
Staring bleakly at his computer screen, Sgt. John “Cougar” VanDeCamp, Grandview Fire’s PIO was once more hard at work in the wee hours of the morning. His desk at the back of the truck bay was strewn with press releases, micro-cassettes and photographs.
A folding table once used for pancake breakfast fundraising was strewn with newspaper clippings of the media’s own version of the incident. Two days ago, he had won a hard-fought battle with both the Police and Fire Commissioners to hold a press conference to buy some time for Stew, Shotgun and whomever else was working the case. It was clear that with the “mostly” silent approach, the public was losing faith in the Fire and Police Departments and that was simply unacceptable to Cougar.
Twelve hours until ‘show time’. I hope the snow holds off until later, thought Cougar.
Cougar was rubbing his right temple and drinking some coffee that was as black as the motor oil on Engine 53. He had a rather large dip of Copenhagen in his lip and his eyes were bloodshot. His jaw itched from the few days of beard growth. His usual proper, polished and professional look had grown haggard from all of the fires in the month of November-all homes, all near midnight and always; someone had died.
431 Maple Street, 0348 Hours November 1st
“Dispatch; show Fire Sergeant 25 out at 431 Maple”, Cougar said into his handheld and then turned it off.
Jake, Stew and Chief Forrester and BC Tucker were huddled at the back of the command vehicle. As Cougar walked towards them, he looked into the back of an ambulance and spotted Vinnie on the cot. Cougar glanced towards Jake and asked, “Is our favorite rookie all right Jake or is it worse than what Dispatch and Stew have told me so far?”
“Yeah, he’ll be fine. The medics are just being cautious… and bored. Glad you took the time to polish your boots at 3 a.m., Coug,” Jake says with a smile and offering Cougar his Skoal.
Before he accepts the tobacco, Cougar has a look around with a watchful eye for any news media. While letting the burn from the tobacco kick in a bit, Cougar takes another look at the remains of the house.
“Cougar, I’d like you to work up a bare-bones news release for this…” Diesel began.
“A lack of information might get us more trouble than we deserve, Chief”, says Cougar.
“Just do it, Coug. Stew needs time to determine what caused this one. He thinks something isn’t right with it”, says Chief D.
“All right Chief. Any word on the Doctors Sticklemeyer?” asks Cougar.
“We think that they’re the ones on their way to Memorial Hospital”, answers Chief D.
“This is gonna take a miracle to it keep under my hat for much longer than a week,” opines Cougar.
“Better under your hat for a week than under mine for a minute. This is why we pay you the big bucks”, snaps Chief D.
“Yes sir; my press release will be out before lunch”, Cougar snaps back.
Diesel dismissed Cougar and the PIO did some quick note-taking with Stew. Cougar walked back to his truck and opened his laptop computer and set about piecing together a story for the papers. He was surprised that no one from the local Grandview Daily Gazette had been out to the scene yet, but he was also relieved.
Bloodthirsty vultures…Cougar thought to himself. He drove back to Central Station and printed off the press release and sent the usual list of recipients a copy via e-mail.
Central Station, Grandview Fire Department, 0428 Hours November 21st
“Cougar, you look like hell”, said Jake, while strolling over from the stairwell.
“If I look like hell Jake, I’d hate to describe what you look like”, retorts Cougar.
The two shared a laugh. Jake eyed the coffee pot and can of Skoal snuff that was on the desk. “You ought to be getting sleep, Coug… you got a big day today.”
“This won’t be a big day. A big day will be when we catch this bastard!” exclaimed Cougar.
“Yeah, I agree. Still; you ought to get some sleep”, says Jake.
“Non-shift specific personnel don’t have bunks here Jake. You know that”, says Cougar.
“Yeah, but I also know that you don’t travel without blankets and a pillow in the back of your truck”, says Jake.
“Boy Scout training”, says Cougar.
“Then, Boy Scout Cougar VanDeCamp; as a captain, I’m ordering you to get some sleep… get your grip and get on up to my office. You can use my bunk for a while”, says Jake.
Jake slapped Cougar on the back and walked on into the day room. Cougar took Jake up on his offer and sacked out for a while.
2107 Eastwick Drive, 0210 Hours November 6th
“Dispatch; Eastwick Command. Alert Sergeant 25 and have him respond to this location; Priority.” It was Diesel’s voice coming over the scanner by Cougar’s bed. He sighed as he heaved himself up and started to get dressed. He picked up a copy of the Grandview Daily Gazette. Across the front page was printed in cold, heartless bold font: Prominent Doctors Killed in Halloween Night Fire. Cougar muttered something about vultures as he got into his truck.
