Dead of Summer

by Sherry Knowlton

  “Bonanza. Ham.” Ben waved a tin in the air. “Can we open this up or should we wait for dinner? There are two more cans left.”

  “Let’s go for lunch. We might be up at the concert at suppertime. Here’s some bread to go with it. And some canned peas.”

  The two boys lit the Coleman stove. Next, they peeled the cans open with the built-in keys and began carving chunks of ham into a frying pan.

  “Do we have enough food to make it through tomorrow? The concert should be over tonight. We originally talked about staying here tonight and leaving tomorrow morning.” Sukie walked to the van and peered into the boxes.

  “We should probably have a group pow-wow to figure out what we’re going to do. A lot depends on when Robbie wants to try to drive out of here. The roads could be crazy tomorrow morning.”

  “Robbie and Cheryl are still asleep. Big surprise, JJ and Eskimo aren’t around.” Nina assembled some paper plates and silverware.

  “Did someone call my name? Or maybe it was the smell of frying ham.” Robbie bounded out of the tent. Cheryl trailed behind.

  “We were talking about leaving.” Ben flipped the ham slices.

  “Not until I hear Hendrix. ‘Foxy Lady.’” Robbie twirled around and kissed Cheryl on the cheek.

  “Of course. But he should end around midnight or so. The question is: Do we hit the road early or do we wait for some of the traffic to clear?”

  “Just in time for lunch,” JJ exclaimed as he and Eskimo appeared from behind the van. “I could eat a whole ham by myself.”

  Phil grabbed the other cans from the box and opened them. Nina assembled more plates and silverware.

  “Feeling better, Sukie?” Eskimo bent over and peered directly into her face. Without waiting for an answer, he stood and addressed the group. “You should have seen this chick last night. She had one serious hurt going on.”

  Ben turned from the stove. “And you gave her Quaaludes, you bastard. She thought you gave her aspirin.”

  “Back off, bro. There’s nothing wrong with dropping a few Ludes to take the edge off. I was doing the sister a favor.”

  JJ jumped in. “Seems to have worked. No harm, no foul, right?”

  Sukie rose to her feet. “Levi Bloom was over here looking for Willow this morning. Do you guys know where she is? Was she with you last night?”

  Eskimo shot her a strange look. “Don’t you remember?”

  “Everything’s sort of a blur.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “She was here for a few minutes, but we haven’t seen her since she left our tent. It wasn’t long after you stopped by for your medicine.”

  “Did you see her anywhere today?”

  “Fuck. Do we look like babysitters to you, Sukie?” JJ snarled. “We haven’t seen the kid since last night.”

  Robbie asked, “Are we sure she’s still missing?” He looked at his wristwatch. “Levi was here hours ago. She’s surely back with them by now.”

  “You’re right. I’ll check later.” Sukie tilted her head at a distant sound. “Is that music?”

  “The concert’s starting.” Ben stepped away from the stove to listen. “I’m not sure who’s playing.”

  “After lunch, we can get things together and head over.” Phil looked at Nina.

  “Let’s pack plenty of sandwiches and water,” she suggested.

  As the group finished lunch, Robbie stood. “So we need to agree on a plan for tomorrow. I say we sleep in and let the crowd get out of here. Maybe we pack up the tents in late morning and get on the road a little after noon?”

  Sukie gathered up the empty plates and silverware. “That’s fine with me. I don’t have to be back at work until Wednesday.”

  All around her, the rest of the group nodded in agreement with Robbie’s plan.

  JJ cleared his throat and looked at Robbie. “Hey, man, Eskimo and I won’t be going back with you all. We’re leaving today.”

  “We ran into some friends, and we’re going to catch a ride back to my house with them,” Eskimo offered. “They’re guys who JJ and I went to prep school with. It’ll be a blast to spend some time with them on the road.”

  JJ plucked at a daub of mud on his jeans. “I haven’t seen my parents all summer, so it seemed like a good chance to drop in on them. I borrowed the tent from Ben. We’ll tear it down before we leave.”

  Sukie raised her eyes to the heavens in a gesture of thanks. She would be so glad to get rid of these two jerks. Plus, it meant more room in the van for the trip home.

