We rang off. I grabbed a scarf from a shelf, the jacket I wanted from a hanger and dashed out of my walk-in in order to grab my purse and keys, lock up and run over to Mickey’s.

* * * * *

“All right, we’re officially running late!” I called.

“I’m coming! I’m coming! Two seconds!” Cillian yelled from the bathroom.

I was standing at the end of the hall at Mickey’s, staring at my watch. I turned my head, however, when I heard a door open.

I saw Aisling step out. “Go without me, Amy.”

She then stepped back in and closed the door.

Shit, we were supposed to leave that very minute. Now, what was I going to do with Aisling?

I wondered this even though I wasn’t surprised about Ash’s decision not to join us.

Mickey, with what he’d hoped was good timing—Aisling coming out to be with the family and take care of me on Wednesday night—had taken the opportunity to try to have his sit down with her the night before, Thursday.

This did not go well. There’d been a drama with some shouting, some, “There’s nothing bothering me,” which, after Mickey pushed, segued to, “You’d never get it, Dad!” more shouting and some slammed doors. She’d then calmed down but when she did she’d clammed up.

I knew all this because Mickey had given me a full report.

Now, I was taking the kids into town to attend the town council meeting, which would hopefully end with a vote approving a full-time firefighter. This being the first step toward Bobby feeling the department was in good shape, thus he was okay to leave, making Mickey the chief.

Mickey wasn’t at home with us because he was at a meeting at the firehouse. The fire inspector’s report had come in, disturbingly confirming that the fire at Mills jetty was arson. It was not the MO of any other such fires in Maine, but upon sheriff Coert receiving the report, he’d investigated and found that similar fires were started in Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming and Minnesota.

Thus, there was possibly an arsonist in Magdalene and the boys at MFD were getting a full briefing from the chief and the sheriff and we were joining Mickey in town for the council meeting, something which all the members of the department (save the ones on duty) were attending.

Something, in order to get there in time to settle in and get seats, we should be seeing to.

I stared down the hall, trying to come up with a game plan, when Cillian walked out of the bathroom.

My body jolted at the sight.

“What do you think?” he asked, pointing to his head, which had hair that looked wet but all of it stuck up on end like he was in the middle of a cartoon electrocution.