by Kathi Daley
“Had Austin told you about the mine before that night?” Cass asked.
“No. Remember Austin and I didn’t get along. He would never have let me in on a cool secret like that.”
“Who would he have told?” Cass asked.
Colin answered. “If anyone other than Austin knew, I suspect it would have been Josh, but I swear he never said a thing about a mine.”
“Even after Austin went missing?” Cass asked.
“Even then. I swear I knew nothing about a mine until you found the bones at the bottom of that shaft.”
“Did you know Bobby had this photo?” Cass asked.
“I knew he took a bunch of photos on our campout, but I don’t remember ever seeing them after he had them developed. To tell you the truth, that campout is not one I particularly wanted to remember.”
“After the cops showed up and started asking questions, did you at any point tell the others to keep their mouths shut about what happened?” Cass asked.
Colin nodded. “In retrospect, maybe I should have told what I knew, but I was scared of going to juvy for putting drugs in Austin’s drink, and I was scared about what Hugh would do to me if his name came into the discussion. I decided that telling what had happened wasn’t going to help Austin, so I swore Bobby, Josh, and Larry to secrecy.”
“And Toby?” Cass asked.
“He went to bed early, so he didn’t know anything. I decided to keep it that way.”
“And the others all agreed to keep quiet about the drug you put in his drink?” Cass asked.
“Eventually. At first, they wanted to come clean with the cops, but then I told them what Hugh would do to them if they told, and they all agreed to my plan. I know Hugh is a respectable town council member now, but he was a real scary guy back then.”
“I need you to come down to the office with me so we can make all of this official,” Cass said.
“Am I going to jail?”
“Did you kill Bobby to keep him quiet?” Cass asked.
“Bobby? Why on earth would I kill Bobby? He kept the secret for twenty-five years. I had no reason to believe he wouldn’t continue to keep it.”
“So, he wasn’t blackmailing you?”
“For what? I mean, I guess he had this photo, but I sure as heck wouldn’t be willing to pay the guy to keep it under wraps. I can barely make my rent.”
“It appears he was blackmailing someone,” Cass said.
“Hugh.” Colin narrowed his gaze. “You haven’t actually spoken to Hugh yet. You tricked me into telling you all this.”
Cass stood up. He motioned for Colin to stand as well. “I never said I’d spoken to Hugh. You are the one who suggested I had. Now, we are going to walk out of here real nice like, so I don’t have to cuff you. We’ll chat some more, I’ll chat with Hugh, and then we can figure out what comes next.”
Cass wanted to take Colin to the station in his car, so I volunteered to call Gracie for a ride home. Cass promised to come by after he’d spoken to Hugh, and I promised to save him some ribs and slaw if he didn’t make it out to the house in time for our shared meal.
Chapter 21
Cass didn’t make it out to the house in time to eat with everyone else, but true to his word, he did come by, and true to my word, I did save him some ribs and slaw. I’d run Ethel and Paisley home just before dark, so it was only Tom, Gracie, and I when he arrived.
“So tell me everything,” I said as Gracie heated up the beans that she’d made to go with the ribs and slaw.
“If it’s okay with you, I’m exhausted and would prefer to share the condensed version.”
“Of course,” I said. “So, what happened? Did Hugh kill Bobby?”
“No. Hugh did not kill Bobby, but Bobby had been blackmailing him with the photo he had of Hugh selling drugs to Colin on the day Austin died. While it is true that the photo only shows Hugh handing a small package to Colin, after what happened, it wouldn’t be hard to convince the DA and a jury, if need be, that the packet contained drugs. Colin had already agreed to testify to everything that happened in exchange for leniency for his part in the whole fiasco, and Larry seemed to know quite a bit as well, and likewise was willing to tell what he knew.”
“Okay, wait,” I said. “Hugh didn’t kill Bobby?”
Cass shook his head. “What Hugh did do was hire a man named Xavier Vargas to break into Bobby’s house, locate the photo, and bring it to him. Hugh and Xavier were waiting for the right time to do this, so when Hugh saw Bobby at the bar on the day in question, he called Xavier and told him to go over there. At the time of the call, Bobby was drunk and looking for a poker game, so Hugh was pretty sure that the house would be empty for hours.”
“But then someone called Tamara and warned her that Bobby was drunk and looking for a game, and she then called Bobby and told him to go home.”
“Exactly. I spoke to Tamara and found out that a friend of hers named Darlene was at the bar with friends when she overheard Bobby asking about a poker game, so she called Tamara and warned her that Bobby was about to gamble away this week’s child support payment the way he’d gambled away the last few payments. She then called him and threatened to prevent him from seeing the kids if he didn’t go home right then, so he did. Hugh swears he tried to call Xavier and warn him to get out of the house, but he didn’t pick up. He thinks that when Bobby pulled up, Xavier panicked and went for his gun. When Bobby came in, he shot him.”
“Do you have Xavier in custody?”
“He lives in Denver, but the Denver PD picked him up and are currently questioning him. I suspect he’ll confess once he knows Hugh already threw him under the bus.”
“So I guess your case is closed. You know who killed Bobby and why, you know how Austin died and why, and you have pretty much nailed the coffin shut on Hugh’s bid for the senate.”
