“Andrews, you’re quickly becoming a pain in my ass,” Ryan complained. “Now what’s so all-fired important you have to say it behind closed doors?” “Charly, sir.” Nate had mulled over his words and opted for direct and brief. “You’d heard the rumors about her personal life. I’d like to know who started them.” Ryan stared him down for a long moment before letting out a gusty sigh. “Why, son? She’s doing just fine where she’s at, at least when it comes to the job. She was a great firefighter, and she’s an even better cop. You start poking around where you don’t belong, and you’re gonna stir up a hornet’s nest. She doesn’t need it, and neither do you.” “I’m worried this arsonist is making it personal,” Nate answered candidly. “We both know Charly doesn’t have a personal life, at least not that anyone in the company knows about. They’re all hens, so if she was in a relationship, they’d be all over it like stink on shit.” “And this ties into the arsonist, how?”
