Page 72 of Serial Burn

“We’re not lying,” Andrew said. “The word is he jumped off the dorm’s roof.”

“No! It’s not true! This is really cruel, even for the FBI. Why would you tell me that?”

Nathan’s heart ached for the guy’s potent grief, and he hated to be the one to have to break the news to him this way. “He was your friend. I’m sorry. I’ve lost someone I was close to and I know your grief.”

At the kind words, Kenny nodded. “It’s really true?”

“Yeah, man, I’m so sorry. Really.”

Tears spilled over the young man’s lower lashes to stream down his cheeks. Andrew grabbed a box of tissues and placed them on the table. Kenny grabbed a handful and shoved them against his eyes. “It’s not true. Brad wouldn’t jump. He wasn’t suicidal. No way you’ll ever convince me of that.”

Nathan glanced at Andrew. Three denials of any suicidal tendencies. True? Or just clueless friends?

“Okay, if Brad didn’t jump, can you think of someone who’d want him dead?”

He hesitated, then sputtered, “No, of course not. We’re just college students, trying to figure out life. Did you ask Heath?”

“Yes. He said the same thing you did.”

“This is wrong,” Kenny whispered. “So messed up.”

“Kenny, if you’re hiding something, protecting someone—”

“I’m not.”

He was lying. Every instinct shouted it at Nathan, but if the guy wasn’t talking, there wasn’t much more they could do about it. He rubbed his temples.

The chief—and their SSA, who was in agreement with the chief—might make them let him go, but they could keep an eye on him.

“You can call someone to come get you,” Andrew said.

“Give me my phone and I’ll call an Uber. I’m going back to campus. I need to be there. The guys will need my support.” He looked from Nathan to Andrew back to Nathan. “Can I go now?”

“Yeah. You can collect your stuff from the officer at the end of the hall. The one behind the window,” Nathan said.

Kenny shot them an open glare and left the room.

Nathan’s phone rang and he glanced at the screen. Eli. For crying out loud. He sent it to voicemail and followed Kenny out the door, thankful to see an undercover unit watching from a distance. An Uber arrived and Kenny climbed in. The unmarked unit followed and would report where Kenny wound up.

Nathan checked the time.

Jesslyn was waiting. He texted the group he was on the way, said goodbye to Andrew, and hurried to his car.

SEVENTEEN

Once Jesslyn texted her aunt that it was okay to leave home, she and the others arrived at the bank ten minutes after her aunt did. It didn’t take long to get the box, which Carol opened while the others stood guard outside the vault.

Carol reached in and pulled out a black velour bag and set it on the table. “Here you are. Each piece is in another bag just like that one, just smaller. There are twelve of them. Each of them was worth between two and four thousand dollars if I remember correctly. No telling what they’ll appraise for in this day and age.”

Her father had been a very successful commercial real estate agent and developer, but ... “I know we lived very comfortably and our house was lovely, but I don’t remember Mom and Dad really being big spenders like this.”

“They weren’t. It was just your dad, and he had his reasons for forking over the big bucks for those.”

“I see.” She’d get to that in a minute. Jesslyn eyed the bags, her throat working. “Did Mom ever wear these?”

“No.”

She looked up and met her aunt’s gaze. “Never?”

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