In this chapter, we learn that the police are called to the scene of a suspicious fire at a skating rink in the city of central Pennsylvania. Detective Paul Johnson is assigned to investigate the fire, and he and his partner, Detective Vincente Pezzini, enter the scene. They find evidence in the cellar of the building, and they are told that the crime scene is a "homicide" , meaning that the fire was started by someone who was not in the immediate vicinity of the burning building. Johnson tells his partner that he feels a "divine power" at the scene, but that he is still "raw and unfocused" . He tells the detective to get ready to sign a dotted line, which will allow them to use the extra hazardous material to haul the flammable material to the main office. He then tells the other detectives that he cannot do his job tonight because he is supposed to meet someone, but when it is time to do the job, it comes first. He asks to be allowed to enter the building.