Her Silent Spring

by Melinda Woodhall

  “What was the boyfriend’s name?” Charlie asked, opening her laptop and balancing it on her knee.

  Duffy shot a look at Holt, as if asking for help, but the sheriff remained silent.

  “Beau Sparks,” Duffy finally said, “He was a nice kid from a good family. From what I remember he seemed pretty torn up that she skipped town.”

  Lifting her eyes from her laptop, Charlie cocked her head.

  “You mentioned her father, Conrad Fairfax. He didn’t agree with you that Summer left on her own volition?”

  Lowell shook his head.

  “Both her parents were in denial. Her father even hired a hotshot investigator from New York, but he came up with nothing.”

  Anger boiled over in Hunter’s chest at the sheriff’s words.

  “You’re telling me you think it’s completely normal for an eighteen-year-old girl to leave town without a trace and never contact her parents or friends again?”

  Sheriff Holt held up a big hand and cleared his throat.

  “Look, Mr. Hadley. Our job isn’t to decide what is normal, and Sheriff Duffy has already explained that there were no signs of foul play. So, if that’s all…”

  Pulling out his phone, Hunter scrolled to the photo he’d taken of the class ring found in Locke’s barn. He zoomed in on the initials engraved in the silver and held it up to Holt.

  “Based on where this ring was found, I’d say there was definitely foul play involved,” Hunter gritted out, turning back to Duffy. “Apparently you weren’t competent enough to figure that out.”

  “That’s enough,” Charlie said, her voice firm. “We are investigating a very serious crime.”

  She gave Hunter a warning look, then turned to Holt.

  “Now, Sheriff Holt, can you help us find the missing person report filed by Summer Fairfax’s parents? Oh, and I’d also like to see any files on the department’s subsequent investigation.”

  But Holt’s eyes were fixed on the phone in Hunter’s hand.

  “Are you saying Summer is…dead?”

  “All we can say is that this ring has been recovered from a crime scene,” Charlie answered, before Hunter could open his mouth. “Now, about those files.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Hunter pulled the Tahoe into the lot outside Sparks Air Charter and shut off the engine as Charlie studied the scant information in the file Holt had reluctantly handed over.

  “Says here that Summer’s boyfriend was a local kid named Beau Sparks.” She looked up to survey the big building in front of them. “Back then he worked for his father. Let’s see if he still does.”

  Seeing the We’re Open sign in the window, Hunter pushed through the front door and held it open for Charlie to follow him in.

  No one seemed to be manning the long reception counter that separated the lobby from the spacious hangar, but two men could be seen loading boxes onto a small Cessna.

  Eventually one of the men looked up and jogged toward them. He smoothed down his short, spiky hair and nodded a greeting. The polite smile evaporated as Charlie Day held up her badge.

  “Beau Sparks?”

  The man shook his head, his eyes still on Charlie’s badge.

  “No, I’m Curtis Webb, Beau’s partner.”

  “Partner?” Hunter pointed to the name over the door. “I thought Beau’s father owned the company.”

  Pulling his gaze away from the badge, Curtis turned to Hunter.

  “That was before my time,” he said, his eyes curious. “Why? What’s his daddy got to do with anything?”

  “We need to speak to Beau as soon as possible. Is he here?”

  Charlie looked past Curtis toward the Cessna, where a man with long, lanky hair and a baggy uniform was still loading boxes.

  “What do ya’ll want with Beau?” Curtis stepped in front of Charlie, blocking her view of the hangar. “He’s not in trouble, is he?”

  “No, we just need to ask him a few questions about his ex-girlfriend, Summer Fairfax. We’re investigating her disappearance.”

  She raised her eyebrows and asked again.

  “So, is he here or not?”

  “No, he’s not here,” Curtis said, moving back toward the hanger. “And I’d recommend ya’ll call first next time. Beau’s in and out a lot. Kinda makes his own schedule.”

  Charlie dropped a card on the counter.