“Dispatch to Sergeant 25; per Eastwick Command, respond to 2107 Eastwick Drive. Time out 0216. Also Sergeant 25; contact this office for additional information.”
Cougar told the dispatcher that he was enroute. On the drive over, he called the dispatchers and was given a brief update of what had transpired. As he pulled up, he eyed several of the same vehicles. Curiously, he wondered how far in distance he was from the fire at 413 Maple Street.
The scene was oddly similar to the fire that occurred a week ago. Once again, Cougar was showing up to a structure that, prior to the blaze, was the happy home to Gregory and Melissa Paulsen. Like the home of Richard and Fran Sticklemeyer, this home was also reduced to a pile of charred rubble.
Stew and Diesel were chatting as Cougar approached the back of the rig.
“I’m telling you, Chief, this is too coincidental to not be the same guy- similar time frame, similar setting, a week later and we’re only about a mile apart. Please, don’t blow the lid on either case yet…” Stew was pleading his case before the Chief.
“Cougar, glad you could join us”, says Chief D.
“Always happy to see your faces in the morning”, says Cougar.
“You won’t be happy much longer. Keep the sharks from catching wind of this one too”, says Stew.
Looking past the investigator to the street, Cougar spotted the cream-colored Chevy Impala that was owned by the Daily’s Fire and Police beat reporter.
“I’ll see what I can do, but it’s gonna cost you”, Cougar told Stew, as he walked towards the Impala.
“Morning John,” says the voice of Connie Brooks from the drivers’ window.
“Mornin’ already? It’s getting hard to tell, you know?” Cougar said with a sly grin. Cougar and Connie had been a bit of an item, but due to their different journalistic roles, they were more like James Bond and Miss Moneypenny.
“Stop with the romancing and lets get to work, shall we?” says a slightly pissed Connie Brooks.
“Well, only if you insist”, says Cougar.
“Is it the same guy?” she asks.
“You know, I just got here; same as you. I have no details yet and you know my guys won’t budge an inch, so how about we chat about it over coffee later?” asks Cougar.
“At 10, Starbucks”, says Connie.
“See ya, Connie”, says Cougar.
As she drove off into the night, Cougar turned back to the scene. Stew and Shotgun were back poking around at the pile of ash and Jake was working with his crew putting the engine together again. Cougar checked in after donning his bunker gear and proceeded to carefully step in Stew’s footprints on his way to talk to him.
“I’m going to need to be able to give the press more this time, Stew. Have there been any breakthroughs in the fire investigation at the Doctor’s house?” asks Cougar.
Stew didn’t even look up from his work. “It’s the same guy.”
“How do you know?” asks Cougar.
“In the toolbox, you’ll find two bags, both of them hold lighters. Bic, plastic, purple and they’re both free of prints. Lighter A is the one Shotgun found in front of the Doctor’s. Lighter B is the one Shotgun found tonight. I have no doubt that Lighter B is the source of ignition for this fire.”
Cougar looked at the toolbox and pondered that for a while.
“What makes you so sure its arson?”
Stew looked up. “Do you know where we’re supposed to be standing?”
“The basement.”
“Where was I at on the last one?”
“The basement.”
“Similarities in fires, as you know from my lectures, Coug, do not make them serial arsons. However; ask the M.E. about the bodies. These people didn’t die accidentally in the fire, nor did the Doctors. They were prevented from leaving because they were bound and gagged. Unable to call for help, they suffered the worst Hell before dying. Corpses found as accidental deaths due to fire don’t have clean patches over their mouths from where duct-tape was applied”, explained Stew.
“So, what do I tell the press?” asks Cougar.
“Tell them that similarities at fires don’t make them set fires or fires set by serial arsonists. You can tell them that I’m overworked and underpaid or that Shotgun turned five yesterday. Tell them how an arson investigation works and tell them that Detective Maslowski and I are working hard to determine the causes of these fires. Tell ‘em anything you want, really, except that we know its arson at the Sticklemeyer’s and that we’re suspecting it here too. Tell them causes are still undetermined”, says Stew.
“You want me to lie?” Cougar asked, a bit perplexed.
“Yes.” Stew said coldly.
“I won’t”, protests Cougar.
“I know, but I have to ask you to at least construct a less obvious view of the truth”, says Stew.
