Blazing Summer (Darling Investigations Book 2)

by Denise Grover Swank

  “I have to spend the morning checking the fields.” He headed for the door. “I’m gonna get an early start and then clean up and head in for the arraignment. I’ll see you there.” He went outside, and the door banged shut behind him.

  “Teddy!” I shouted through the screen.

  He stopped and turned to look at me.

  I pushed the door open. “I’m sorry.”

  “What do you have to be sorry for?”

  For sleeping with Luke while he was trying to find Rick? Because he was going through this hell again? I said the only thing I knew to say. “I love you.”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I love you too, Summy.” Then he headed into the barn.

  I poured a cup of coffee and grabbed some clean clothes from my room and headed upstairs, groaning when I realized I hadn’t checked on the status of the plumber for the downstairs bathroom.

  I took a long shower, letting myself break down in tears when I thought about how frightened Dixie had to be, all alone in that hospital room. I considered trying to stop by to see her, but I doubted the sheriff’s deputies would let me in, and the truth was that I would better serve Dixie by looking for the killer.

  I dressed in a skirt and button-up shirt and pulled my damp hair back into a French braid. I kept my makeup light since I had no idea how much I’d be outside in the heat. After I headed downstairs and grabbed a pair of flats, I searched for Meemaw and found her in the kitchen. She sat at the kitchen table, staring at her half-full coffee cup. She didn’t look up when I walked into the room.

  “Good morning, Meemaw.” I kept my tone light even though I was still angry with her. I could only assume the feeling was mutual, but hopefully she wasn’t too angry to talk.

  She still didn’t answer, so I got a fresh cup of coffee and sat down across from her. “I need to ask you a question about Dixie’s car.”

  “What about it?” she asked in a gruff tone.

  Whew. “Dixie rode into town with me yesterday. After lunch, I came out and swapped the truck for my car, but at some point someone came and got Dixie’s car. I’m trying to figure out how and when. Did you hear or see anything? It would have been anywhere between three thirty and . . . eight or eight thirty.” I shook my head, realizing the window was even wider. “Strike that. He or she could have come to get it anytime after I left with the car. Did you hear me when I came to get it?”

  “All y’all were so loud even your pawpaw heard ya out in the cemetery.”

  Relief washed through me. I had a shot at getting an answer. “So whoever took Dixie’s car would have gotten it after that. Did you see or hear anything?”

  “No, but I ran into town to do some grocery shopping midafternoon, and when I came back, her car was gone.”

  I scooted forward on my seat. “Okay, that’s good. When did you leave, and when did you come home?”

  “I was gone between two thirty and four.”

  Dixie was taken at around three thirty, and I saw the arsonist run out of the building around four thirty. The killer must have kidnapped Dixie and hidden her somewhere, lured April Jean into the building, killed her and set the fire, stolen Dixie’s car, and then put Dixie in her car at the park—oh, and overdosed her with heroin . . . that was a lot of steps. Plenty of room for something to go wrong. But then something hit me, and I felt like a fool, wondering why I hadn’t thought of this before. The person who came and took Dixie’s car couldn’t have come out here on their own, which meant they had help.

  This was another confirmation I was looking at two suspects.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Bill was already at the office when I got there, so we got a good half-hour head start on the day, not that it did us much good.

  We went out to Rick’s house, but there’d been neither hide nor hair of him. Nor was there any sign of Nash Jackson.

  “Maybe he’s hiding,” Bill said. “If he killed April Jean and kidnapped and drugged Dixie, he might be lying low.”

  “Granted,” I said, “I don’t know him very well other than the fact he sicced his alligator on me, but I think it’s safe to presume he’s not a lie-low kind of guy.” But I had to admit his disappearance was suspicious.

  “True.”

  I’d gotten Amelia’s address, and we stopped by her place on the way back to town, but she wasn’t home either.

  Despite batting zero, I made it to the courthouse with only a few minutes to spare. I didn’t see Luke, but Teddy was sitting in the row directly behind the defense attorney’s table, and I slid onto the seat next to him. But what shocked me the most was that Meemaw was sitting on the other side of him, her back ramrod stiff.

