Love found me

Chapter 1: Meeting Jace Nolan

Lindsey Sloan hesitated, her knuckles hovering, just beneath the metal plaque on the door. David Campbell and below the name in smaller letters. Principal.

Although it was unusual for Dave to leave a message with the school secretary asking for her to come to his office, Lindsey believed she knew what her boss wanted to talk about.

Randolph-Lowen was up for review this year.

He probably wanted to ask her to head up the school committee.

That wasn't something she wanted to do, but she knew she would end up saying yes to his request. Which was why she was standing outside the door to his office as if she had been called here for punishment.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked and then, following Melanie's instructions turned the Doorknob. Dave, who was seated behind his desk, looked up.

"Sir, Melanie said I should come in, " Lindsey said.

Although she'd followed the instructions she'd been given, as Dave stood up, he seemed slightly annoyed by the interruption, or maybe she realized as she continued to study his expression, he was annoyed because of the presence of the man seated on the left side of his desk. He got up on his feet as Lindsey stepped inside the office.

He was no one she recognized. A parent with a complaint about something she had done? Since it was only the second week of school, she had given out no grades. If he was here to complain, it must be about an assignment. She mentally ran through the one she had handed out to her classes, but she couldn't imagine why any of them would bring a father to the school. Not in person.

"That's fine Lindsey, " Dave said. "Want to close that?"

The level of anxiety she had felt when she realized they were someone waiting with Dave escalated. She used the excuse of securing the door to hide it. When she turned back to face the two men, her "meet the parents" smile was firmly in place.

"Lindsey, this is Lieutenant Nolan. Detective, Lindsey Sloan, our gifted coordinator. "

" Ms. Sloan. "

That thin hard mouth probably didn't do much smiling, Lindsay thought. And he didn't intend to make an exception for her. His eyes, as dark as his hair, continued to study her as she attempted to retain her smile.

" detective? " she questioned.

" with the sheriff's department. "

" and you want to see me? "

" The lieutenant in charge of the investigation into the church fires, " Dave interjected.

Lindsey's gaze automatically shifted to the principal as he made his explanation. Almost immediately she refocused it on the detective. She realized that his eyes had never left her face, undoubtedly because he was noting her reaction to what Dave had just said.

Three rural churches in the country have been touched on separate nights last July. Although no additional fires occurred during August, the initial three continued to get top billing in both the state and national media.

"I'm sorry. You must think I'm very slow," Lindsey said.

"but I still don't understand why you want to see me."

"we've worked with the CID to develop a profile of the people who set those fires, " Nolan's voice was deep, its accent decidedly not local.

Nor was his appearance. The dark suit was too stylishly cut. And probably too expensive for this setting. His hair was a little long. Not nearly conservative enough for someone associated with local law enforcement. She wondered how the good old boys in the department related with Lieutenant Nolan.

Of course, her idle curiosity had no relevance to this discussion. And based on the intensity of the detective's gaze, she had the distinct impression that she'd better get focused on what Nolan was saying rather than on what he looked like before something important slipped by her.

"And that profile led you to me? "

She thought she had figured out where this was going, but she wanted him to put it into words. At least she now understood Dave's uneasiness.

"it led us to the students you teach. "

Randolph - lowen wasn't the only high school in the country. It was, however, the one designated to provide services for the gifted. A few kids even came from outside the country because they didn't have access to appropriate resources at the schools to which they were zoned.

"Are you saying your profile indicates the arsonists have high IQs? " All those old ladies' tales about that supposedly thin line between geniuses and insanity reared their ugly heads.

Before she could begin to dispute them, Nolan added," And that they're young. White. Male."

Lindsay glanced at Dave, wondering why he wasn't objecting to this. Profiling wasn't a science. The description the detective had just given with such an air of confidence might be widely inaccurate.

Besides, even if there were something to what he had just said, there was nothing the school could do to help him narrow his search. She wasn't going to start suggesting that one child or another might be involved in something as high profile as this crime. That would be a quick way to suspension followed by a lawsuit.

