Against the Fire Read Online Free PDF Page A

Baker?”
    “It’s just Mattie, and I’m hoping you can help me figure out who Angel was with the night of the fire.”
    “Well, I probably won’t be much help. Like I told the police, I wasn’t paying all that much attention to the spectators. I was more concerned with watching the fire guys put out the blaze.”
    “But you recognized Angel.”
    “From a lineup. Yes, I did.”
    “What did the other boy look like?”
    Gabe took the lid off his coffee, blew over the liquid to cool it, then took a sip. She could tell he was doing his best to dredge up a memory of the second boy he had seen.
    “Mind if I ask what your connection is to the Ramirez kid?”
    She considered how much to say, then decided she had no reason to keep her work a secret. In fact, she was proud of the help she had given families who needed it.
    “I do volunteer work at a neighborhood center that helps recovering victims of family violence. Several years ago, Angel’s mother showed up at the center. Her husband was abusing her and the children. She didn’t want to leave him, but she couldn’t take the beatings any longer.”
    “What happened?”
    “Angel and his father got into an argument the next night and Benito beat the hell out of him. Two days later, Angel set fire to an old abandoned building in the neighborhood. He was arrested. Because Rosa, his mother, had come to the center for help, one of the FRC attorneys got involved.”
    “FRC?”
    “Family Recovery Center. Since there were extenuating circumstances—like two black eyes and a broken collarbone—Angel’s sentence was reduced. After his release a year later, Angel went into mandatory counseling. His father had moved out by then and I started visiting him and the rest of his family as a volunteer. I began to realize what an unusual boy he is.”
    Gabe took a sip of his coffee. “In what way?” His hands were as tan as his face. She noticed his nails were clipped short, and there was no dirt underneath.
    “Angel is extremely smart. He gets straight As in high school and he wants to go to college. He’s always willing to help other kids and because he’s the way he is, he has lots of friends. I don’t believe he set the fire at the Towers, but I need to find a way to prove it.”
    Gabe straightened in his chair, making him seem even taller. “I can’t say for sure the boys were together, but they were talking and it seemed like they knew each other.”
    “What did the second boy look like?”
    “Hispanic. Around the same age as Angel, but taller and thinner. His hair was long, pulled back in a ponytail at the back of his neck. That’s about all I remember.”
    “That may be enough. There’s a kid Angel knows. His name is Enrique Flores. He’s got long hair and he wears it pulled back that way. I think they’re pretty good friends. I don’t know why they would have been downtown that night, but maybe Enrique will tell me.”
    “Probably ought to tell the police about Flores.”
    “I’d really like to talk to him first.”
    Gabe slowly nodded. “I guess that would be all right.”
    Mattie picked up her paper cup and rose from her chair, giving Gabriel Raines the signal it was time for him to leave. Instead of moving, he just sat there quietly sipping his coffee.
    “I’m sorry, but I have to get back to work,” she said, hoping he would take the hint.
    “So do I…eventually.”
    “Thank you for your time. I appreciate your coming down here.” She fidgeted, anxious now to be away from him. There was something about all that masculinity wrapped in such an attractive package that was putting her on edge.
    Gabe slowly rose from his chair. “Where does Enrique live?”
    “Somewhere in the Central Oak Cliff district.”
    “That’s a pretty rough neighborhood. When are you planning to go?”
    “Tonight. After I get off work.”
    “Why don’t I go with you?”
    She eyed him warily. “Why would you want to do that?”
    “Because I was in trouble a couple