“I understand”, says Cougar, as he re-traces his footsteps back to the sidewalk.
I feel like Wile E. Coyote… on the one hand; the Road Runner is pestering me and on the other, ACME Corp is giving me crap to work with. I just hope that I can keep this from blowing up, Cougar thought as he drove back to the station.
Shift Captain’s Office, Central Station, Grandview Fire Department, 1423 Hours November 21st
Dispatch to Sergeant 25… respond Priority to 1826 Lexington Terrace… Coug, don’t let this out to the press yet…Damn Vultures… Sharks… Shark Vultures…respond Priority to the incident at 431 Maple Street…Keep them from talking too much, Coug…Units responding to 9831 Yorktown Lane… reports of explosion… exercise due caution… Sergeant 25 on scene…0300 hours… Connie, I can’t tell you what I want to… Similarities don’t make it serial… Fire responds vigorously to accelerants…
Cougar had been asleep for just shy of eight hours when the cot shook beneath him. He was jolted awake.
“You all right there, Cougar? You were talking in your sleep”, says Jake.
Jake was sitting in his chair, foot kicking the cot gently. “Wakey wakey; eggs ‘n’ bakey.”
On the desk was a plate of scrambled eggs and fried bacon and some toast, as well as a fresh can of Skoal and a cup of coffee.
“Figured that you might need some fuel before the big show, Cougar. KJ said not to mind the color of the eggs. He claims it’s the pan. Coffee you’ll find the way you like it and I apologize for stealing two pieces of bacon on my way back up here, but it just smelled so good”, apologized Jake.
Cougar rubbed his eyes as he sat up. “Who’s the poor sap that had to go down to Hermie’s to fetch my poison?”
“Vinnie volunteered for the assignment. His neighbor works down there”, says Jake.
“What do I owe him? 6 bucks or so?” asks Cougar.
“I think he got paid already, something about the girl… phone numbers and dinner on Thursday…” says Jake.
“So what else is up?” asks Cougar.
“Davey says you wanted help prepping for the conference”, says Jake.
“Yeah, go ahead and fire some questions at me…” says Cougar.
“All right, Coug; here goes… ‘Could it be a firefighter that’s doin’ this?” asks Jake.
Cougar sighed… “Of all the questions I don’t want to answer, you pick that one…”
“Of course, Coug; remember, I’m just pretending to be a bloodthirsty vulture”, winks Jake.
Training Room, Central Station, Grandview Fire Department, 1541 Hours
Cougar had practiced the routine questions, reviewed nearly a month’s worth of media stories, read the department incident reports and the notes Stew let him keep. It was now time for the first, official press conference of what was being called Winter Fires. The snow had started to fall when Cougar finally started off the show.
“Good afternoon. As all of you know, I’m Sergeant John VanDeCamp with Grandview Fire. I have a brief, public statement and then I’ll take questions.”
“The string of fires that has plagued Grandview over the past month has brought us much sadness. This fine city has lost seven of its citizens as a result. I’ll list the locations of each of these fires: 431 Maple Street, 2107 Eastwick Drive, 1826 Lexington Terrace, and 9831 Yorktown Lane.”
“I would ask that our city takes moment to remember the tragic loss of the lives of Doctors Richard and Fran Sticklemeyer, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Paulson…” Cougar went on to read the list of those killed.
“Lieutenant Monihan and Detective Maslowski are both working relentlessly to find the responsible party(s). So far, the fires all share very similar characteristics and it is our belief that we are dealing with the same individual(s).”
“The chemical tests from the first three fires confirm that they were set with accelerants that have been found in or near the homes that were destroyed. It is imperative that the citizens of Grandview take adequate measures to ensure the security of their homes, but should avoid panic. Check your smoke detectors and their batteries; secure your doors at night or when you leave your homes; make sure your family members know how to get out and where to meet with you in case of a fire. If you see something suspicious, contact the police department at 9-1-1. Three of the five fires have occurred in areas where streetlights were out. If you are in an area where street lights are out, please contact the city public works department. Together, we can make the commission of these terrible crimes harder for the perpetrator, which aids our investigative effort, helps spare more lives and quickens the apprehension of the culprit.”
Cougar closed his prepared speech with “Remain vigilant, but not afraid.” Then, the gathered reporters began to bombard him with questions.
“Jim Tomlin. Were these fires set to hide other crimes?”