"I'm sorry, lieutenant. I don't think I can help you, " she had already turned toward the door when Dave stopped her.

" Lindsey, this isn't what you think. "

" then what is it? " she looked from one to the other.

" The people who developed the profile believe this is a thrilling crime, " Nolan said." something designed to get the adrenaline pumping."

Despite her doubts about the methodology, that was probably an accurate description. She just didn't see what it had to do with her. Or her students." And? "

" Once they experience that rush, " Nolan said, "they're going to want it again."

"And you think other churches will be burned. "

Even given her animosity towards the investigative process he had described, she didn't want this to happen. Not only did those small congregations suffer a huge emotional and financial loss, but the entire region also received yet another black eye through the lawlessness of a few individuals.

"We can almost guarantee it."

"Even if I had a suspicion that any of my students were involved, I assure you that I wouldn't feel comfortable discussing it with the police."

" those churches were all within a twenty-five-mile radius of this high school. If you take a map"

"I'm sure you have. Believe me, we all understand that the people of this country are suspects. But even if this community is at the center of the area where the fires occurred, that doesn't mean any student from this school set them. Nor does your profile, no matter who composed it."

"profiling gives us a place to start. This is it. "

Lindsey looked at Dave, wanting him to defend the kids of this community. It wasn't that none of them had ever been in trouble. Or that she thought they couldn't be. Not after ten years in this profession. But she also wasn't stupid enough to believe that just because the school sat in the geographic center of the area where the arsons had occurred, that meant the people involved in them attended it.

Dave shrugged, seeming to indicate he was bowing to what he saw as inevitable. Maybe Nolan had shared more information with him. Considering what he had shared with her, however, Lindsey wasn't willing to be sucked in. Not until one or the other of them leveled with her.

"Anything other than that profile and the proximity to the fires that makes you think my students might be involved? "

There was a flash of something in those dark eyes. The emotion was quickly masked, but not fast enough that she didn't wonder if he was laughing at her reluctance to believe her kids could be involved in something like this.

"Those aren't enough? " his tone devoid of sarcasm.

"Not for me, I'm afraid. Look, if I thought any of my students were involved, I might feel differently. But as of now, I have no reason to think they are. I had no reason to even think about the possibility until you showed up this morning. "

"And if you did have a reason?"

"I'd talk to someone I trusted about it."

"Like Dr. Campbell? "

Although Dave hasn't finished his doctorate, neither of them corrected him." only if I couldn't resolve those feelings in my mind, " Lindsey said.

" my best advice, ms. Sloan is that if you develop 'those feelings,' you don't try to resolve them. Here is my card. I would appreciate a call if you have any reason to reflect on the possibility that our profile has merit."

The phrasing was careful, perhaps intended not to offend.

The look in his eyes was not quite in keeping with it.

"of course."

Lindsey accepted the card he held out, making a show of looking down at it. The first thing she noted was his first name. Jace. The second thing she noted was something far more disturbing: the fact she had been wondering about that.

Jace Nolan. Who was very obviously from somewhere far from here? And very much outside of the norm of men, she knew.

She raised her eyes from the card, again finding his on her face. "is that all?"

"You can call me if you think of anything I should know."

Not exactly what she meant, but a dismissal.

She quickly took advantage of it. "Thanks. I'll do that."

She turned and walked to the door, conscious that they were both watching her. When she'd closed it, she leaned against its solid wood, releasing a breath as she thought about the interview that had just passed.

Before it seemed possible that either of the men inside the room had time to walk across it, the door opened from behind her, slightly off-balanced, she tried to get out of the way of the man who emerged.

"Sorry." Jace Nolan put his hand under her elbow in an attempt to steady her.

"my fault. I should have moved out of the doorway."

'Now try to explain why you didn't. '

"No harm done. Have a good day, Ms. Sloan. "

With a slight nod, the detective move past her and walked into the main office. She continued to watch as he disappeared through the door that led out into the lobby.