Page 49 of Serial Burn

Jesslyn raised a brow. “Very.”

“Well, I can assure you, Kenny is not an arsonist.”

“I’m afraid we can’t take your word for it,” Andrew said. “Anything you can tell us about him?”

The man blew out a slow breath. “Well, he’s smart, driven, keeps his grades up, is definitely extroverted, and has a wide community of friends.”

“You sound like you know him well.”

“I grew up here in Lake City. I know a lot of people well. Kenny’s parents are friends of mine and my wife’s.”

“I see. How often do you see Kenny?”

“He used to be a student of mine, but I don’t teach him this semester. My wife and I get together with Nancy and Gary, his parents, once a month or so to double-date, but other than passing Kenny on campus occasionally, I don’t really see him that much except for math competitions.”

“What about the friends that he hangs out with?” Jesslyn asked. “Brad, Toby, and Heath?”

“Yeah, they’re all good guys. Good students, participate in a lot of school activities.” He shrugged. “That’s about it.”

Nathan nodded, then he stood. Carefully. “Thank you for your time. We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions.”

Professor Morgan’s phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket with a roll of his eyes to the others. “Hi, Sam. Yeah.” He stepped out of the room. “Yes, I can do that.” A pause. “I said fine. Chill, will you?”

Dr. Claymore shot them a small smile. “Sam is his sister. She’s trying to get hired here. I guess she thinks volunteering with the math team will score her some brownie points. From what I gather, she’s a piece of work.” He shook his head. “Makes me glad to be an only child most days.”

“Being an only child definitely has its benefits, I’m sure,” Nathan said with a grunt. “Wouldn’t mind experiencing that myself at the moment.”

Jesslyn bit her lip on a smile, and the three of them said their goodbyes, then left the office.

In the hallway, Jesslyn said, “They both seemed genuinely shocked that Kenny would be involved in something like that.”

“I noticed that too,” Nathan said.

“Maybe Kenny really didn’t set the fires,” she said. “Could be innocent and ran just ... because.”

“Maybe,” Andrew said, “but I’ll feel better once we have a clear picture of who this guy is. Ready for a trip to the dorm?”

Jesslyn nodded. “Let’s go.”

Together, they walked back to their cars. “I can drive,” he said to Nathan, then turned to Jesslyn. “You want to leave your car here?”

“Sure.” She climbed in with the guys, and they drove to the designated dorm. Classes had been back in session for only a week since breaking for Christmas, but the place was a beehive of activity with students bundled in heavy coats, hats, gloves, and boots, rushing from one place to the next, backpacks slapping against their backs. “I remember these days,” Jesslyn murmured. “Different campus, but same energy and vibe.”

Nathan nodded. “I graduated from here, then explored the world a bit before coming back.”

It didn’t take long to find Kenny’s room and knock on the door. “Roommate is Jeff Mitchell,” Andrew said. They waited and Andrew rocked back on his heels, then knocked again. “Security said he got out of class an hour ago, but he could be anywhere on campus—or off. He’s got a car.”

A young man next door slipped out of his room and turned to lock the door.

“Excuse me,” Jesslyn said, “you don’t happen to know where Jeff Mitchell is, do you?”

“No. Did you try calling him?”

And giving him a chance to run? Not likely. “No.”

“Then I can’t help you. Sorry.”

“Thanks anyway.”

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