She climbed out of the truck, Logan right behind her. A car in the driveway indicated that Mark's father at the very least must be home. She rang the doorbell and heard movement from within. The door was answered by a middle-aged man with a large amount of gray hair. He looked at Kenzie and Logan through his glasses. "Yes?"
"Mr. Duncan?"
"Who wants to know?"
"I'm Kenzie Howell, and this is Logan Hawkins. We'd just like to talk to Mark."
"Mark's not home yet."
"Oh...isn't school out?"
"Yeah, but he's in detention, which is really nothing new."
Kenzie kicked herself inwardly. She should have considered that, since Mark was a well-known prankster. Surely he'd pull pranks in school too.
Then Logan surprised her by asking, "Well, would it be all right if we waited for him, and talked to you?"
Kenzie looked at Logan like he was nuts. Then again, he probably was. But Mr. Duncan just shrugged and said, "Suit yourself," before disappearing back inside the house.
The house looked like the result of a man who'd recently gotten a divorce. Tara had said he just had one. No wonder Mark played pranks; he probably got bored at home and had nothing better to occupy his time.
"Have a seat," Mr. Duncan said, indicating the couch as he took one of the chairs. Kenzie sat on one side of the couch...
...and immediately wished she hadn't. Because erupting from underneath the sofa cushion she planted herself on, came a loud, ripping, flatulent noise.
She jumped up from the couch like a bomb had gone off (although, in a way, one had). Logan tried to contain himself, but he started laughing so hard he nearly fell over. Kenzie was glad there were no hibernating bears around, for if there were, Logan's uproarious hysterics would undoubtedly wake it up. She glared at him from her hunched-over position.
"Oh for crying out loud," Mr. Duncan said as he got out of his chair and retrieved the culprit from underneath the couch cushion. Logan laughed again when he saw the whoopee cushion.
"I am so sorry, miss," Mr. Duncan apologized as he hurled the whoopee cushion behind him, causing it to land on the floor with a splat. "Mark pulls so many pranks, I can't keep up with them all. I already had to fix the sink, since he decided to use it to give me a shower this morning."
"Well, since he's a suspect in these arsons," Kenzie said over Logan's (somewhat quieter now) laughs, "he should probably think twice about doing that kind of stuff."
Mr. Duncan sighed and sat back down in his chair. Kenzie sat down on the couch again, thankfully with no sounds coming out of it.
"Logan, get your butt over here," she barked, since her "partner" was still laughing. Logan just smirked and sat down on the other side of the sofa. He let out a relaxing "ahhh" sigh as he descended into the cushion. Kenzie rolled her eyes and faced Mr. Duncan.
"Mr. Duncan," she began.
"Max," he interrupted. "Call me Max."
"Okay, Max. How long has Mark been pulling pranks like this?"
"Well he just did little things when he turned 13 and adolescence kicked in. But since he's hit 16, he's gotten worse. And the divorce didn't help."
"How did Mark take that?"
"Not too well. He and his mom weren't particularly close, but it's always hard on a kid when their parents split up. I think these pranks are just a way of him dealing with the pain and abandonment he feels, even though he won't admit it."
"Do you think he'd go so far as to burn down houses to deal with those issues?"
Max frowned. "I know Mark isn't the perfect little angel everyone wants in a kid, but he would never do that."
"With all due respect, Mr. Duncan," Kenzie said, "but in my experience, no parent wants to believe their kids did anything so horrible."
"Pranks are hardly fires," Max argued.
"True, but pranks can escalate. Tell me, has Mark ever shown an interest in fire?"
"The only flames he cares about are the current ones he's having with some girl. Which is a different one about every three weeks. I doubt he'd have time to set all those fires."
Just then, the door banged open, and a teenage boy walked in. He had typical teenage boy pants with his boxers sticking out of the top, a red shirt with a motorcycle on it, and long, dark brown hair. He also had a small beard patch on his chin, and an earring glistened in his ear.
"What's up, Pops?" he addressed Max.
"You, young man, are in serious trouble," Max replied, standing up. "I told you to stop setting booby traps in the house. And what do I find after you left for school? An exploding sink. And our guests here had the misfortune of sitting on your whoopee cushion. That's it. I'm throwing the thing away."
"You've said that a million times. And I can buy another one for like one simo."
"Don't talk back to me. Now sit down here, because you're in even more trouble now."
"What'd I do? I told you I had detention and that's why I was late."
"That's not it. Sit down, now."
Mark rolled his eyes but obliged. He stared at Kenzie and Logan and asked, "Who are these people?"
