The young miner looked toward Walter.
"I saw a man leaving the rear alley just before the shouting started. He had a company coat on."
Several people became quiet.
Bram forced a laugh.
"Half the camp wears company coats."
Thomas nodded.
"That's why I'm not saying who it was."
He looked toward Loretta.
"I'm saying somebody needs to look into it."
Elias stood beside the stove.
He felt anger rising.
But he remembered what Loretta had said about the records.
The truth needed more than one man's temper.
So he turned toward the miner who handled local constable duties and asked that the fire, the damaged latch, the footprints, and the torn cloth be formally documented.
Bram watched them.
Then he turned away.
For the first time, his threats weren't stopping the questions.
They were causing more people to ask them.
The inquiry that followed didn't produce an instant answer.
The damaged latch showed signs of being forced.
The fire had begun in an area separate from the stove.
And a witness had seen someone near the rear entrance before the smoke appeared.
Those facts raised serious concerns.
But they didn't identify the person responsible on their own.
The constable collected statements.
The building was inspected.
And the available physical evidence was preserved as carefully as conditions allowed.
Loretta found the waiting difficult.
She wanted certainty.
After months of frightening notices, missing payments, and public humiliation, she wanted someone to explain exactly who had tried to destroy her kitchen.
But Elias reminded her gently that reaching a conclusion too quickly could give the people responsible an opportunity to challenge everything.
She understood.
Still, some nights she woke convinced she smelled smoke.
During those moments, Elias sat outside her sleeping room and spoke to her until the fear passed.
He didn't insist on entering.
He didn't tell her she was foolish for being frightened.
He simply remained nearby.
Once, near midnight, she asked through the door, "Are you still there?"
He answered immediately.
"Yes."
She was quiet for a moment.
Then she whispered, "I don't want to be alone."
Elias looked toward the door.
"Would you like me to come inside?"
There was a pause.
Then she answered.
"Yes, please."
He entered carrying a small lantern.
Loretta sat on the edge of her reinforced bed, wrapped in a blanket, her face pale beneath her loose brown hair.
Elias pulled a chair near the doorway.
For a while, they spoke about ordinary things.