  I grabbed Teddy’s hand and squeezed, leaning forward slightly to verify I wasn’t hallucinating—our grandmother had shown up for the arraignment.

  A woman in a suit hurried down the aisle and dumped her bag on the defense table before turning around to face us. “I’m Lindy Baker, Dixie’s attorney. You must be Summer and Teddy Baumgartner.” She held out her hand, and we both got to our feet and shook her hand as though on autopilot.

  Then she turned to Meemaw. “And you must be Viola.”

  Our grandmother didn’t stand, but she nodded.

  Lindy’s gaze returned to Teddy and me. “I assure you that I will do my utmost to help Dixie, but we’re pushin’ a boulder uphill. It’s important y’all know that before the arraignment because I suspect the DA’s office is gonna play hardball, especially in light of the Cale Malone drug ring and murders a few months ago. The DA’s office feels like it’s in the hot seat, and they’re trying to prove they’re serious about ridding the county of crime.” She gave Teddy a sympathetic look. “And what better poster child than the sister of the guy who busted Malone?”

  Teddy merely nodded, and my stomach flip-flopped with nerves.

  “Now this will go fast,” she said, raising her hands and holding the palms together. “So fast you’ll wonder how you missed it, but you need to stay seated and stay silent. No shouting about the unfairness of the bail. No demanding justice.” Her eyebrows rose, and I could see she was waiting for our acknowledgment.

  “What makes you think we’d do such a thing?” I asked.

  She glanced at the aisle, and a half grin lifted her lips. “I may have gotten a little advance warning from him.”

  I turned to see Luke striding down the aisle. He was dressed in his uniform, and my insides turned to mush at the sight of him.

  He slid into the seat next to me. “Sorry I’m running late.”

  “I was just fillin’ the family in on what to expect,” the attorney said, and the way she looked at him made it obvious Lindy Baker was a Luke Montgomery fan, and I suspected it didn’t just include his police work.

  A surge of jealousy rose in me, catching me off guard and irritating the crap out of me. I didn’t have time to waste on my stupid insecurities.

  Luke wrapped an arm around my back. “I appreciate you helpin’ out Dixie, Lindy.”

  She blinked, and if I hadn’t been looking, I would have never noticed her reaction. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was still processing this new information.

  “After the arraignment, we’ll file out, and I’ll talk to you in the hall, but until then, it’s important you remain silent.”

  None of us said anything.

  She continued, avoiding looking at Luke or me. “You also need to know that while you’ll see Dixie, you won’t get an opportunity to talk to her. I know that will be hard, but if you press it, the judge will likely kick you out.”

  My grandmother grunted.

  “Any questions?” Lindy asked. When we didn’t ask anything, she said, “Okay. Let’s see if I can get a decent bail set.”

  The bailiff came in moments later and called the court to order, and the judge entered the room. The next thing I knew, Dixie was marched in through a side door wearing a gray jumpsuit, with chains connecting her handcuffs to the manacles on her ankles.

 
Luke’s arm tightened around me, and he leaned into my ear. “It’s standard procedure. Don’t let it alarm you.”

  It may have been standard, but this was Dixie, and she looked so small and frail, it was a wonder she could carry it all. She caught our gaze as she shuffled behind the table, her eyes growing wide when she saw Meemaw.

  Our grandmother leaned over the waist-high fence. “You’re a Baumgartner, and Baumgartners stick together. It took me a little bit to remember that, but I’m here for you, girl.”

  Tears filled Dixie’s eyes, but Lindy shot Meemaw a glare and turned Dixie to face the front.

  Lindy and Luke had been right. The arraignment was over in the blink of an eye. After very little persuading by the assistant DA, the judge withheld bail despite Lindy’s insistence that Dixie had been a model citizen up to her arrest and that her whole world centered around her family and farm—she had nothing else to run to.