"They're detectives, and they're trying to figure out who's burning all the houses down around town."
"Actually," Kenzie felt the need to correct, "I'm the detective. Logan's just..."
"...her partner," Logan finished. Kenzie kicked his shin. He just grinned.
Did nothing phase this guy?
"Whatever," Mark replied. "The cops already talked to me. I didn't set those fires and I don't know who did. I like to pull pranks but that doesn't mean I scorch houses. What would I throw eggs at if the houses burned down?"
"You aren't going to throw eggs at any more houses," his father said sternly. "I'm sick of these pranks. I have enough to deal with without that."
"Hey, it's not my fault Mom's taking all your money and we had to sell our big house and live in this shack. Why can't I have a little bit of fun? I didn't do it."
"Mark, not now."
Kenzie cleared her throat to get the Duncans' attention. "Mark, where were you five nights ago?"
"Yeah, I know, that's the night the Tolliver house caught on fire. I told the cops already, I was with my girlfriend."
"And where was that?"
"At her house."
"Which is where?"
"It's..."
Mark sighed. Max glared at him and said, "Answer the question."
"Can I talk to you guys without my dad?" Mark wanted to know.
Kenzie shook her head. "Sorry, but you're underage, so you have to have a parent or advocate present when we question you."
"What are you trying to hide?" Logan asked.
Mark mumbled something inaudible. Kenzie requested that he repeat it. He put his face in his hands and said, "My girlfriend was Sabrina Tolliver."
Kenzie raised her eyebrows. "Your girlfriend was Sabrina Tolliver? And it was the Tolliver house that burned down?"
Mark nodded, his face still in his hands.
Logan let out a whistle. Kenzie kicked him again, trying to indicate that that wasn't professional.
Max, however, didn't care about Logan's reaction. He stood up and pointed a finger at Mark.
"What were you thinking?!" he demanded as Mark also stood up. "You were with the Tolliver girl, and that same night, her house catches on fire! That can't be coincidence, Mark! I thought you just set random traps in very bad taste for people. But burning down houses? What's wrong with you?!"
Mark shouted back, "I didn't set that fire! I didn't set any of the fires! How could I have set that fire when it started after they were all gone, and I was with them?!"
"Whoa," Kenzie cut in, "You were with them when they left? Where were you going?"
Mark scowled. "They were bringing me home. Sabrina's mom caught me and her..., well, she caught us, and she wasn't too happy, so she drove me home. It's just the two of them."
"What do you mean she caught you?" Kenzie had to ask. "What were you doing?"
Logan's palm hit his face. "Kenzie...come on. I know you're from Riverview, but really?"
Kenzie spun to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, it's pretty obvious what they were doing. Maybe you have to be a guy to understand it, but allow me to explain - Mark and his girlfriend were caught woohooing, so the girl's mom took him home because that made her mad."
Kenzie's face turned a startling shade of umber. She'd known that of course. But she had to hear it from the suspect, not from her involuntary partner.
But she couldn't say that in front of said suspect. Especially since, by this time, Max's temper had boiled over to the point where further interrogating would be impossible. So instead, Kenzie thanked the two for their time and she and Logan left, though she doubted the arguing father and son noticed.
Once outside, Kenzie spun to face Logan. "What is with you?" she demanded.
Logan stepped back. "What do you mean, what's with me?"
"How can you even ask that?! You made me look like an idiot in there! I was just doing my job, and you had to butt in with the woohoo stuff, like I had no idea what the kid was talking about!"
"Hey, I was just trying to help. That's all I've been trying to do, but every time I turn around, you're criticizing me about something. It's like everything I do is wrong."
"Because it is wrong!" Kenzie shrieked at the top of her lungs, hoping the Duncans didn't hear. "You don't whistle at someone's comment, you don't laugh at your superior's misfortune, and you don't talk for the suspect!"
Logan raised his eyebrows. Then he grinned. "You know something? You're kind of cute when you're mad."
Kenzie took a step back, nearly toppling over a rock. How graceful would that have been?
"Wh...what?" she stammered.
"When you're really determined about something, and you're dead serious, wow. Talk about confidence. That's a very attractive quality."
Kenzie was sure her jaw dropped. Was this guy flirting with her? If she survived the night without killing him, she'd have to ask Jillian for her expert opinion.
Instead, she said, "Nice try, but you aren't going to be able to seduce me."
"I didn't say anything about seducing you. But if there's no chance of that happening, there's no harm in doing this."
And Logan leaned down and covered her mouth with his.
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