  “How about you ask him to call me when he gets in,” she asked, earning a worried nod from Curtis.

  Turning to leave, Hunter noticed the other man had stopped working to listen in to the conversation. When he saw Hunter looking at him, he dropped his eyes and resumed loading the airplane.

  Back in the Tahoe, Charlie flipped to the next page in the file Holt had given them. She studied the notes Sheriff Duffy had written twenty years before, then looked over at Hunter and sighed.

  “You ready to meet Summer’s parents?”

  Dread settled into Hunter’s chest at the thought of telling Conrad and Elaine Fairfax that their daughter had been the victim of a serial killer, and that she’d had a daughter of her own before she died.

  And what will they think about Skylar? She may be their granddaughter, but she’s also the child of the man who abducted and murdered Summer. Would they be able to accept her?

  Sky Lake Farm and Stables was about twenty minutes outside town. As Hunter turned the Tahoe onto the long drive, Charlie pointed further up the road. An older man was leading a horse toward a long, white stable. He stopped and stared at the Tahoe as they approached.

  “Mr. Fairfax?” Charlie called out as she stepped out of the vehicle. “I’m from the FBI. Could I speak to you?”

  “It’s about Summer, isn’t it?” the man said, his thin face deathly pale under the bright sun. “You’ve found her, haven’t you? You’ve found my little girl.”

  Stepping closer, Charlie held out a photo of the class ring.

  “Is this your daughter’s ring. Mr. Fairfax?” she asked gently.

  Conrad’s eyes filled with tears as he saw the engraved initials.

  “We bought that ring for Summer right before she graduated,” he said, nodding weakly. “It was one of the only things missing from her room after she disappeared. Her mother always said, if we found that ring…”

  His voice broke on the words, and he turned away to wipe his eyes.

  When he turned back, he sounded stronger.

  “Where was she?” he asked quietly. ‘Where did you find her?”

  “We found her remains while investigating a known fugitive. A man named Donovan Locke. He was killed during an attempt to capture him.” Charlie’s voice was gentle. “We believe your daughter had been kept on his ranch for some time before she died.”

  “I always knew Summer wouldn’t have willingly left her mother or her horses. She loved her horses…”

  Conrad looked back at the horse standing behind him with dazed eyes, before turning to Charlie.

  “Her leaving like that….it killed Elaine. The coroner said she’d had a heart attack, but I knew it was a broken heart.”

  Pain twisted the older man’s face, and Hunter steeled himself for what had to come next. They had to tell him all of it now. It wouldn’t be fair to keep anything from him after he’d waited so many years to know the truth.

  “Summer had a child while she was being held at the ranch.” Hunter’s throat tightened around the words as Charlie pulled out the photo of Skylar. “She had a daughter.”

  “Is she…is she still…”

  Conrad’s voice faltered as he saw the photo, and he swayed on his feet. Reaching out, Hunter put a strong hand on the older man’s shoulder to steady him.

  “Yes, your granddaughter is still alive,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “She’s a very brave girl, and now she’s in a safe place.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The white Chevy Tahoe drove past Mack and turned left onto Fullerton Road. He caught a glimpse of the FBI agent’s blonde hair and dark glasses through the
window as she stared out from the passenger’s seat.

  Mack knew that the U.S. Marshal Service had finally managed to chase down and kill Sky Lake’s most infamous resident. He’d seen the breaking story on the news along with everyone else in town.

  And he wasn’t surprised that the feds had shown up in Sky Lake again. They would want to tie up any loose ends and ask the usual questions. He’d been ready for that.

  But he hadn’t been prepared for their interest in Summer Fairfax. Why would the feds suddenly be interested in a girl who had run off twenty years ago? Should he assume they knew Donovan Locke had been involved with Summer’s disappearance, and that they may have even found her body?

  But do they know Donnie hadn’t acted alone? Do they suspect that someone else in Sky Lake was involved?

