Page 88 of Serial Burn

A sigh filtered through the line. “I think she wanted to, just for something different in addition to it being more security for her and you girls. But her marriage was her priority, and if staying home was what it took to keep it together, then that’s what she’d do.”

“Sounds like Dad was really good at gaslighting people.”

“Well, yes. He was. In fact, I pointed that out to your mother that night and asked her if she was going to let him do that to her.”

Jesslyn pinched the bridge of her nose. “And?”

“She said she recognized the ploy, but just in case it was real and he really meant what he was saying, not just trying to manipulate her, then she had to give it a shot. She went to the bank the next day and asked if she could delay her start date. They told her no.”

“I see.” Jesslyn bit her lip, thinking, processing, trying to keep her emotions out of it. “It’s almost as if the fact that shecouldleave made her try harder to keep their marriage together.”

It made sense in some weird way.

Her phone buzzed and she glanced at a text message. “Oh boy,” she muttered.

“What?”

She covered the speaker on the phone and said, “Head to the Lake City General Store. It’s on fire.”

“What?” Nathan gunned the engine.

“Thanks, Carol. I’ve got to go. If I have any more questions, I’ll call.”

“I know you will. Your cousins are coming home for a visit next week. We’ll put them to work on the benefit.”

“Sounds good. I look forward to seeing them.” She hung up, andfive minutes later, Nathan pulled into the back of the parking lot of the Lake City General Store. Smoke billowed from the log cabin–type structure with flames shooting out from the windows.

Her heart shuddered. She shopped here on a regular basis.

She stared at the blaze, the conversation with her aunt lingering in the back of her mind, but her focus on the scene before them. “He knows I shop here,” she murmured. “Often. This is my go-to store.”

Nathan nodded. “Yeah. Unfortunately.”

They climbed out of the car, eyes on the fire. Nathan’s presence beside her offered more comfort than she wanted to admit. “I go a lot of places,” she said. “I have a connection with just about every place in Lake City. How do I warn them all? How do I...” She waved a hand at the enormity of the idea.

“There’s no way.”

There really wasn’t, but ... “I feel like I need to try.”

“Who else would you call?”

“The fire station for starters.”

“Oof,” he said, “yeah. Tell them to be on the lookout for anyone hanging around and showing unusual interest in the place.”

Fire trucks screamed into the parking lot and Jesslyn waited for them to stop a safe distance from the blaze. Firefighters she knew and respected spilled out of the trucks and went to work in their fast-paced, well-practiced choreography of courage.

To anyone else it might look like chaos, but to Jesslyn it was poetry in motion. Familiar. Safe. “Do you know if anyone is in there?” she asked a bystander.

“No, I don’t think so,” the woman said. “There were about ten of us, and as soon as we realized smoke was coming from the back area, we all ran out.”

Jesslyn motioned to one of the firefighters. “I know this store has a gas fireplace. Has the gas been shut off?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll make sure. Thanks.” He trotted off and Jesslyn turned to Nathan. “I’ll be back.” She had duties to attend to.

He nodded. “I’m going to walk through the onlookers and see ifI spot anyone I recognize.” He glanced at his phone. “Andrew is on his way too.”

Jesslyn found the chief and waited for a break in his spiel of orders to approach. “Chief Laramie.”

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