  Eskimo stood and looked at JJ. “We’ll get started now. Our friends are leaving in an hour or so.”

  As they washed the silverware, Sukie whispered to Nina. “I’ll be glad to see those two go.”

  “There’s something they’re not telling us. Eskimo and JJ just ran into these friends who offered them a ride? More likely, they got a deal on mescaline with that shaman, and they’re actually going out West.”

  Sukie giggled. “Or they were getting high with Edgar Winter and he offered them space on the helicopter out of here after his set.”

  Then she sobered. “I don’t think I’ve heard Eskimo say that many words at one time since we got here . . . almost like he was nervous or something. There is something fishy about this whole thing.”

  “Or stupid. Who passes up a chance to see Hendrix play live?” Nina dropped the skillet into the dishpan with a splash.

  JJ and Eskimo packed and left in lightning time. As she watched them rush toward the road, Sukie turned to Ben. “Outta sight. Outta mind. Those two are a drag.”

  “JJ’s a pretty solid guy, but I can’t figure out why he’s friends with Eskimo. That bastard treats JJ like some flunky.”

  Sukie tossed her head back and declared, “Enough of JJ and Eskimo.” She grabbed Ben’s hand and pulled him toward their tent. “Let’s get ready for some music. We already missed the first act.”

  They were just steps from the tent when the skies let loose. Rain streamed down in torrents, and thunder rolled across the meadow. Sukie and Ben dove into the tent to escape the storm.

  “So much for the music.” Ben fumed.

  Sukie crawled to the tent flap and looked out. Lightning flashed in the distance, and the downpour had increased in intensity. When she looked toward the van, she caught movement in the corner of her eye.

  She gestured to Ben. “Come here. You’ve got to see this.”

  Robbie, dressed only in his boxers, was walking around in circles, quacking like a duck. When he saw his friend, Ben stripped down to his jockey shorts and jumped out to join Robbie. Laughing hysterically, Sukie pulled off her jeans and tumbled out of the tent in her cotton peasant blouse and panties. Minutes later, Nina, totally naked, and Phil, wearing only his glasses, joined the rain parade.

  Sukie tilted her head back so the water streamed over her face and hair. “This feels so wonderful to wash off all the dust and mud.”

  Nina broke into song. “It’s raining, it’s pouring . . .” Soon, the whole group was chanting the old nursery rhyme.

  “That’s enough.” Sukie shook her head. “I’m getting cold.” She ran back to the tent with Ben on her heels. Inside, Sukie peeled off her wet clothes and tossed them in a corner. Ben pushed her back onto the nest of sleeping bags and grabbed a towel. Moving the towel from her face to her hair to her arms, he began drying Sukie.

  When he reached her torso, Sukie tugged the towel from his hand. Heart pounding, she slipped Ben’s wet jockeys down his hips and over his feet. With the towel, she traced the route northward from Ben’s feet, skimming his legs until she reached his erect penis.

  When Ben tossed the towel aside and pressed her back onto the sleeping bag, Sukie’s breath caught in anticipation. Then she plunged into a whirl of passion, wet flesh, and the staccato beat of rain on canvas.

  “Wow.” Ben sprawled onto his back. “That was fantastic, babe.”

  Sukie snuggled closer and rested her head on his outstretched arm. “Better than listening
to another band.”

  “Totally.” He paused. “Except for Hendrix.”

  Hurt, Sukie sat up so she could see his expression. “A joke, right?”

  “Hey, babe.” Ben caressed her hand with his thumb. “Since you’re sitting up, could you toss me that pouch of weed over there?”

  Sukie sighed and fished Ben’s stash from his backpack.

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  “YOU LOOK LOVELY, DEAR,” Alexa’s mom remarked as she stepped up onto the deck. “Good idea to take one car to this gala event.” She grimaced. “Maybe a glass of wine before I have to face Jack Nash?”

  “Mother, you act like this is the biggest ordeal of your life. How many boring political dinners have you attended? Countless hours in rooms full of windbags and hangers on? You can survive a brief encounter with Jack.”

