16 Nora“I am,” Rob confirmed. “The fire marshal clearly believed arson caused the fire. But he didn’t prove it.”
He sipped coffee, a pondering expression on his face. “Did the defense attempt to contradict the arson allegation?” he asked.
Nora snorted. “Their private fire investigator suggested that electrical problems might have caused the fire. But all the wiring was destroyed and he had no evidence that had happened. Still, he insisted that the fire should have been classified as being of undetermined origin.”
Nora met Rob’s eyes. “The jury wasn’t convinced.”
She soothed her irritation with more doughnut.
“I can’t believe I’m still running into this crap.” Rob’s grunt sounded full of disgust.
“The trial took place in 2011?” he asked.
Registering her nod, Rob continued, “The appli
