Chapter 10: The Arsonist 2
Adam watched the exchange, a pang of something he couldn't quite name hitting him. Rita. The anchor. The one who, however unknowingly, keeps Dexter tethered to some semblance of normalcy, to the illusion of a human life. Her worry, even through the phone, was a stark contrast to the detached curiosity Dexter displayed. It was a poignant reminder of the human cost, the emotional ripple effects, even in a "non-lethal" crime. She worries about him, about the man she believes him to be. If she only knew…
"She worries," Adam commented, once Dexter had hung up, the lingering scent of smoke a bitter taste in his mouth.
"It's… inconvenient," Dexter replied, but there was a subtle, almost imperceptible hesitation in his voice, a hint of something more than just annoyance. He cares, in his own way. Or at least, he understands the absolute necessity of maintaining the facade for her, for Harrison, for his carefully constructed life. "But necessary for the illusion."
As they drove away from the smoldering ruins, the smell of smoke still clinging to their clothes, a phantom heat on their skin, Adam's mind churned, processing the fragmented data. The firefighter's words, the System's glitch, the recurring pattern of destruction. Abandoned commercial buildings. Old warehouses. Derelict storefronts. Places sitting empty, collecting dust.
He mentally scrolled through a list of his firm's inactive accounts, properties that had been a drain on resources, difficult to insure, even harder to sell. The names, the addresses, began to click into place with an alarming, sickening precision.
Then it hit him, a cold, hard realization that made his stomach clench and his breath catch in his throat.
"Dexter," Adam said, his voice tight, the casual sarcasm gone. "The buildings. The ones that have been hit. I think I know why they're being targeted."
"Oh?" Dexter raised an eyebrow, a rare spark of genuine, unfeigned interest in his eyes.
"They're all properties that were, or still are, clients of my insurance firm," Adam revealed, the implications settling heavily, like ash from the fire. "Or rather, they were clients. Buildings with lapsed policies, or properties that were difficult to sell, sitting on the books for too long. Someone's clearing out the dead weight, literally, for a profit. And they're doing it with fire."
The System, as if responding to Adam's chilling realization, flickered again, the interface solidifying with new, damning information. The [GLITCH: INCOMPLETE DATA] warning remained, a persistent, unsettling anomaly, but a new entry appeared under the Destruction Aura, stark and undeniable.
[SUBJECT: 123 OCEAN DRIVE (ABANDONED HOTEL)][CAUSE: ARSON][PROBABILITY: 95%][ETA: 24h][ASSOCIATED ENTITY: KESSLER INSURANCE GROUP (CLIENT)]
An abandoned hotel. And it's a client. My client. My firm. The System had just handed him the arsonist's next target, and it was directly linked to his professional life, to the very company that employed him. The stakes had just escalated from a general threat to a deeply personal, professional conflict. This wasn't just about stopping a criminal; it was about exposing corruption within his own ranks.
"The Ledger just gave me the next target," Adam said, his voice grim, the weight of the revelation pressing down on him. "123 Ocean Drive. An abandoned hotel. And it's… one of my firm's properties. A very old, very problematic one."
Dexter's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, a flicker of genuine surprise. "Your firm? This is getting… complicated, Kessler. Even for you."
"Complicated is an understatement, Dexter. This is a statistical nightmare wrapped in a burning building," Adam muttered, running a hand through his hair. This isn't just about stopping an arsonist anymore. This is about my job, my reputation, and potentially, my life if I dig too deep. The System's persistent glitch, the inability to identify the "unknown source of destruction," suddenly felt far more ominous. Was it a single person, or something larger, more insidious, a network of destruction hidden within the corporate structure?
"I need to go back to the office," Adam declared, a new, steely resolve hardening his features. "This isn't just a case for Miami Metro anymore. This is an internal investigation. I need to find out who benefits from these fires, and who in my firm is connected to this… 'urban renewal' scheme."
Dexter nodded slowly, a predatory glint returning to his eyes, a silent acknowledgment of the hunt. "A new kind of hunt. I'm intrigued. Just try not to get burned, Kessler. Some fires are harder to put out than others, especially when they're fueled by greed."
Adam knew Dexter wasn't just talking about the literal flames. He was talking about the dangerous game Adam was about to play, venturing into the heart of his own company to unmask a destructive force. He had a fire report (100%) and a photo of the arsonist's vehicle (90%) in his mind, courtesy of the System, but the real evidence, the burnt receipt, the motive, lay hidden within the very walls he worked in. The System had expanded, but so had the danger.
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