  Susan walked into the cabin and came back with a brimming glass of white wine. She waited until she was seated before she took a sip from her glass. “The heat and humidity struck with a vengeance today. It’s even warm out here in the mountains.”

  Alexa finished her glass of iced tea and set it on the table with a thunk. “I appreciate you coming with me, Mom. Whatever Jack was doing in Kenya looked sketchy. And I don’t want to stay with Children of Light if they’re involved in illegal adoptions or something worse.”

  “I’m still not clear how you expect me to help. It’s not exactly like Jack’s nose is going to grow if he’s lying. Besides, my clutch is too small for a tape measure.” Susan waved her small purse at her daughter.

  “You know it’s a sign that you’re spending too much time with the grandkids when you start using Disney movies as a frame of reference.”

  Susan shrugged. “But you get my point. I’ve avoided Jack’s company for more than forty years. Woodstock was the only extended time I ever spent with him. I’m probably the last person on earth to know if the man’s lying.”

  Alexa rolled her eyes and jumped to her feet. “Just watch his expression when I ask him about Africa. Then we can compare notes. Are you ready?”

  Susan gave Alexa a mock salute with her empty wineglass.

  “Scout, get in the house. We’re leaving.”

  Alexa stopped the Land Rover at the little guardhouse and handed the unsmiling security guard her invitation.

  “Name?”

  “Alexa and Susan Williams. I’m a board member.”

  He slid a nasty-looking gun aside to uncover a piece of paper. He ran his finger down the sheet, stopping near the bottom. Handing back the invitation, his voice officious, the guard finally said, “OK, Miss Williams. You may proceed. Enjoy the party.”

  His dour expression made Alexa doubt the sincerity of those last words. When she’d been here before, the guards on duty at least seemed human.

  “Isn’t this a bit elaborate for rural Cumberland County?” her mother sniped as they drove through the open gate.

  “The AK-47 or Uzi or whatever that gun was does seem a bit over the top. But some of the Children of Light facilities up here are for juvenile offenders. It’s not a youth development center, but who knows what some of those kids might have been involved in before they came here. So they’ve got this guard post. You saw the fences when we drove by on Pine Road. I understand the entire hundred-plus acres is fenced.”

  “Seems excessive to me. Why not just enclose the secure facilities?”

  Alexa shot her mother a smart-alecky smile. “They probably got a county grant. Economic development money or something.”

  A bevy of young boys in the Prussian blue jackets were parking cars. Alexa didn’t see the breezy attendant from the last event. A polite new kid took her keys. Alexa winced as the boy ground the Land Rover’s gears when he pulled away.

  “Well, well,” Mom observed as she took in the Italianate villa.

  “Wait until you see the rest,” Alexa answered with amusement.

  The moment they entered the foyer, a teen in a blue dress assigned them to a tour group. “We’re asking all the guests to take a brief tour before joining the reception. Children of Light is proud of the campus and wants our guests to get a glimpse of the work we do.” The girl recited the lines as if she’d practiced them for hours.

  Alexa sighed. She was focused on finding Jack Nash, not wasting time on some public relations tour.

  “I’m glad I wore flats.” Susan looked down at her black ballerina slippers. She confided, “I figured we’d be doing a lot of standing, and these have secret Nike air technology.”

  “I don’t have the benefit of all that high-tech padding, but I’m right there with you.” Alexa lifted her foot, clad in a fashionable Mary Jane with a substantial sole. “These are all the rage this year.”

  As they shuffled along the hillside in a group of twelve, Alexa became engaged in the tour despite her original objections. When she had joined the board, she’d only received an abbreviated introduction to Children of Light’s physical plant.

  A reedy teenage boy with terrible acne and a blazer in the standard blue walked the group through one of several small, homey-looking buildings, which he described as foster care group homes. Back outside, he brought the tour to a halt and gestured at three large buildings. “The first building to your left is the boys’ transitional dorm. The second is for the girls.” He pointed to a smaller building surrounded by a high wall. “That’s the secure facility for juvenile offenders.”

  Alexa noticed that beyond the secure building, the paved road ended but a dirt road continued up the mountain. “Where does that road go?”