  The next thing I knew, Dixie was gone.

  The judge called the next case, and we left the courtroom, forming a huddle about twenty feet from the doors.

  “No bail?” Teddy asked, his anger rising.

  “We knew that was a possibility,” Lindy said in a calm voice. “We’ll just wait for the other charges to be filed, and then we’ll see what kind of plea bargain they’ll offer.”

  Teddy’s voice rose. “Plea bargain?”

  The courtroom door opened, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man walk out. I did a double take when I realized who he was.

  Nash Jackson had come to Dixie’s arraignment. Why?

  But Teddy was becoming irate. He turned to Luke. “This is your idea of a good attorney?”

  I wanted to run after Nash, but I didn’t dare leave this powder keg. “Teddy, let’s discuss this somewhere more private.”

  “No.” He kept his glare on the attorney. “Let’s make something perfectly clear right now. Dixie is innocent, and there will be no plea bargain. We did that before, and she was just as innocent then as she is now.”

  Lindy gave him a patient look. I suspected Teddy’s reaction wasn’t uncommon. “We have to be practical. I’m not saying she should take it, but we’ll compare it with the evidence and decide what’s in her best interest. A trial will be expensive and could net a longer sentence than a plea.”

  Teddy shook his head. “What about justice? She didn’t do it!”

  She gave him a sympathetic look. “We should meet in my office to discuss this further, but since we know additional charges are pending, I suggest we wait until they’re filed. Then we’ll know what we’re facing.”

  Teddy stormed off, but Meemaw pointed her finger at the attorney. “My granddaughter’s innocent, and I’ll be damned if her own attorney says differently. We’ll fight this, and if you don’t wanna fight, then you best get the hell out of the way.”

  Lindy’s face paled.

  Meemaw turned to Luke. “I thought you said you got a good lawyer.”

  He looked chagrined. “Miss Viola, Lindy is one of the best—”

  My grandmother turned to me. “Summer Lynn, you got any of that TV money left?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Some.”

  “Then find your cousin the best damn lawyer that money will buy. I’ll mortgage the farm if I have to.”

  I held up my hands. “Whoa. No mortgaging the farm. I’ll find the money, but hopefully it won’t come to that.” I glanced down the hall Nash had walked down. Was it too late to catch up with him? “But right now I’ve got to go.”

  I took off down the hall, ignoring Luke as he called after me.

  The hallway led to some offices and an elevator. I doubted he’d slipped into an office, and I didn’t want to wait for the elevator, so I took the stairwell. No matter how fast I raced down those steps, I knew it was probably a lost cause. He had a good head start on me.

  I pushed open the door, finding myself in a more crowded hallway. When I reached the courthouse entrance, I ran out the front door and scanned the sidewalk. A blue Dodge Ram truck was pulling out of the parking lot.

  “Dammit!” There was no way I could get to my truck in time to catch up to him, but I took note that he was headed east on Highway 10.

  “Summer!” Luke hollered, and I turned to see his worried face. “What happened?”

  “Nash Jackson was in the courtroom.”

  His jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”

  “I saw him walk out while we were outside the courtroom talkin’ to Lindy.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” he asked, sounding exasperated.

  “Because Teddy was goin’ off on your girlfriend!”

  He blinked. “What are you talkin’ about?”

  I put a hand on my hip and gave him plenty of attitude. “Oh, I saw the way she was lookin’ at you. Did you two used to date?”

  “Are you seriously standin’ there accusin’ me of dating Dixie’s attorney while we have much more important things to deal with?”

  “Yes! I am!”

  He grinned, and before I knew what was happening, he kissed me.

  “What are you doing?” I demanded, frustrated with myself for getting weak-kneed and breathless.

  “She’s not my girlfriend, nor has she ever been. We went on a couple of dates, but we agreed it didn’t work, and that was the end of it.”

  “Well, you may have agreed, but she clearly didn’t.”

  He shook his head.

  “Trust me on this, but you’re right. We have more important things to deal with. I need to find Nash Jackson.”

