Again Hoffman pursed his lips as if in deep thought. He poked at the ceiling with his cane. “There is surface damage to the wood but nothing structural. The fire must have burned out quickly.” He clasped his cane behind his back with both hands, rocking on his toes as he studied the scene.

“Yes, they were able to subdue the flames before the entire building caught. I was amazed at how quickly they organized bucket lines to bring water up from the river.” The door to Montgomery’s office stood open now, the shattered glass panel crunching under Daniel’s boots. The area where Montgomery’s body had lain was the only clear space. Every other surface was showered with papers and documents and ash. “The fire flashed through here quickly. Some of the papers burned, but others look untouched.”

“That is the nature of paper. A single sheet will be gone in seconds, but a stack can burn for hours or even smolder and douse itself.” Hoffman shoved through the pages on the floor with the tip of his cane. “Again, I do not see any structural damage here. Cosmetic only.” His gaze sharpened again. “Was the window open, or did someone open it afterward?”

The river side of the office had two windows. One was shattered completely with the sash in the closed position, but the other sash was raised. Again, no glass in the frames. “I didn’t open it, and no one lingered in here long enough to do so. Not with the danger of fire or another explosion lurking.”

“I would suspect thieves and looters, but what would be the point? The place is open to the wind now.” The engineer shrugged. “One would not need to enter by an open window. One could dance through the doors.”

“For the past three nights, two watchmen have been on duty to keep the curious or nefarious away. Trusted men hired for the purpose. If there are any clues here, I don’t want them wandering off in the hands of a thief.” Daniel squatted and leafed through brittle sheets of paper. Orders, it appeared, filled and delivered. Neat rows of columns. He would put Owen on gathering and organizing the charred pages. The office boy would be thrilled.

“You may wish to secure this, however. It appears to be the mill’s strongbox.” Wood and metal scraped on the floor as Hoffman dragged a well-strapped cube from beneath a counter. Once painted red, with metal strips crossing it in squares, a large lock hung from the hasp.

“How soon will you be able to determine the extent of the damage and whether it is feasible to rebuild?”