  “I believe it’s just a fire access road, ma’am. But it’s off limits to the residents.” He turned and led the group onto a stone path that skirted the upper lawn.

  A nudge to her side interrupted Alexa’s attempt to come to terms with the fact that she’d just been called ma’am. She looked at Susan strolling beside her on the walkway.

  Her mother nodded at the menagerie of topiaries below them. “Even more bizarre,” she murmured to Alexa.

  Finally, the boy turned back toward the house. As they descended a set of broad stairs, he stopped at a small stone patio that offered a sweeping view over the valley. “Down there is our community farm. A number of teen residents live in the farmhouse group home and participate in a farming work-study program. A few others learn mechanical and equipment-related trades. The farm gardens supply organic food for the kitchens.”

  Alexa couldn’t see the farmhouse. All she could see were expansive fields of what looked like wheat and corn. She turned to her mother. “There’s more here than I knew about. The scope of this operation is pretty impressive.”

  “It is. They appear to help a lot of children,” her mother agreed. “Where do they house the younger children?” she asked their guide.

  “I believe they try to place all the younger kids in a home setting with foster parents. The harder-to-place teens end up here.”

  “At last.” The minute the group reached the back lawn, her mother headed toward the bar. Alexa followed, searching the crowd for Jack Nash. A few minutes later, the two women were sitting at a table with drinks and plates of tiny sandwiches. Classical music, played by a string quartet positioned near the house, wafted on the air.

  “It’s finally getting cooler.” Alexa put on the lightweight linen cardigan she’d been carrying over her arm.

  “Another New York find?” her mother asked.

  “Yep. I bought the whole outfit, slacks, shell, and cardigan at Bloomies. But I like your look tonight, Mom. Is your jacket silk?”

  “I picked this up in Jaipur, but the slacks are from the mall.”

  “The dark blue looks great on you.” As she spoke, Alexa continued to scan the crowd for Jack Nash. She hadn’t seen Quinn Hutton yet either.

  Impatient, Alexa rose. “Let’s mingle and look for Jack. Have you ever met his wife, Vivienne?”

  Susan stood, sighing as she lifted her clutch from the table. As Alexa and her mother moved through the crowd, a num
ber of people stopped them, mostly to say hello to Susan. In the midst of the crowd, they bumped into Quinn.

  “Mom, this is Quinn Hutton, another board member,” Alexa said as Quinn turned to greet them.

  “And an ardent admirer of your daughter, I might add.” Quinn extended his hand.

  “Mr. Hutton.” As Susan shook Quinn’s hand, a peculiar look fleeted across her mother’s face. “Have we met before, Mr. Hutton?”

  “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”

  “Perhaps not. But you look like someone I used to know long ago.”

  When Quinn looked a bit taken aback, Alexa stifled a chuckle. She was certain Quinn thought of himself as totally unique. “Have you seen Jack and Vivienne? We haven’t had a chance to say hello to our hosts yet.”

  “Yes. These tours have thrown the reception line into disarray. You’ll find them by the conservatory door. I’d take you to them, but Vivienne asked me to get a message to the string quartet.”

  “No problem. Maybe we’ll catch up later.” Alexa made a beeline toward the reception line, marshaling her forces for the upcoming confrontation with Jack Nash. Susan trailed in her daughter’s determined wake.

  Jack and Vivienne turned to welcome Alexa and her mother as they approached. Behind the hosts, Alexa recognized the broad back of Chadwick Young. He and another man faced the house, chatting with a couple who had just emerged from the conservatory.

  Jack Nash’s greeting was effusive. “Alexa, I’m so glad you could make it. Vivienne, do you know Susan Williams, Alexa’s mother? Susan and I are old friends from my Dickinson years.”

  Vivienne managed a bored smile and extended a languid hand to Susan. “That must seem like so many, many years ago.”

  Susan deflected the jibe with her tongue-in-cheek reply. “This is quite a place you have here. The décor is truly unique.”

  Alexa plunged right into her mission for the night. “I’m sorry I missed the last board meeting, but I was on safari in Tanzania with my parents.” She took a breath. “Mom and Dad went on to Namibia, but I spent some time in Kenya.”