Typical Day
On a cold and rainy morning in a cold and rainy town, fire investigator John Privarson is snug under the covers in his bed. He should know better than to get lulled into such a false sense of security.
A crash of thunder. Startled out of his slumber, John sits up. As the heavenly rumble fades away, John rubs his face and stares at the clock. 4:45AM. As John tries to fall back asleep to the peaceful sounds of rain, his cell phone rings.
John rolls his eyes and answers it as he climbs out of bed. A call this early can only mean one thing―someone's hopes and dreams went up in a blaze tonight, and John's the one being called to figure out why.
This morning, as with every morning, John does his routine. The investigation can wait until he's had time to eat, brush his teeth, and make sure he has matching socks on. John's always been of the philosophy that a good start to the day is vital for a proper investigation. He downs the last of his milk and heads for the door.
As he walks to his truck, John ponders the expiration date on milk cartons. How much of the reasoning for those dates is about spoiled milk, and how much about ensuring that the company doesn't get sued? John's suspicious nature is great for his job, but can make even the most routine breakfast an event of mystery and intrigue.
He pulls up to the scene at 5:30AM. The rain has lightened a bit but hasn't stopped. It's the typical deal: flashing lights, caution tape to keep out the crowd and press, and exhausted firefighters decompressing from the action. It's the town industrial area, so the odds are it's a warehouse fire, and from the wreckage that looks to be the case. The Captain is already there, which means the circumstances may be out of the ordinary.
"Good morning John," he says as he takes in the investigator through water-covered glasses. "This was a rough one. Took us all night to put it out. The rain helped a little, but it was temperamental, to say the least." A police officer John recognizes brings him a cup of coffee as he and the Cap'n go over the details.
The two-story warehouse was empty at the time, and the security guard on duty said no one was on camera. That usually means someone left a burner on in the kitchen. Usually.
Discussion adjourned, John grabs his kit from the vehicle and gets to work. "Nothing like starting your day before the sun comes up," John thinks, as he approaches the charred remains of the warehouse. That might sound wistful or romanticized, but if you could see John's stone-faced expression you'd understand the sarcasm.
Over the next few hours, John examines the scene, collects samples, and interviews witnesses (there aren't many of them). Around 11:00AM, he enters the guard booth to debrief the supposed witness and pick up a copy of the security footage.
The guard, obviously shaken that this happened on his watch, is sweating from joy when John shows up. Turns out the guy has been taking a close look at the footage all morning, and he thinks he's found something John will want to see.
The video shows the back corner of the warehouse near a ventilation shaft. For a split second, an unnatural shadow can be seen scurrying across the screen. It could be a raccoon, provided the raccoon is five-foot-six and has learned to walk upright.
It's probably not enough to save the job of the poor security guard—it's hard to explain the whole building burning down on your watch—but it'll be a good start for the investigation nonetheless.
John heads for the back ventilation duct, where he uses his kit to test for samples. There seem to be traces of some kind of accelerant, and a half-burned rag is tucked carelessly under a grate. He stares at the rag with an intense that's interesting look in his eye. He doesn't have a clue what it means yet, but he has to look quizzical in case anyone is watching.
A little while later, John packs up and heads to his vehicle, still sporting that same that's interesting look on his face. He hopes it gives off a sense of determination. What's he's really thinking, of course, is where should I stop for lunch?
After a hearty meal at the local diner, John gets to his office at the station around 2:45PM. He stops there long enough to drop off the morning's notes and laboratory samples, pick up the files for court, and put on a tie before going back out to the car. As he passes the living quarters, he sees two of the firefighters watching Backdraft. For a moment, John contemplates staying. Some other time.
Arriving just in time for the deposition, John shakes the water off his coat as he walks in to the courthouse. He enters the deposition room and greets the prosecution, then takes a seat as the festivities begin. Lost in his thoughts, John almost doesn't realize when he is called to the stand around 4:45PM.
The next twenty minutes are spent answering questions about a fire from three months ago. It had been an easy case of insurance fraud, and John can't help but feel his attentions are needed elsewhere. He manages to stay focused even so. That kind of dedication is why he makes the big bucks.
Around 5:45PM, John gets back home. It's no longer raining, but the sky is still threatening another burst before nightfall. John sits down with a chicken breast and throws his feet up in his recliner. He spends the next hour picking at his food and ignoring the TV as he pores over the notes from the warehouse fire.
At 8:00PM, exhausted from the search, John decides to take a break and hit the hay. As he drifts off to the sound of drizzle beginning again, he's haunted by the image of a shadow scurrying into the distance.
A crash of thunder. John sleeps through it. When the phone rings at 11:15PM, he's not so lucky. Another building has been set ablaze, same MO as the previous night. "Great," John thinks, "a serial arsonist. Just what this town needs." Stepping into his overcoat for the second time today, he looks up into the sky towards a thick cloud of smoke in the distance.
All the way to the car John is muttering under his breath about shadows and arson and sleep schedules. He's far from pleased at his lack of shut-eye, but he's fully determined to find this arsonist before he strikes again.