Emerald (The Protector) - undergoing editing

Chapter 29

"Fool, you were supposed to use the shop to watch for the girls, not burn it down."

"I'm sorry, so sorry, I didn't mean for it to happen. Jason must have heard me because he came upstairs. I panicked and hit him from behind and then I accidently knocked the candle over and well, everything happened so quickly." He trembled "I'm really sorry; I tried to stop it, but it flared up so quickly I just had to get out."

"Well, we will have to find somewhere else for you and your partner to watch the girls. I wish they were back at the Inn, it was so much easier."

"I know, but they haven't been doing too much lately with Sarah being ill with the poison."

"You were lucky not to be caught and I don't think Jason remembers too much, fortunately. I have a feeling the girls will be leaving soon and you need to make sure you are there following them. I know you can track them in your other form, but it is not safe for you to change yet."

"I know. Sarah would sense us changing, though I don't think she would understand what she was feeling."

"True, but it is better to be safe than sorry. They are not aware that they are being watched and I would like it to stay that way."

"I understand. I'll go and see if I can find somewhere else where we can watch the girls."

"You do that. Report back to me as soon as you have a new location."

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"Did they work out how the fire started?" Sarah asked Emerald as they helped clear away the debris at Mr Turner's shop the next morning.

Emerald shook her head "I don't think so."

The girls had volunteered their services to Mr Turner last night, who was more than happy to have their help. At present they were in the front of the shop, clearing out the burnt books from near the shop window.

Sarah threw another book on the pile outside that was slowly getting larger.

"Maybe it started upstairs."

"I guess it's possible, but I'm not sure how we will be able to get up there to check it out" Emerald pointed at the burnt out staircase.

"Don't they have ladders in this world?"

"Well yes, but good luck getting anyone to give you one so that you can explore. You're already in enough trouble as it is for running into a burning building and if they know you plan on heading upstairs where the floor or ceiling for that matter, could collapse" Emerald shrugged her shoulders. "Julia would be furious with you and with me for letting you go up there."

Sarah grinned at her friend "We don't have to tell her."

"Oh no, I am not going to go there Sarah."

"But Em, Jason thought someone hit him. What if that someone was hiding upstairs and there is some sort of evidence of them being there. Don't we owe it to Mr Turner and Jason to find out?"

"Now hang on a minute, we are not detectives and I think you have been watching too many detective shows in your spare time."

Sarah laughed, she did love Criminal Minds and CSI.

"But seriously Sarah, why don't we let Geoffrey handle it."

"Because I want to know. It's like when I got that feeling that something was wrong. I really believe that someone was upstairs, that they didn't want to be discovered and hit Jason in the process. I'm just not sure that they meant to start the fire." She looked plaintively at her friend "I need to see upstairs."