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“He said he'd take it before it exploded,” Liv murmured. “But how did he know it would explode, Jackson? How did he know?”
Jackson's expression darkened with concern as he listened to her words. “Keep going, Livvy,” he urged, his voice firm with determination. “Trust me.” He reached for her.
Liv recounted the events that followed—his difficulty breathing, his cardiac arrest, the hyperbaric chamber, and Luke saving her from the explosion in the tool section. But as she reached the end of her story—the confrontation with Michael in her apartment—Jackson's patience reached its limit.
“I want to talk to Brad Killian,” he insisted, his voice firm with resolve. “If Michael is the arsonist, we need to know why. And we need to stop him before anyone else gets hurt.”
"Okay," Liv replied, her voice tinged with apprehension. She reached for her phone and dialed Brad's number, her fingers trembling slightly with nerves. "Let's see what Brad has to say." Her foot tapped nervously waiting for Brad to answer.
"Hey, Liv, are you okay?" Brad's voice came loudly through the line for Jackson to hear him.
“Jackson is awake. Can you come over to the hospital? It's urgent," Liv said.
"Sure, I'll be there as soon as I can. Is everything okay?"
"We'll talk when you get here," she replied, her voice tight with tension as she hung up the phone. "He's on his way.” Her gaze flickered to the television screen as Jackson squeezed her hand reassuringly.
As Liv and Jackson waited anxiously for Brad to arrive, they turned on the news to watch the latest updates. But as the news anchor began to report on the hospital power station fire, a wave of dread washed over them both.
The camera shot panned to the scene outside the hospital, where Michael and Joey were walking the grounds, their expressions grim with determination. Liv's breath caught in her throat at the sight of Michael.
“What's he doing there? He should be in jail,” Jackson muttered, his voice tense with worry as he watched the scene unfold on the screen before him. “And why is Joey with him?”
Liv sighed. “They’re investigating the cause of the fire. It burned hot. Just like the other fires. And we can’t arrest Michael because of gut feeling.”
But before they could dwell on their thoughts for too long, Molly Everhart knocked and entered.
“Hey, guys,” Molly greeted them. She kissed Jackson’s cheek and gave Liv a hug. “I have some results. I checked Jackson's DNA against the cigar Liv took from the Waverlys.” She put the file in her lap. “Before I go over the results, Jackson, you need to decide if anything will change if there is a match.”
Jackson ran a hand through his hair. “I am Martha and David Reynolds’ son.” He smiled. “That will never change. But I need to know. It may help figure out why the arsonist is doing this.” He reached for Liv and pulled her onto the bed beside him.
Liv pressed her forehead to his. “Are you sure?”
“Molly, what are the results?” Jackson used his legs and pushed himself taller in the bed.
Molly opened the folder. “We found one donor’s DNA on the Partagas Series D N°4 cigar. A helluva Cuban cigar.”
Liv exhaled loudly. “Molly, please.”
“Jackson, we compared your DNA to the donor sample. The paternal side is an exact match. If the sample on that cigar came from Sinclair Waverly, you are his son.” Molly looked at him.
The revelation hung in the air. Jackson's jaw tightened.
“Are you Rainey Ashcroft's son?” Molly continued, her voice soft with sympathy. “To be sure, we need to do a genetic comparison.”
“I don’t understand. Jackson was found beneath her. I thought we knew he was her son,” Liv said.
“Livvy, you’re functioning from your heart. Molly is a scientist,” Jackson said.
Before Jackson could say more, Brad arrived. He extended his hand to Jackson. “Pleasure to see you awake and talking. How are you feeling?”
“Doing a lot better; thank you for asking. I appreciate you helping Livvy. What info do you have for us?” Jackson asked.
He sat heavily in one of the room’s chairs. “Liv’s car was rigged with two devices—two ignition spots. Also, the locking device was tampered with. The occupant of the vehicle was not intended to get out.”
Jackson grabbed Liv’s hand. Molly sat on her other side.
Brad continued, “We tested prints on the remnants of the plastic Liv found at the warehouse, as well as on the inside of the lock system on the driver's side door of her vehicle. They matched, and matched the prints on file for Wheaton.