  “Did you happen to get a plate number? Even a few numbers?”

  I shook my head. “That’s probably the first lesson on day one of police school,” I grumbled. “Memorize the license-plate numbers.”

  “Hey, you’re learning.” He frowned. “I’m not thrilled you’re learning as you go, but I admit that you seem to have a knack for this.”

  I put my hand over my heart and beamed. “That’s probably the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  His brow lifted before a grin lit up his eyes. “Then I obviously need to throw out all my preconceived ideas of romance with you.”

  I reached up on tiptoes and gave him a peck on the lips. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  Meemaw was walking out of the courthouse. “Summer Lynn!”

  Luke took a step backward. “Don’t hate me, but I’m heading back to the station.”

  “Chicken.”

  “I never denied havin’ a healthy respect for your grandmother.” He caught my gaze and held it for a moment. “Be safe. Please.”

  “I will. You too.”

  He passed my grandmother and said something I couldn’t hear. She waved him off—her primary focus seemed to be reaching me. Was she about to chastise me for running off so rudely?

  “Meemaw, I can explain.”

  “Explain what?” she demanded. “I was the fool, not you. Now what I want to know is what you plan to do about clearin’ Dixie’s name.”

  “I’m workin’ on it. In fact, that’s why I ran out. I saw a suspect in the courtroom, but when I chased him outside, he was already gone.”

  “Then what are you still doin’ here chattin’ with me?” she asked. “Go help Dixie.”

  I hugged her, and she bristled, but then she relaxed and hugged me back.

  “I’ve got a lot of makin’ up to do—to all of you.”

  I kissed her on the cheek and took a step back. Maybe there was hope for us yet.

  Since the courthouse was a half block from my office, I set out for it, bracing myself before I faced my crew. I knew they’d be as frustrated as I was that the investigation had come to a screeching halt after our great night of discovery.

  “Do you have enough money to post Dixie’s bail?” Tony asked.

  I shut the door behind me. “They didn’t give her bail.”

  “For drug charges?” Bill asked in disbelief.

  I didn’t respond. We all knew it was ridiculous. I clapped
my hands together. “We need to focus on what we do have control of and come up with a game plan. We can’t find Rick Springfield or Amelia, but we can still talk to Bruce.”

  “And Nash Jackson,” Chuck said.

  I told them about seeing him in court.

  “Why would he show up?” Bill asked.

  “Guilt?” Tony suggested.

  None of us could think of a better reason.

  “And another thought occurred to me this morning,” I said, sitting on my desk. “Whoever took Dixie’s car from the farm must have had help. Someone had to drive the person out there.”

  “Hey,” Tony said, “you’re right.”

  “He or she might not have known what was goin’ on, but they would have seen something.”

  The bell on the front door dinged, and Lauren stepped into the opening. The smug grin on her face indicated I wouldn’t like whatever she was about to say.

  “Can we help you, Lauren?” I asked with a bright smile.

  “As a matter of fact, I need to interview you about Dixie’s arrest.”

  “Can we schedule that for later? We’re in the middle of something.”

  “Nope. We need it now. Schapiro’s orders.”

  Alarm bells went off, but she knew I could easily check up on her, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Schapiro backed her up on it. “Fine. Let’s get this over with so I can get back to work.” I grabbed my purse. “Let’s go.”

  “Oh, no,” she said, turning sideways and motioning to someone I couldn’t see. “It’ll look better if we do it here.”

  Connor and his camera crew started walking past the windows.

  Great. “My crew is quite capable of recording this,” I said. “Connor’s team is redundant.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly,” Lauren said. “Connor and his team have a great rapport. I wouldn’t dream of splitting them up.”

  Bill headed to the back with Tony and Chuck while Connor’s crew walked in and set down their equipment where my guys had been sitting. Connor came in last, strutting like a damn peacock. Who exactly was he trying to impress?

  I sent Bill a quick text. Call Bruce and see if we can set up an interview after he gets off work. Then I sent him Bruce’s number.