9 Nora“The damning testimony was given by a forensic chemist with ATF,” Hugo added.
The initials were shorthand for the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Hugo tapped his phone and read from the screen.
“The chemist analyzed nine carpet samples from the trailer carpet. Five of the samples tested positive for an accelerant. Of the positive samples, one was from the living room carpet and four were from the bedroom.”
“What was the accelerant?” Nora asked.
Hugo checked his phone. “The chemist put it in a category he called heavy petroleum distillates. Kerosene is in that category. The prosecution identified kerosene as the likely accelerant.”
Raising his eyes to meet Nora’s, he added, “An empty one-gallon can was sitting on the grass outside the trailer’s entry door
