Page 85 of Serial Burn

“Of course.” Pam hesitated. “Do you mind if I hug you? You look so much like your mother that I think it might be like giving her one last hug.”

“I don’t mind a bit.” They stood and Jesslyn wrapped her arms around the woman and received the sweetest, tightest, yet most gentle squeeze she’d had in a while. A hug from someone other than Aunt Carol who’d known and loved her mother. It was a blessing.

Nathan had remained silent during the chat, but shook hands and murmured his goodbyes.

Pam locked the door behind them, and they walked out to his vehicle, his limp more pronounced.

“Hip bothering you?” she asked. She’d rather bug him about his hip than think about confronting a woman her father had dated while married to her mother.

“Nah, it’s fine.”

“Sure it is.”

He cut her a sideways look and laughed. “Okay, yes, it’s bothering me. I’ve got some pain pills that’ll help in a little bit.”

He slid behind the wheel with a soft grunt and she rolled her eyes. Men.

THEYSAT IN SILENCE FOR A MOMENT.Nathan popped two little pills that would hopefully ease the ache in his hip, and Jesslyn stared out the window, lost in her thoughts.

He let her think.

After several seconds, she turned to him. “I guess we should confirm with Felicia that the bracelet was the only piece of jewelry my father gave her.”

“Might be a good thing to do, though it sounds like he didn’t have time for more than that one piece she threw in his face.”

“True. But just to be sure? And I have another idea,” Jesslyn said.

“What’s that?”

“Aunt Carol said Mom thought my dad was having an affair with someone in the neighborhood. That he would leave the house and be gone all night, then return just before everyone got up. But he never drove. He always walked.”

“Okay.”

“I want to find out who was living in that neighborhood the same time we were. It’s a narrow timeframe so it shouldn’t be too hard.Then we can narrow it down by age and gender. I’d say women ten years on either side of my dad should be a good range.”

“What are you going to do? Track down each one and ask them if they knew your father?”

“Yes. Basically. I guess.”

“Lindsay should be able to find them, but it might take a while.”

“We can start questioning people as the names come in. Starting with the Nelson family—assuming I can find them. They lived a couple doors down.”

“That works for me. In the meantime, why don’t you reach out to Lainie to see if Mr. Christie can talk.”

“I’ll do that right now.” Jesslyn got on her phone.

Nathan’s buzzed with a text from Eli.

I’m sorry. I can’t make it right. I can’t ever make it right and I don’t know how to express how sorry I am. I don’t know how to deal with this kind of all-consuming pain and guilt. I just don’t know.

Nathan groaned. He shouldn’t have let his emotions rule him. He definitely shouldn’t have walked away from Eli. He tapped the screen.

Give me some time to absorb everything and we’ll talk again. I know you’re sorry. I am too. We’ll work it out.

“Nathan?”

He looked up. “Sorry. Eli was texting me and I needed to answer.”

---