“Not in the cases we’re faced with, Jim. While fire is destructive and is used by petty criminals to try and distract emergency personnel from the real crimes, these were not. The Coroner’s office has confirmed that on all the victims there was evidence that they had been restrained. No; I will not elaborate. Fires set in this manner are the most heinous of crimes, as the fire that is set actually becomes a tool of homicide.” Cougar took a sip of water, before pointing to the next reporter.
“Janet Irwin. Did this type of crime occur here before Halloween?”
“This type of crime had not occurred here in Grandview before Halloween of this year. It is important to note the difference between these fires and the confirmed arson that occurred five years ago when I had my first news conference here. In the case of the Freya Street Calzone Cave fire, the owners of the restaurant were seeking to profit from insurance money. The fires we’ve seen this past month have not been driven by money as far as Lt. Monihan can tell.”
“Why have you waited so long to release any information?” Jim Tomlin asked.
Cougar swallowed hard because there was no easy way out. “First, it is impossible for an investigation to declare a fire as arson, unless you can rule out all non-arson causes. This means a very thorough and meticulous study of the debris of a fire with samples sent to labs, photographs reviewed and so on. This process takes time and with the high volume of fires this month, Lt. Monihan has performed admirably under such a heavy workload. Though we are receiving additional, investigative resources, we are still investigating four fires concurrently.”
“Sergeant; witnesses near the scenes of the fires say that there were explosions of some sort and that it was a bomb. Is this true?” Connie shot off her question louder than the others.
Cougar blinked, surprised at this. “Well, Connie, flashovers and backdrafts sound like an explosion. I wouldn’t speculate on that, however. Also, it just so happens that when propane tanks used in barbeque grills are heated, they can cause what is termed a BLEVE, which means ‘Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion’. Details on that can be found in your press packet. I will refer you to the Police Department for more information on bombs, however. Detective Maslowski will be your contact. His information is also in your packet.”
“John, is it possible that the victims knew their assailant?” Janet Irwin asked.
Cougar shook his head. “I’m going to have to decline to answer that question, as it would be just my speculation. I’m not a master of criminal psychology, Janet; Detective Maslowski with the PD can point you in the right direction there.”
“Sergeant, were the victims dead when the fires was set?”
Cougar just sort of stared for a moment at Connie, feeling as if Brutus was plunging a knife into Caesar… “ Connie; I don’t know what would compel you to ask such a question and even if I knew the answer to that, I would not answer for fear of jeopardizing an on-going investigation.”
“Why would it jeopardize the investigation to answer that question?” asks Connie.
“Here is what I am willing to do, Connie. I will neither admit nor deny that the victims were deceased at the time that the fires were set”, said a very determined Cougar.
“Furthermore, if you want this conference to continue, then do not-I repeat, do not-ask another question that you know cannot be answered due to the on-going investigation”, said Cougar.
“Could it be a firefighter, Sergeant?” Connie pressed.
Cougar took a deep breath and looked off to the right of his podium, seemingly to lose focus for a moment. The dispatcher had just said the magic words, very faintly. “Standby for tones…”
“Sergeant; Are you going to answer my question?”
“Connie; did you leave the room when I issued my warning about such questions?” asked Cougar.
“I asked you if the arsonist could be a firefighter.” Connie persisted, faintly through the doorway; Cougar could hear the melodic tones.
“This news conference is over”, proclaims Cougar.
“And Connie, without answering your question, I will only say that every firefighter-on shift and not-is here today”, said Cougar
“What’s the significance of that?” asks Connie.
Cougar turned on his portable radio and ignored Connie’s question…
“Dispatch to Central, Structural Fire, Flames and Smoke Showing; 983 Sherwood Lane. All Units Respond on Fire-Tac-Two. Units are advised that law enforcement in the area reports traction loss due to snow….”
Too bad the press conference wasn’t held later and this thing goes off at the time the other fires came in… I can’t help but hope this is our guy, that this is arson, but at the same point in time I don’t want another family’s home destroyed. Wait a minute, 983 Sherwood… that’s on the other side of town… It’s like he knew I had everyone here for this news conference…
Dammit, Coug… you gave him an opening to strike again, you pulled the protection of this city from where it was needed… You were so busy protecting the department that you let the community suffer.
Cougar flipped the switch for his grille lights as he pulled out of the station parking lot… Good grief; this is going to be a long night…
The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© is pure fiction. Any similarities to the people, places or situations portrayed in the continuing saga are purely coincidental. The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason and is protected by federal copyright laws. It cannot be re-produced in any form without the expressed written permission of the author.
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