She was staring at the file of the “Northside Arsonist.” Over six months, three historic warehouses had burned down. The latest was El Molino , a century-old grain silo turned art studio. The fire had killed a night watchman, a man named Gerardo.
Dr. Reyes arrived first, carrying a metal briefcase like a surgeon’s kit. She was quiet, precise, allergic to opinions.
Marco pointed to a map on the wall. “Three warehouses. All historic. All slated for demolition by the city to build a new luxury condo complex. Silvio Herrera owned El Molino . He was fighting the demolition order in court. He was losing.”
Laura looked at both reports. Ana told her where to look for the killer. Marco told her who to look for. criminologia y criminalistica
“So he burned his own building for insurance?” Laura asked.
He tapped a psychological profile. “The arsonist isn’t an owner committing fraud. He’s a true believer . He loves old buildings. He sees the condos as a desecration. But he’s not a hero—he’s a purist . In his mind, if he can’t save the buildings, no one will enjoy the land. He’ll burn them as a funeral pyre.”
The fire chief’s report read: Cause: accidental. Old wiring. She was staring at the file of the “Northside Arsonist
“I visited Gerardo’s widow,” Marco said, sitting down. “I also interviewed the owner of El Molino , a man named Silvio Herrera. And I pulled the records from the first two fires.”
When they arrested him, they found a pair of pliers with micro-fractures matching the soda can shim (Ana’s work) and a journal filled with manifestos about “cleansing the city with fire” (Marco’s work).
At the trial, the prosecutor summed it up perfectly: “Criminalística told us the truth of the flame—where it started, what fed it, and who held the match. Criminología told us the truth of the mind—why he struck the match, why he chose these buildings, and why he stopped caring if someone was inside. Marco pointed to a map on the wall
Detective Laura Mora hated two things: an unsolved case and a lazy conclusion.
In two hours, they had a name: . A 48-year-old former architectural historian. He had written seventeen angry letters to the city council. He lived three blocks from the first fire. And his hobby? Restoring antique furniture using… industrial paint thinner.
She called two experts to a meeting in her cramped office.
That was criminologia —the soul of the monster, not just his footprints.