Page 109 of Serial Burn

She didn’t believe him. “You were in my bedroom at my aunt’s house. I remember you. I remember your words.”

“Yes. I was compelled to see you, to see what a survivor looked like in some ways, but I also thought about killing you that night.”

Jesslyn shuddered. “Why didn’t you?”

“I told you I wasn’t a killer.”

She was so confused.

“My sister thought you had all died in the fire. That’s what she hoped, but you beat her. You survived all of it—losing your whole family, starting a new life. I admired that. Relished it, even. I overheard her ranting one night when she didn’t think I was there. At the park where she used to watch our mother meet your dad. She saw me there and started screaming at me, like it was my fault you weren’t in the fire too. I asked her what she was going to do and she said nothing. Our mother was dead because of your father.”

Jesslyn flinched. His mother had made choices too, but she didn’t think now would be a good time to point that out.

“But that’s neither here nor there,” he said. “That’s all in the past. Or at least it was until you went on television and told the world about your wonderful father and how you were going to honor him by building a youth center. What this boils down to is that your father was not a good man. There can be no building with his name on it. That’s just laughable. Why would you want to honor a dishonorable man?”

“He’d changed,” was all she could offer.

He snorted. “Right. You don’t understand. My family was all I had. Do you know what it’s like to grow up as the odd one? The quiet one? I was smart so I was expected to achieve great things, right? I loved chemistry so that was great. I could become a famous chemist. But one summer I worked at the country club and discovered I also loved pools.” He gave a humorless laugh. “Have you ever heard of anything so dumb? Maybe it was all the chemistry involved in keeping them clean and balanced. Whatever. But that’s what I loved. I can’t explain it so anyone really understands. But when I’m out there with justthe pool, I can just be me. I don’t have to worry about what anyone thinks of me and I don’t have to worry about measuring up. Basically, I just wanted to own my own company and serve customers. Help them keep their pools in great working order. Clean and fun. But that wasn’t good enough for my dad. He hounded me about making something of my life, so I decided I would do both. Teach and work with the pools. But because I have to give all my money away, I’ll never be able to see that dream come true. Until now. It’s just about to be within my grasp and I can stop this stupid teaching thing and start my own business.” He shrugged.

“And I’m somehow going to help you do that.”

He glanced at his phone again. “Yes.”

“What about the other fires?”

“Again, not my work.”

He seemed in a hurry to leave and yet at the same time wanted to stay. Like telling her everything was a relief of some sort.

“But you used your students to watch them? What were they watching for?”

“It was just Kenny. No one else was involved. I promised Kenny I’d make sure he got his degree with honors if he helped me and kept his mouth shut. He was desperate and wasn’t about to say no. Kenny dropped the jewelry at each fire for me. I told him if he got caught, I’d make sure he lost everything. But good old Kenny. When he got caught, he kept his mouth shut.”

“Why drop the jewelry?”

He straightened. “I have my reasons. Don’t worry. They’ll put it together soon.”

“Who’ll put what together?”

“Where to come. They’ll find the check.”

Her brain hurt. “What check? Who’ll find it?”

“My neighbor called and said officers were looking for residents of our old neighborhood. It’s only a matter of time before they connect me to the neighborhood and the school, right? And then come here?”

“Right, but you want them to come here?”

“Yes. I’m sure they missed you almost immediately at the fire scene and started looking, right?”

She frowned. “Yes.”

“Then they’ll be here soon. I just have to pick the right time to call her. They’ll stop her.”

“Her? Who?”

He shook himself and backed toward the door. “I’ve got to go.”

“And Brad?” she asked, ignoring his insistence that he had to leave. “Someone pushed him off the dorm roof. Was that you?”

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