The Rookie (manxmen)**Hothouse Book 1**

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

(Police support------->)

Anyhoo darlings this is in Xavier's POV...

 

The past couple of days at the station has been disheartening and stressful to say the least, and currently it is with a heavy heart that I escorted the chief's summoned guests to his office. I stepped into outer office and nodded to a heart sick Kristy as the current but retiring Fire Commissioner, the Mayor, the Fire Marshall, and the Chief of Police filed past me and into the small room.

"This way gentlemen, Chief Garrison is waiting for you." Kristy stated as she rose from behind her desk and ushered everyone through the double doors of Lance's inner sanctum. The chief was sitting behind his desk and he slowly rose to his feet, the days of not sleeping and all the worry and stress over this entire situation and most importantly his man showed all over his pale features. I watched as he schooled his exhausted features and shook his visitors hands, one gentleman at a time. He asked Kristy to bring refreshments and he motioned for everyone to take a seat before he reclaimed his seat behind his desk. I tried to keep my features stoic, but I was sure the concern for my friend was plain to see on my face.

Lance had so many things thrown his way since Thad was attacked on the scene of a fire earlier this week, we all have. And an attack it was, it was confirmed by the one person we all thought was a suspect, Kelly. But instead of being guilty for assault, the poisonous little pissant was found out to the the arsonist behind the outbreak of recent fires. His goal was to make Ladder 29 look incompetent. The other person involved in this situation, the actual culprit behind Thad's attack was someone that I would have never in a million years would I have thought to be capable to do something like this. I mean, there was not a single clue giving away his true feelings on the matter, but that was what everyone here wantd to find out before he was taken into custody and charged for the crime he committed. There was more than enough evidence with the statement from Chuck, and the physical evidence on the wrecking bar from this very station house, it was damning indeed.

The Mayor cleared his throat while the police chief handed Lance some file folders for his perusal. His gaze flicked briefly to mine before he read through Kelly's statements, the list of items of evidence found in his apartment, and his vehicle. Then there was his sworn statement and this is where the disagreement between Lance and I came  into play. I was not comfortable with Lance taking the fall or being the scapegoat for something that we all agreed to keep private between ourselves. We all have been outed by that little shit. Kelly sang like a fucking canary when he was picked up by the police as a suspect for possible assault and battery. He was there that day during the fire with his new company, but he was on the ground crew on the other side of the building, but just the fact that he was there made him a suspect, and the only one at the time.

And Kelly decided that he wasn't going down by himself and  he named his partner in crime, the smug little bastard didn't know that his gear, his home, and his station house were being searched for possible evidence. And what they found more than enough to figure out that he was the one behind the fires. All his private manuals, and the different methods and chemicals used to ignite quick spreading infernos were all in his possession. The chemical compounds were a match to those taken from the different sites that Kelly had deliberately burned. But the damage was done and Lance was planning to take the fall by himself.

Kelly had made the allegations of inappropriate conduct and fraternization within the crew. He went on to further accuse the chief of using his position to sexually harass the man into doing what he wanted. But thank God so far everyone was seeing accusations for  the lies that they were. The chief had covered himself and the crew when he transferred the man to another company stating incompatibility amongst the crew's personalities. It also helped that the guys were separately questioned in regards to those allegations, and the personality conflicts amongst the staff here, and of course they all sang the chief's praises.  The only crew that wasn't questioned was Thad for obvious reasons and  Kelly's named accomplice in all this. And right now Lance and I hoped that it was another tall tale being spun by the disgruntled little twink, but the evidence on the man's  turnout gear, along with his fingerprints, and Thad's DNA all over the equipment spoke volumes.