What Was Burned

Chapter 12

 The next morning, I stood quietly in Tom's lab, going over the last details about Smith's case just after having to explain to Kiel why I couldn't answer his calls yesterday evening when my phone rang in my pocket. I answered it halfheartedly, my eyes not leaving the texts written on the documents in my hands.

"Boss ! Something back happened to David !" My heart skipped a beat as the full meaning of Shawn's words entered my brain.

I frantically put down the folders. "What, what happened ? Is he okay ?" I was trying to not make myself appear too scared but dread was beginning to fill my being.

"He's fine, boss." He paused to take in a gulp of air. "There has been a gas leak in his house an hour ago. Thankfully, he was the only one in at the moment of the explosion. It blasted through the house and almost hit him but he was able to fling himself out of a window before it reached him. He suffered some bruises and light burns but he's fine. He's only going to have to spend one or two weeks in the hospital." Relief washed over me as I realised I had been holding my breath at his words. He was such a dear friend of mine, I would have broken down if something had happened to him.

We talked a bit more about the case before I asked where Dave's hospital was. After having thanked Shawn, I hung up and grabbed my coat on the way as I walked out the lab. The ride to the hospital wasn't long and I realised, albeit a bit slow, that it was the same hospital as Sarakiel's. I smiled at the thought of surprising my brother after I had seen Dave.

After I asked where he was, I made my way to Dave's room, number 322 and knocked on the door. Once I heard him calling out from inside, I entered and waved at him before putting down a large basket of fruits and get-well gifts on the seat leaning against the right wall.

Dave had his entire right arm bandaged and half of his face was covered. He was seating on his bed, looking out the window like those many times I saw Sarakiel do when I visited him. I guess there isn't much you could do in a hospital apart from looking out windows. It did look extremely dull after all.

"So, what happened ?" I asked, breaking the silence. He turned to me and grinned.

"Oh, nothing much. Just my kitchen going bonkers and blowing up, you know, the usual." I smiled at his words. He didn't seem that much affected by it if sarcasm was his go-for response and that reassured me. "It was apparently a gas leak but the police is still looking into it. I don't remember anything before it exploded so I couldn't help them." He was trying to remember more details but I didn't want him to strain himself too much.

"Don't worry. I'm here as a friend, not as a detective." I walked to the bed and sat down on the windowsill. Dave had almost the same view as Sarakiel did, of children playing outside with a corner of Hyde Park on the side. I pointed to the food in the basket. "Those are for you. Do get well so I won't have to worry about you." He sheepishly scratched his head and nodded. "Yeah, I'll try." Silence fell, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I gazed at the view outside the glass, my eyes skimming through the children, the buildings around and the park.

After a few moments, I decided to tell him what Shawn had told me on the phone. "My agency is going to take up your case, Dave."

He looked up, startled. "What ? But you don't deal with those small cases, right ? Plus, this was just an accident."

I didn't say anything else. He was right. My team usually handles cases that are too difficult for the police. We wouldn't even glance at those small accidents that could happen to anyone at anytime.

But Dave's situation was different. The police had contacted Shawn after Dave was securely in the hospital. They had apparently found evidence of someone sabotaging the source of gas in his kitchen. That meant someone was trying to kill him. As I looked into his eyes, I couldn't bring myself to shock him even more than he had been already.