Page 117 of Serial Burn

She had a chemistry degree. And chemicals at her disposal. She even had matches. She should be able to come up with something.Think.

“I was twelve years old when the affair started,” Sam continued, “and had started following my mother when she left the house at night. She never went far. Just to the park down the street. To meet him. Off and on fortwo years.”

Jesslyn listened while she planned, her heart aching for that twelve-year-old girl who knew her mother was doing something she shouldn’t. Jesslyn didn’t want to set anything on fire. That was too big a risk. She had no idea where she was or what kind of houses and businesses were nearby. But she could possibly make Samantha and Derekthinkthe place was on fire. And send them running for the exit. Even if they locked her in, thinking she’d burn to death—that would work. But she would have to do something that wouldn’t sear her lungs.

Just a simple high school chemical reaction. She ran through a list of everything she knew she had to work with, then unscrewed the cap from the PVC pipe and hefted it. Four inches in diameter. It would work. Next, she moved to the aisle that held the potassium chlorate.

“Come on, Jesslyn, stop this stupid cat-and-mouse game. You’re just delaying the inevitable. If you come out, I’ll answer all your questions. Every last question you have.”

A pause while Jesslyn continued to stay away from the voice.

“Or maybe you think I don’t have the answers. Like did you know they were going to leave together? I was so excited. I hated my father. He was a drunk and an addict and liked to use his fists when he was mad. I thought I was finally going to get the father I’d always wanted. Your father always smiled at me when he saw me out in public. And he never hit my mother.”

A thud much too close sent Jesslyn scurrying to the next aisle with the box under her arm. She set it on the nearby shelf and pried it open, then used the cap to scoop out some of the powder. Now she had to make her way back to the room where she’d been held for the other items she’d need.

Could she get in?

“So, they were planning to go away together,” Sam said. “I overheard them. Every time she made some excuse to leave the house or even when she just left without saying anything, I followed her. And listened. One can learn a lot that way.”

Yes, one could.

She worked her way to the door, wishing she could see Derek. Or at least have him say something. She wanted to ask about Brad. She couldn’t imagine his role in everything. She bit her lip and kept moving.

Finally, she made it to the office area in the back of the room. Thankfully, she was able to weave and dodge, keeping track of the woman who’d fallen silent.

From her position behind the row of supplies closest to the door, she eyed the deadbolt. The key was still in it.

Oh, thank you, Lord.

She wanted to dart to it but stayed still. Silent. Listening some more.

“What else do you want to know, Jesslyn? Do you want to know how I followed my mother to your house that night? How your father came outside and told my mother that he couldn’t meet her anymore? That it was over. My mother yelled at him, told him he was breaking his promises. That they were supposed to go away and make a new life together. He told her that he couldn’t leave his family and that he was sorry. He cried while he told her all of this. I was furious and crushed. I didn’t want to go back to the house and back to my father and his vicious rages.”

Tears fogged Jesslyn’s vision and she brushed them away, staying as silent as possible.Focus. Get it done.

“So, Mom went home and I followed her, wishing I could take away her pain and hating your father for causing it. But she didn’t go inside. She got gasoline from the garage and went back to your house. I was super curious, you know? She took that gas can and walked around your house, splashing the walls and making sure itwas good and covered. I knew what she was going to do, and I have to say, it was the moment that she struck the match and walked away that I loved her most. And then she shot herself in the head. At least after that, my father stayed drunk and passed out most of the time. But I never forgot your father could have taken us away. Given us a new life. In fact, promised it. And then he just ... didn’t. He backed out.” The woman’s voice was growing hoarse from her rant. “He stole that life from me! He deserved to die! And so do you. You dare to want to honor him? There’s no way I’ll allow that to happen.”

More tears crowded her eyes and Jesslyn ground her molars. She couldn’t react, couldn’t process that the woman’s mother had killed her family. Samantha had to be just three rows over and wasn’t going to stop looking for her.

Jesslyn stepped forward, spied her fire coat, and set her concoction on the shelf while she pulled the jacket on. Then the pants. Then she twisted the key in the deadbolt, opened the door, withdrew the key, and stepped back inside the office. She left the door cracked, then hurried to the desk drawer and grabbed the matches. She turned to the coffee station, found the bag of sugar, and carefully poured it into the pipe with the potassium chlorate. She needed a 60 to 40 percent ratio. Eyeballing it would have to do.

She carried it back to the door. Glanced out the broken window to make sure Sam wasn’t in view, then stepped back into the warehouse area.

“I’m done with this, Jesslyn,” Samantha screamed. “I’m done!”

A loud crack echoed, and Jesslyn gasped when the bullet whipped past her left ear. She ducked, careful not to spill her mixture, and hurried through the maze of supplies. She just had to get to the front of the building near the stairs and light the match.

She made it back to the front where the stairs were and saw Derek still guarding them, rubbing his head. She set her science experiment on the floor next to a wall of boxes and lit the match.

At the scrape, Derek grunted. “Sam? My head is killing me. I’m leaving!”

His sister stepped around the edge of the aisle. “You’re not going anywhere. You’ve brought all this on us and now I’m going to end it.”

“I took her to help you! And to find out what she knows. I needed to know what the police knew and—”

“They didn’t know anything!”

“You killed Brad, didn’t you? I know you did.”

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