  Thinking about the FBI’s visit out to Sky Lake Farm and Stables, Mack tried to convince himself he had no reason to worry. Conrad Fairfax had remained clueless all these years and had no evidence or information to provide to anyone.

  Even after the old man had hired a big city investigator to poke around, he still hadn’t been able to prove that his daughter hadn’t left town of her own free will.

  There’s nothing to link me to Summer or to Donnie, is there?

  A shiver of fear slipped down his back as he imagined the feds showing up at Silent Meadows Farm. A search of the old house and the cemetery behind it would likely earn him a cell in death row over at the Kentucky State Penitentiary.

  While he’d been careful over the years to only work with people he knew, and that he could trust, Mack wondered if Locke had gotten messy at the end. Had the man who’d always protected him ended up betraying him?

  And now that Donnie’s gone, how can I know who to trust?

  Taking out his phone, Mack signed into the darknet board that Locke had operated. All his messages from the Professor were still there. That had been Locke’s username. He and Mack had exchanged encrypted messages on the board without much fear of discovery.

  Now Mack wondered if their messages had been compromised. He scrolled through the recent history looking for anything that might reveal his real identity, or his location, but could see nothing out of order.

  The man Mack still thought of as Donnie had been careful to use coded language, even within the encrypted messages, and over the years he had only communicated when there was a job to be done.

  Locke had never revealed the location of his hideout after he’d gone on the run, but he’d kept in touch, and he’d expected Mack to be ready and waiting whenever he needed help transporting cargo or laundering money through the local bank.

  All Locke had to do was post a message on the darknet board and Mack would take care of it. And while he’d been paid generously for his help, Mack knew he’d had no choice. Locke had known his secrets, and he wouldn’t have hesitated to use them to destroy Mack if he hadn’t been useful.

  Donnie and my father were two of a kind. Selfish to the very end.

  But Locke was dead now. He’d gone down in disgrace, leaving an ugly stain on the whole town, just as Mack’s father had left a stain on their family.

  I can’t let their mistakes bring me down, too. If the feds find their way out to the old farm, my face will be the one plastered across the news.

  But the feds were in town asking questions, and they wouldn’t be wasting their time if they didn’t suspect someone in town was involved with Summer’s disappearance.

  Could they know I’m responsible for what happened to Summer?

  Staring blankly at the phone in his hand, Mack let his mind drift back to that long-ago night.

  Mack threw the rock as hard as he could, using his pent-up anger to propel it out toward the middle of the dark lake. He watched as the water rippled and sparkled under the moonlight, then reached for another rock.

  He hesitated as the trees rustled behind him, lowering his arm just as a slim figure slipped out of the shadows.

  Stepping onto the grassy bank of the lake, Summer Fairfax stopped at the water’s edge and dropped her head into her hands. Mack heard a muffled sob as the girl’s shoulders began to shake.

  “You okay, Summer?”

  The girl spun around, her eyes wet and smudged with mascara.

  “You scared me,” she gasped. “What are you doing here?”

  She wiped a pink-tipped finger under each eye and smoothed back her long, silvery blonde hair as Mack tried to come up with a response.

  “You know what, it doesn’t matter,” she muttered. “Nothing matters.”

  “You don’t mean that, Summer,” Mack said, inching closer. “You’re just mad now and need some cheering up.”

  Shaking her head, Summer turned away.

  “What I need is to be left alone.”

  A hot flush spread up Mack’s neck at the rebuke. Her rejection stung, even though he knew he was foolish to care. He’d been fixated on Summer for years, knowing she was out of his league, but unable to resist her pull.

  There weren’t many girls like Summer Fairfax in Sky Lake. The special ones always ended up leaving. Especially the rich girls that left for college before moving on to a better life in a bigger city.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be hosting a party back there?” he finally said, keeping the hurt out of his voice. “You’ll be missed. Everyone will talk.”

  Summer rolled her eyes and shook her head.

  “Let them talk, I’m not going back in there,” she snapped, turning toward the lake. “I just want to get away. Go somewhere far, far away.”

