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hit. Maybe he had slammed into the door, perhaps it was just the force of his body against the seatbelt.
    Ray rotated to the left and looked at the other side of his upper torso. He could see a large contusion that started at the sternum and extended to the side of his rib cage. Everything was sore: his back, his arms, and his neck. Instead of going into the office, Ray thought about how nice it would be to take a long, hot bath and then climb into bed with the stack of recent New Yorkers he hadn’t opened yet and spend the day reading.
    As he dressed, he reflected on his encounter with Sarah the evening before. He wanted to write about this, to go to his journal and get his feelings on paper. Although he’d only known her a few months, they had quickly developed a comfortable intimacy and rapport. Sarah had become a close friend during a time of pain and recovery.   And now she will be gone, he thought, feeling suddenly sad and alone.   But before he could ponder that much longer, he heard Sue Lawrence announcing her presence with a shout from the entrance. He walked into the kitchen to greet her in slippers, carrying his socks.
    “Don’t you ever lock your doors?”
    “God’s country. Nothing bad happens up here,” he fired back.
    “Do you need coffee?” she asked. “We’re hitting the road.”
    “Yes, coffee, please. My need is desperate. A hospital is a poor place to get any sleep. There were people bothering me all night, making sure I hadn’t died on them.” As he sat and pulled on his socks, Sue started the coffee, putting water on to boil, grinding the beans, and preparing the French press.
    “What’s the urgency?” he asked, as he started lacing on a pair of boots.
    “There’s no urgency,” she said, “not now.”
    Ray waited for her to explain.
    “When I got back to the office this morning after dropping you off, I got a call from Central. They had dispatched the Lake Township Fire Department to a house fire. It’s Brenda Manton’s house. I just talked to the fire chief on my way over here. The building was fully engulfed and starting to collapse when they arrived. They’ve just been protecting the scene and waiting on us for instructions. I’ve called the State Police for an arson investigator. Mike Ogden is on his way.” Sue paused briefly. “He should get here in a couple of hours, hopefully before the next storm rolls in.”
    “I’ve lost track,” said Ray. “What’s?…”
    “An Alberta clipper is on the way. We’re looking at a lot of lake-effect snow.”
    “Who called in the fire?”
    “It was a conservation officer. He had spent most of the night looking for a poacher, someone had been reported shining in the area. He noticed a glow on the horizon and went to investigate, found the fire, and called it in.”
    “You had finished processing the scene?”
    “Yes, but I like to know that I can go back a second or a third time.”
    “The road had been closed off?”
    “After we secured the building, I had Brett string police lines around the exterior and put some barriers at the end of the access road.”
      “You should talk to the man who called this in. See if he saw anything.”
    “I’ve arranged to meet him later this afternoon. He’s going to stop by the office on his way home.” Sue paused for a few moments, “That’s the first piece of bad news.”
    “Okay, give me the rest.”
    I talked to a doctor at Spectrum about Brenda. He’s not optimistic, says there’s just too much brain damage. It looks like Brenda is going to die without ever regaining consciousness.”
    Sue set Ray’s travel mug on the table in front of him and carefully filled it.
    “Why don’t you go out and look at the scene, and I’ll go to the office,” said Ray. “This whole investigation is spinning out of control. We’ve got to get some focus before things start getting cold.”
    “Have you had any breakfast?
      “I’ll get something later. We’ll meet when you get back