Burn marks on the ground. Bits of melted plastic. Melted glass. Ash and other debris. The area around the building was like a postcard picture of a fireman's success. The building had burned, but it had been contained. The other buildings around it had only seen the faint lick of flames. They were dwarfs, compared to this building, single story buildings in the shadow of a five story complex. Apartments next to little shops. Someone had targeted the building, and that told him they hadn't been too concerned with human life. Beyond that, what he knew could be counted on a hand.

The building had been burned. Forensics had determined it to be some sort of flamethrower that had started the blaze, possibly mutant in origin. And there had been no preamble, no warning beforehand that they had found. It hadn't been electrical, but it could have been an accident. It was bad to rule out things and make judgments before all evidence had been obtained. At the moment, the point of interest was questioning residents. They'd learn more by doing that than they would by going over the remains. Better to question people about the fire early, while it was fresh, than go check out the site and see what else forensics had dug up, and make the residents wait.

It was a huge bit of luck for them that many of the residents had been out at the time. The firemen had not had to rescue many people from the blaze. Only a handful, 5. It was the morning after. The fire had started around midnight the previous night, as far as call logs went. That was when the fire department had been alerted. Of the five, two were women, two men, and one teenager, male, son of one couple in the place. They'd talk with the people who had been out later. For now, actual witnesses were more important. The group of people were at the hospital. From the building, it would be a short trip. EMTs had arrived fast to help the wounded, and luckily nobody had been injured badly.

Ashton swept his gaze over the charred building. The fire had largely been contained to the upper levels. That was how the nearby buildings had largely escaped being burned. The right half of the building was blackened, parts of it ready to fall. The building had been roped off.

They were working with the fire marshals on this investigation. Full cooperation. Forensics would find out more with the help of them than they would have on their own, and they probably wouldn't have even got the chance, otherwise. It had been a good decision. Ashton still didn't like it.

Ashton ran a hand through his short brown hair, and scratched the back of his neck, then jerked his head towards the line of vehicles where they'd parked their car. "Let's head to the hospital, Quin." He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his black leather jacket.

Quin wrinkled her nose at the smell of the creosote and ash. Fire was one of those things that made the redhead frown. It was one of those things that could kill you multiple ways, some before you even knew it was happening. Nobody had died in this fire, but it had burned quick and hot. People had lost their homes, and all their worldly possessions, but the little wall plaque someone had found buried in the sooty rubble had said it all, "The most important things in life aren't things."

Ashton spoke, and Quin jerked her head away from the building, pushing her windblown hair out of her face and behind her ear. They were going to interview witnesses while CSI did their squinting. Maybe they'd be able to figure out who had set the fire.

"On my way." She said, following her partner to the car and climbing in the passenger seat. "Arson is tough to crack...hardly any evidence." she said gathering her hair into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck. "What makes this one different?" The question wasn't snarky, simply curious, and Quin hoped Ashton had an answer.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened as they pulled out and into traffic. "They think a mutant did it." Hence why they'd called MRC. "I got the impression someone was planning to put a negative spin on it if we didn't catch 'the guy', quote unquote." He let that thought hang in the air for as long as it could.

It was stupid, really. The idea that an arson was any different from a mutant arson. The idea that it made the crime any different at all. People have a tendency to be sheep, Ashton knew. Some shepherds are worse than others. Leading people to stupid reactions was stupid, which is why it had a tendency to happen often.

"The person that called the tip line mentioned seeing someone who looked 'insectoid' in appearance, whatever that means." He drove along. "They reported the fire anonymously, so we don't have much more to go on than their words." Call logs only got one so far. "Hopefully, one of the witnesses saw something or someone. Or maybe it was just an accident, and someone's blowing smoke."

"Ah...ha." Quin said, nodding her head slowly. Mutants had to have had something to do with it, or they wouldn't have been there, but the exact role was something of a conundrum...especially considering the point that Quin had made just a few minutes before.

She waited for Ashton to finish speaking, then sighed, brushing her bangs to the side. "The real question is if it'd better or worse if this was an accident." she said with a frown. Hopefully it hadn't been some kid, meeting their powers for the first time, taking out half a building and ruining lives in the process. At least if it was arson, mutant induced or otherwise, there would be someone who deserved the justice they were probably going to get.

"So who is on our roster?"

He didn't answer her, about which would be better. Instead, he stopped, then made a right turn on red. They were nearly at the hospital.

He sped up a little and made his own way through traffic.

Five people were on their roster. He had the names written down on a pad in his pocket, but hadn't committed them all to memory yet. "The first one I've got," And the only he remembered "Is named Rory Gillespie. Single, 30. Actor." Because he couldn't make it sound anything less than dry, he simply stated "On stage."

Noting the name of the first person they were set to interview at the hospital, Quin groaned at the mention of the man's profession.
"I hate working with actors...and stage actors are the worst..." she muttered. They were always so difficult, so generally overwrought, so...so...dramatic.

"Please tell me that he's at least a nobody...I don't think I can handle a celebrity today."

Turning to Ashton, she grinned, "I didn't even bring my autograph book."

"Good thing he's a stage actor," Ashton commented wryly. His eyes shifted Quin's way. "If he were a rock star, he'd assume you didn't need one." Eyebrows raised and lowered in a discrete waggle, then he turned his focus back to the road. Rock stars sign more than books.

"No idea if he's famous or not. Maybe if we ask nicely, he'll tell us?" Ashton added with a boyish smirk.

Their parking spot was on the first floor of the hospital parking garage. He went around the small loop and into the structure. It didn't take him more than a minute to park. They'd have to check at the front desk to find out which rooms their list people were in. Ashton pocketed his keys and made to get out.