Page 79 of Serial Burn

He nodded and started the car. “Good to know.”

NINETEEN

Jesslyn called her aunt as soon as she was buckled into the passenger seat and rolling out of the station’s parking lot, with Nathan in the driver’s seat.

Carol answered on the second ring. “Hi, Jess.”

“Hi, Aunt Carol. So, I have a couple of questions for you if you don’t mind.”

“Don’t mind at all.”

“Did Mom and Dad have certain friends that they hung around with, did things with? Like couples things? Vacationing, eating out, having dinner parties? I seem to vaguely remember some of that but have no recollection of names.”

“Oh sure, they had the Marshalls over a lot. They had a couple of kids your sisters’ ages. And I know they were in a small group at church where they became good friends with the Nelsons. Your dad used to golf on Saturdays quite a bit with Bob Nelson.”

“Okay, great. Thank you. Could you text me their names and last known contact information if you have it?”

“I’m not sure I have it, but I can look for it. The Nelsons lived two doors down from you. You all were number 9 Wedgewood Lane and the Nelsons were number 5.”

“Oh, okay. That makes things a little easier.” Jesslyn took a deep breath. “Now for a harder question.”

“All right.”

Jesslyn grimaced at the wariness that had entered Carol’s voice. “Did you know any of the women Dad was ... um ... seeing?”

Silence.

Jesslyn stayed quiet, giving the woman time to think. Or maybe try to decide whether she wanted to answer.

A sigh filtered through the line. “I know he was seeing a woman he worked with. I don’t know her name.”

“How do you know that?”

“I came into town to see your mom. I was supposed to meet her at a restaurant. I got there early and your dad was eating with another woman. I confronted him and let him know your mom was on the way. He left in a hurry, and the woman was mortified to learn he was married and stalked out of the restaurant. Your dad was furious with me, but later apologized and promised it wouldn’t happen again.”

“But it did.”

“Yes.”

Jesslyn was already mapping a plan to figure out who the woman was. Surely there was a way, right? “Anyone else?”

“I know there was a woman named Felicia. A friend of your mom’s filled her in on that one.”

Jesslyn closed her eyes. “Who was the friend?”

“Her hairdresser. Pam Silver at Hair Care and More on Main Street.”

Jesslyn had driven past the salon more times than she could count. How did she not know her mother had gone there? “Is Pam still there?”

“I have no idea. I don’t go there.”

“Okay, thanks, Carol. If you think of anything else, will you let me know?”

“Of course.”

Jesslyn hung up, then checked her email. “I’ve got Charles’s report. The gym fire was started with the same chemicals used at the bank and the church.”

“Yeah, that’s what he said. I’m not surprised.”

---