Page 59 of Serial Burn

“Well, we know how he found you. There was a tracker on it. One of the guys who loaded it on the wrecker spotted it.”

She swallowed. “Okay. That makes sense. I should have been checking, I guess.”

“Yeah. We all should have been checking. And will do so going forward. And as soon as Kenny’s located, we’ll bring him back in for questioning. A lab tech will look for any kind of residue on his hands to show he handled the Molotov cocktail ingredients, but the problem is, unless we can place him there with a witness, we still won’t have much to hold him on. And he still has to be found.” He glanced at his phone, hoping for a text saying Kenny was at the station, but so far, nothing.

“Right.”

“Why don’t you talk to Lainie and Kenzie and see how they mentally handled having someone after them?” He hadn’t been around during those times in their friends’ lives, but he’d sure heard about them.

“Maybe. I mean, I was right there with them through most of it. I’m not sure what they could tell me now that they didn’t tell me then.”

“But maybe you have different questions now?”

She hesitated. “I’ll think about it.”

The door opened and Lainie entered, followed by James, Steph, and her boyfriend Detective Tate Cooper, then Kenzie, Cole, Andrew, and Kristine.

Jesslyn coughed and laughed, then coughed some more. “Whoa, guys, this is a bit much. I’m okay.”

Kenzie walked over and narrowed her eyes at Jesslyn. “You know, we’ve had some adventures over the last year or so and you were right there with us, supporting us and watching out for us. We’re here to do the same for you.”

Nathan thought she might burst into tears again. Instead, she sucked in a ragged breath, coughed ... and nodded. “Thanks,” she whispered.

“All of your firefighter buddies are outside too,” Kristine said. “Well, probably not all of them but a good many.”

“That’s nice. Tell them to stick their heads in on your way out if you don’t mind.”

“Sure thing.”

“When did you get back?” Jesslyn asked. “Thought you were gone for another few days.”

“I caught an early flight to deal with some family stuff.” She didn’t elaborate, but the look on Jesslyn’s face said she didn’t have to.

There was a story behind that, and he couldn’t help but be a little curious about it, but he could ask Jesslyn later. Right now, they needed to leave so she could rest.

The other firefighter buddies came in small groups to wish her well and stayed only a short time. He was relieved he didn’t have to kick anyone out. Not that it was his job to do so, but Jesslyn’s fatigue was obvious. And besides, if she slept, he could too.

He settled himself in the cushioned chair as comfortably as his hip would allow.

“You’re sticking around for a while?” she asked, eyes drooping.

“At least until your aunt returns. She stuck her head in, left me her number”—he lifted the Post-it that Lainie had passed to him—“and said she’d be back later this afternoon.”

“Good.”

“You said you grew up with your aunt and two cousins. How old are they?”

“Ginger’s twenty-four and is getting married in June. Sandy’s twenty-two and working as a vet tech while she decides what she wants to do with the rest of her life.”

“Do you get along with them?”

“Sure. I’m three years older than Ginger, and Sandy was two when I moved in. They’ve never really known life without me. They’re not the sisters I lost, but they became the sisters of my heart.”

“What about your uncle?”

“A loser. We don’t talk much about him. He left us.”

Her voice drifted off and her eyes closed. They’d probably given her something for pain. He wouldn’t mind something himself. He dug in his pocket for the ibuprofen the nurse had given him and swallowed them dry. Then leaned his head back and closed his eyes, wanting to know more about the uncle, but that would have to wait. He’d just rest until Carol came back. He hoped she took her time because he wasn’t sure he could move.

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