going to get what she needed by pissing this guy off. But she didn't know if there was a way to fix this situation.
"Great," York said, his voice sharp and clipped, his eyes following Hawk as he came closer. "Just what I want to deal with."
Emma thought quickly, then seized her chance. She leaned in close to York, conspiratorially close, and lowered her voice. "I've already dealt with him. He's a real bear. You get out of here, go back to your office. I'll deal with the homeowner and send the police to see you there." She had no plans of sending the police anywhere until she figured out what exactly was going on here, but she wanted him calm and away from the scene.
York nodded and Emma saw gratitude flash in his eyes. She bit back a grimace, feeling slimy, but knowing she had to do this, for Hawk and Vivian.
Hawk stepped up on the curb and Emma turned her back to him, then made a shooing gesture towards York. He turned and headed towards his car, moving quickly.
Emma turned around quickly and intercepted Hawk. "We need to talk," she said motioning for him to follow her back to Craig's truck. When she had the three of them gathered close to her, she waited until she saw York's truck drive away, and then spilled, keeping her eyes trained on Hawk. She didn't want to see Vivian's reaction.
"The fire inspector thinks you guys were running a hash lab in the cellar."
"What?" Craig roared, taking a step backwards to watch the fire inspector's car drive away.
From the corner of her eye, Emma could see Vivian's mouth drop open, but Hawk only stared, his eyes soft and thoughtful.
"What in the hell makes him think that?" Craig asked, his voice booming.
Emma shushed him. "He says there's butane containers and marijuana down there."
Hawk's eyes narrowed. "Actual marijuana? That just happened to survive that fire?"
Emma nodded. "That's what he said."
Hawk's eyes unfocused and Emma could almost see his brain working behind them. Even Craig held his tongue in respect for Hawk's processes. They'd all seen it a dozen times before. It was how he worked.
Vivian's hands fluttered to her face and she began to weep softly. Without looking around, Hawk pulled her into his chest and patted her back, his eyes still far off. Finally he spoke. "It makes sense, in a sick way."
"What does?" Emma asked.
"When does a criminal have the least chance of getting caught?" Hawk countered, then answered his own question. "When the cops don't know he exists, right? Whoever did this is smart. Smart enough to throw the investigation off from the very beginning. If his plan had succeeded, we'd be dead, unable to defend ourselves. Hell, if he was lucky, the cops and the fire inspector might have written this off as the two of us getting what we deserved. Case closed. Nothing to see here."
He turned to Craig. "Except, whoever did it had to know that you wouldn't let it rest. You, my best friend and an FBI agent."
"And brother-in-law," Craig muttered.
"And brother-in-law," Hawk parroted, his voice soft, still thoughtful.
Craig's eyes narrowed in some sort of understanding that was just outside of Emma's reach.
"We better go search my place," Craig said.
Hawk nodded and Craig started towards his driver's door. "Get in, we'll go straight over."
"Wait a minute! What just happened? What are you two talking about?" Emma cried.
Craig turned back to her. "There's a good chance that whoever did this might try to do something like it to me too. It wouldn't make sense otherwise. They'd have to know that I would know Hawk wasn't making hash. And they'd have to know that I wouldn't let it rest."
Emma felt her exhaustion and the events of the last thirty hours closing in on her. Her mind tried to crumple. She looked at her husband squarely. "Are you telling me our house is in danger? We are in danger?"
Craig took her hand and spoke to her softly. "I don't know, babe. But we have to assume we are."
Emma stared into his eyes and couldn't process it. She needed
"Great," York said, his voice sharp and clipped, his eyes following Hawk as he came closer. "Just what I want to deal with."
Emma thought quickly, then seized her chance. She leaned in close to York, conspiratorially close, and lowered her voice. "I've already dealt with him. He's a real bear. You get out of here, go back to your office. I'll deal with the homeowner and send the police to see you there." She had no plans of sending the police anywhere until she figured out what exactly was going on here, but she wanted him calm and away from the scene.
York nodded and Emma saw gratitude flash in his eyes. She bit back a grimace, feeling slimy, but knowing she had to do this, for Hawk and Vivian.
Hawk stepped up on the curb and Emma turned her back to him, then made a shooing gesture towards York. He turned and headed towards his car, moving quickly.
Emma turned around quickly and intercepted Hawk. "We need to talk," she said motioning for him to follow her back to Craig's truck. When she had the three of them gathered close to her, she waited until she saw York's truck drive away, and then spilled, keeping her eyes trained on Hawk. She didn't want to see Vivian's reaction.
"The fire inspector thinks you guys were running a hash lab in the cellar."
"What?" Craig roared, taking a step backwards to watch the fire inspector's car drive away.
From the corner of her eye, Emma could see Vivian's mouth drop open, but Hawk only stared, his eyes soft and thoughtful.
"What in the hell makes him think that?" Craig asked, his voice booming.
Emma shushed him. "He says there's butane containers and marijuana down there."
Hawk's eyes narrowed. "Actual marijuana? That just happened to survive that fire?"
Emma nodded. "That's what he said."
Hawk's eyes unfocused and Emma could almost see his brain working behind them. Even Craig held his tongue in respect for Hawk's processes. They'd all seen it a dozen times before. It was how he worked.
Vivian's hands fluttered to her face and she began to weep softly. Without looking around, Hawk pulled her into his chest and patted her back, his eyes still far off. Finally he spoke. "It makes sense, in a sick way."
"What does?" Emma asked.
"When does a criminal have the least chance of getting caught?" Hawk countered, then answered his own question. "When the cops don't know he exists, right? Whoever did this is smart. Smart enough to throw the investigation off from the very beginning. If his plan had succeeded, we'd be dead, unable to defend ourselves. Hell, if he was lucky, the cops and the fire inspector might have written this off as the two of us getting what we deserved. Case closed. Nothing to see here."
He turned to Craig. "Except, whoever did it had to know that you wouldn't let it rest. You, my best friend and an FBI agent."
"And brother-in-law," Craig muttered.
"And brother-in-law," Hawk parroted, his voice soft, still thoughtful.
Craig's eyes narrowed in some sort of understanding that was just outside of Emma's reach.
"We better go search my place," Craig said.
Hawk nodded and Craig started towards his driver's door. "Get in, we'll go straight over."
"Wait a minute! What just happened? What are you two talking about?" Emma cried.
Craig turned back to her. "There's a good chance that whoever did this might try to do something like it to me too. It wouldn't make sense otherwise. They'd have to know that I would know Hawk wasn't making hash. And they'd have to know that I wouldn't let it rest."
Emma felt her exhaustion and the events of the last thirty hours closing in on her. Her mind tried to crumple. She looked at her husband squarely. "Are you telling me our house is in danger? We are in danger?"
Craig took her hand and spoke to her softly. "I don't know, babe. But we have to assume we are."
Emma stared into his eyes and couldn't process it. She needed
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