  A strand of silky hair blew toward him, and he was tempted to reach out and touch it, but he feared she would recoil from his touch.

  She was too stressed and too upset. He needed to get her alone. Somewhere they could talk. Then he could tell her how he really felt.

  “I can take you over to Silent Meadows if you want,” he said, holding his breath. “There’s no one to bother you there, and you wouldn’t have to go back to the party. You could stay there until everyone leaves.”

  Raising her face to his, Summer hesitated, as if considering her options. Finally, she lifted her narrow shoulders in a resigned shrug, and he felt his pulse quicken as the frown between her pretty eyes faded.

  It wasn’t until he was leading her up the porch steps to the old house that Mack began to worry his father might be waiting inside. The old man had been passed out drunk when he’d left, but that was no guarantee he hadn’t woken up for another round.

  A set of headlights turned onto the drive and moved closer, lighting up the porch as Mack stepped in front of Summer. He didn’t recognize the car, and it wasn’t until the driver stepped out and spoke that he realized who his visitor was.

  “I need to see the old man.”

  Mack froze at the sight of the hard, familiar face.

  “Donnie? What’re you doing here?”

  “Like I said, I need to see the old man.”

  Donovan Locke put a boot on the bottom step, but Mack blocked his way.

  “He’s out cold, Donnie,” Mack protested. “He’s not going to be able to see anyone or anything until the booze wears off.”

  Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Summer’s shocked face. If he’d ever had a hope with her before, that was surely gone now. The daughter of a man like Conrad Fairfax was surely too good for the son of the town drunk.

  “The old man still owes me money. A lot of money. I’m done waiting.”

  Summer was suddenly standing beside Mack. He put up a hand to stop her, but she shook it off.

  “You leave Mack alone,” she demanded. “Go on. Get out of here.”

  The scorn on her face was clear to see in the moonlight, as was her luxurious fall of long, blonde hair and her shapely young figure.

  “You don’t know who you’re talking to, do you, girl?”

  Not liking the look in Locke’s eyes, Mack tried to shield Summer, but she pushed past him to stare down at Locke’s leering face.

  “I
know who you are.”

  Mack’s heart dropped at her words.

  “You’re Donovan Locke,” she accused. “My father told me all about you and what you’ve done to disgrace this town. I’ve seen pictures of you in the paper, and I heard all about your hand.”

  She pointed down to his right hand in triumph, her gaze focused on the three remaining fingers. Her eyes widened as she saw the big gun appear in Locke’s left hand

  “You sure are smart,” Locke muttered. “And you sure are pretty.”

  He held the gun up to Summer’s smooth, pink cheek and ran the muzzle down the side of her face.

  “Real pretty indeed.”

  He sounded almost amused.

  “And I’d hate for that to change.”

  Mack wanted to protest, but he knew Donnie too well. The man wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone that got in his way.

  “I need that money,” Locke said, not taking his eyes off Summer, who seemed to be frozen in fear. “You gonna wake up the old man or should I?”

  “He’s not got two pennies to rub together, Donnie.” Mack tried to keep his voice steady. “I’d give you anything we have, but we’re broke.”

  Locke nodded slowly, apparently ready to take him at his word. He knew Mack wouldn’t dare lie to him, not after he’d seen what Locke was capable of doing when he got mad.

  “Okay, I’ll go, but you tell the old man I’ll be in touch. I expect him to keep up his part of the bargain. And if he won’t, you’d better.”

  Mack nodded, knowing it was pointless to argue with Donnie when he was in one of his moods.

  “And I’ll take this one here as payment in the meantime.”

  Locke stuck his gun in his waistband and grabbed Summer’s arm. She opened her mouth to protest, but Locke jerked her toward him and put his hand back on the butt of his gun.

  “You make a sound and I’ll shut you up permanently,” Locke growled. “Looks like I’m gonna have to teach you how to behave.”

  Impotent rage flooded through Mack, but he knew there was nothing he could do as long as Locke held the big gun in his hand.