Page 34 of Serial Burn

Like purple stains.

Brittany Brown, the gym’s owner, detached herself from several members Jesslyn had seen but didn’t know. Brittany and Jesslyn chatted on a regular basis.

With Kenzie at her side, Jesslyn met Brittany halfway. “Are you all right?”

Sweat and black ash coated the woman’s normally fair skin and her friendly eyes were shadowed. “I’m okay. We all got out, thank goodness. The alarms saved us.”

“Where’d it start? Do you know?”

“Several alarms went off at around the same time. One in the women’s bathroom. One in the childcare area, which was empty at the time, praise the Lord, and one in the spare equipment room.”

“Can you access the security footage from your phone or laptop?”

“Yeah. It should all be in the cloud or on the server.”

“Great. We’ll need a copy of that.”

“Of course.” Brittany rubbed a hand across her forehead, smearing the soot. “I can’t believe someone would do this. I mean, why?”

“We’re looking into that,” Kenzie said, and Jesslyn nodded. It was too soon to flat-out state that the person might be targeting places Jesslyn frequented, but she was putting every other location she could think of on high alert—including her favorite grocery store, doctor’s office, coffee shop ... and the Cornerstone Café, of course.

Movement at the edge of the property shifted her focus. Someone stood there, heavy coat on, hat, gloves, long pants, and work boots. She wasn’t sure why she noticed him. Maybe because of his stance. Arms crossed, head low, alone. Out of place. She started toward him, wanting a look at his face. He glanced up and caught her eye. Looked away. Then stepped back.

“Kenzie?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you detain that guy in the green coat and black hat?” She gave a subtle nod toward the man.

“The one looking ready to run?”

“That’s the one.”

“Consider him detained.”

Kenzie got on her radio and officers gave chase. Jesslyn hurried behind them. “Catch him,” she whispered, “please catch him.”

They would. They had to. Because she had a bad feeling that this fire was all her fault.

NATHAN TRACKED THE FLEEING MAN.

“Got him in my scope,” Cole said. Not to shoot, but to give them information as to the direction he was going. “Take a left at Collier’s Drug Store and ... I lost him. He could have gone inside. I never saw him come off the sidewalk. Catch him coming out the back. King has the store.”

“I’ve got the back.” Nathan changed direction, vaguely aware of the others behind him. Some in front of him. All with one goal.

Catch the guy.

He ran to the alley that would take him to the back of Collier’s. Two other officers followed him. A helicopter buzzed overhead. Finally.

At the back of the store, he pulled up. The other officers stopped next to him. “He come out?” the tallest one asked. Tremaine, his badge read.

“I don’t know. Kenzie? Anything?”

“Negative. Sending all customers in the store out. He could be hiding in here somewhere. Gonna need some backup.”

“On the way.” James’s voice came through the comms.

“You guys stay here,” Nathan said. “I’ll go around the front and join Kenzie.”

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