Chapter 909: Unknown Man

It took Roxanne a moment to formulate a reason for Jason Coleman's actions. "Dr. Coleman," she began, "did you accidentally misplace some medicinal herbs, perhaps storing them improperly? Could that have started the fire?" It was the only explanation she could conjure.

Surprisingly, Jason shook his head, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the man beside Roxanne. Colby looked somber as their eyes met. "After you both left yesterday afternoon," Colby explained, "I was also preparing to leave when I ran into Jason. He said he needed to retrieve something from the institute. I didn't think much of it and let him in, locking the door only after he left."

In essence, Colby was stating his unawareness of Jason's activities inside. Roxanne, still in shock, merely nodded absentmindedly. Colby, perceiving her distress, a flicker of darkness crossing his eyes, asked Jason on her behalf, "What did you do after entering?"

Jason hung his head, guilt evident. He began to speak, then faltered, unable to finish his sentence, seemingly overwhelmed by shame. A moment later, he gritted out, "I'm so sorry, Dr. Jarvis." The admission was implicit.

Finally regaining composure, Roxanne clenched her fists. "Why did you do it?" she demanded. The specifics of the previous day now paled in comparison to the larger crime. The storage room contained flammable materials; for a chemical expert like Jason, igniting it would have been trivial. Her focus was solely on his motivation.

Jason sighed. "I... needed the money," he confessed.

Roxanne's brow furrowed. His voice conveyed utter helplessness. "My son is sick," he explained. "I need a lot of money, and my salary isn't enough."

Roxanne understood. Someone had exploited Jason's son's illness, offering him money to commit this act. This realization tightened her fists. "Who?" she demanded. "Who told you to do this?"

Everyone at the institute knew about Jason's son's illness; outsiders wouldn't know unless they'd investigated Jason. Roxanne feared an inside accomplice.

Jason shook his head, producing his phone from his lab coat. "I don't know," he said, "but they emailed me." He tapped the screen, displaying the email to Roxanne.

The email contained only a few sentences, offering a substantial sum in exchange for the arson, framing it as a means to secure his son's treatment.

"You did this because of that email?" Roxanne's voice trembled with anger. "Dr. Coleman, you know me. If you needed money for your son's treatment, you could have come to me. I'm a mother, too. Did you think I would stand idly by? I would have found the best doctor for him. Why did you do something so reckless?"