Jim had always wondered how it would feel to be an arsonist. Now he knew, it was exhilarating and terrifying. Also more work than he expected. He wanted the house to be destroyed enough Lyanne would have to move, but not so gone they couldn't accidentally discover the cache in the other half of the home.

He thought he got the balance just about right. Fire Chief Harvey had no objection to simply letting the place burn. He'd long been an advocate of bulldozing the houses that were next ...