Page 104 of Raging Inferno

A stab of jealousy hit Jessie, quickly followed by crushing guilt. Gwen wouldn’t be joining them. She was Jessie’s best friend. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped. “What’s all that smoke?”

Everyone followed her lead. Jerrod leaped from his chair and took off in a dead run, with Sam and the others hot on his heels.

“It’s the cabin,” Jerrod cried. “Where’s Gwen?”

Smoke poured from the windows, and flames could be seen inside when they arrived. Jerrod tried to open the door, but Sam pulled him back. “You’ll be burned alive,” he yelled over the roar of the fire.

“But Gwen’s in there. Oh, God, she’s going to die.”

Sam forced everyone to move back. Someone called the fire department, but by the time they arrived, it was fully involved. Everyone sat and watched in shock as the structure perished, taking Gwen with it.

One of the firefighters came over. “Whose cabin is it?”

When no one answered, Sam elbowed Jerrod. “Oh, uh, mine . . . well, my parents.”

“Did you light a fire in the fireplace?”

“Yeah, to warm it up.”

“It’s early, but it looks like sparks started the blaze.”

“It couldn’t have. I put the screen in front of it.”

The firefighter shook his head. “It was off to the side.”

Jerrod leaped to his feet. “What? No! I put it there. I swear I did!” He turned to his buddies, looking for support. “Didn’t I?”

The other guys shrugged.

“I didn’t notice,” Richie Hinkle said.

“I have no idea,” Joel Timms responded.

Jerrod dropped to his knees and gripped his head. “Oh, God. I killed her. I killed Gwen.”

In the coming days, Jerrod would need to be consoled, and Jessie planned to be the one to do so. She felt that crushing weight of guilt again, pressing down so hard she had trouble breathing. Then she chided herself. It wasn’t as if she was responsible for Gwen’s death. That fell on Charmaine andTamera’s shoulders. They were the ones who had crashed into her, causing her to crack her head open.

The rest of the evening was a blur of cops, interviews, and tears. Jessie prayed the others would stick to the story, or she would get in big trouble. No, she hadn’t killed Gwen, but she’d destroyed the evidence. It wouldn’t matter that she was covering for her friends. She would be just as guilty.

Since Jessie had driven to the cabin, she took the others home with her. Her dad was always traveling, and her mom lived at the country club, probably doing the tennis instructor or something. They talked and cried and shared memories of Gwen all night long.

“I just thought of something,” Margy moaned. “Pep.”

Jessie’s gut clenched. Gwen’s younger cousin Presley would be crushed. She idolized Gwen. She was an honorary member of the Cheerios, and they all adored her. Thank goodness she hadn’t been with them tonight.

Loud pounding sounded on the door. The walls shook with the force. Jessie got up and looked out the window. “It’s Sam.”

“Sam?” Charmaine repeated. “Do you think he’s here for me?”

Tamera shot her a look. “Get real.”

Jessie opened the door to a frantic Sam. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Jerrod. H-he shot himself last night.”

“What?”

“He couldn’t live with knowing he was responsible for Gwen’s death. He went back to the cabin and ate a gun.”

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