“And he’s the one who discovered the fire?” Merritt clarified.
“Yes, Your Honor,” Lowell said. “He was the first to raise the alarm. Called the fire department himself.” Merritt jotted that down—finder of the fire.
Ms. Cooper stood. “Jacob had already left before the blaze started. He was working on a breaker fault near the east wing. The timing doesn’t fit.” Her calm contrasted Lowell’s momentum. It was like a surgeon stepping into a brawl.