“I do wonder why Bobby decided to blackmail Hugh,” Gracie asked. “And when? He certainly hasn’t been blackmailing him for twenty-five years.”
“Bobby didn’t approach Hugh about the photo until after Hugh decided to run for senate. I guess at that point, Bobby rightfully realized that Hugh would pay to keep that particular skeleton in the closet. Not only had he been selling drugs to Colin, who was a minor at the time, but he’d been selling drugs to a lot of kids and continued to do so long after Austin died.”
“So is Colin going to jail?” Tom asked.
“I guess the fate of everyone involved is up to the DA and the justice system. I figure I’ve done my part and now it’s up to them.”
“And is it okay to run with the story?” I asked.
“Run away. But I’d do it soon if you want the exclusive now that the Denver PD has been looped in.”
“I’ll write it tonight. I’ll let Dex know to expect the story. He’ll want to run it on Monday. I guess my series won’t really work now, but I have a lot of background information, and the big reveal is going to be a doozy.”
Chapter 22
Saturday – Memorial Day Weekend
“I was hoping you’d be here.”
I turned around to find Hope with a man I was pretty sure I’d never met.
“This is Michael,” Hope introduced. “Michael, Callie.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I stuck out my hand.
“I’m heading to the bar. Ladies, can I bring you something?” Michael asked.
“Wine,” Hope answered. “White.”
He looked at me.
“Same. And thank you.”
After Michael walked away, Hope turned her attention back toward me. “So, where is Cass? I’m sure I saw him earlier.”
“He had to go outside to take a call. I can’t believe how crowded it is. And how loud.”
“The first barn dance of the season is always well attended,” Hope informed me. “As the season progresses, the attendance thins out a bit.”
“So, Michael…” I said, glancing at the bar. “Is he your…?” I let my sentence trail off.
I nodded. “Colin has been given community service for his part in Austin’s death. He might have gotten more, but he cooperated fully, and he was only thirteen when the drugging happened. Additionally, he was able to convince the judge that he really didn’t know what would happen. Hugh is currently in the county jail, awaiting sentencing. He was booted off the council and is no longer the acting mayor, but he eventually cooperated fully and confessed to the whole thing, which should earn him some leniency. And the man who actually killed Bobby, Xavier Vargas, is awaiting trial in Denver. At this point, I’d say that things are wrapped up nicely.”
“I would say so. I read your piece in the Foxtail News about Austin and the series of events that led to his death,” Hope said. “You did such a good job. You really have a way with words. I cried the entire time I was reading it, and I know others who had the same experience. It really was a tragedy.”
“It was,” I agreed. “When I agreed to take on the project, I really didn’t know how hard it would be to research and write about the death of a child.” I glanced up as Michael returned and handed me my wine. I smiled and accepted it. “I think I’m going to go and find Cass.” I looked at Hope. “Let’s get together next week. Maybe lunch or drinks after work.”
“I’ll call you,” she promised.
I said my goodbyes and headed toward the door leading outside. It had gotten really hot with so many people in the enclosed space. The fresh air felt good. Cass was just finishing his call when I spotted him in the distance. I walked in that direction. “Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Everything is fine. That was the DA in Denver, letting me know that Xavier’s trial has been moved up. I’ll need to go to Denver and be available during the trial, so he was just giving me a heads up.”
“I see. I’m surprised the guy didn’t just plead guilty and avoid the trial.”
“I think he’s hoping for a plea deal, and who knows, he may get one. At this point, it’s out of my hands. Do you want to go back inside?”
“Actually, I could use some fresh air. It’s pretty hot inside.” I tilted my head up toward the sky. “Besides, it’s simply gorgeous out here.”
“Seems like a good night for stargazing,” Cass said.
I smiled and looked in his direction. “It is the perfect night for stargazing.”
“I have a blanket in my trunk. Maybe we can head up to the point, and I can see how many of the constellations I can remember.”
I wanted to say no. I wanted to remind Cass about the curse and how he might die if we fell in love, but at this moment, I couldn’t seem to work up the courage to do that. Instead, I leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. I pulled back just a bit and looked him in the eyes as I cradled his cheek with my hand. “I’d love to hear about the constellations.”
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Preview
Summerhouse Reunion
Sometimes life is about letting go. Letting go of the way things were supposed to have been. Letting go of unmet dreams and incomplete plans. Letting go of the anger that consumes you as you struggle to make sense of an unfinished life. I’d spent the last year denying the inevitable, negotiating for a different ending, screaming to the heavens that it wasn’t supposed to happen this way, and finally struggling to accept an ending that should never have been.
Letting go, I realized somewhere along the way, was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.
“It’s a beautiful day.” A woman with white hair walked up beside me as the spray from the rough sea misted my face.
“Yes.” I turned and smiled. The woman looked to be a few years older than my sixty-eight-year-old mother; unlike my mother, however, who simply could not or would not understand the grief that haunted my every waking moment, this woman looked at me with compassion and understanding. “It’s a little rougher than I like my ferry rides, but beautiful all the same. My name is Kelly. Kelly Green. I’m afraid I can’t immediately place you, but I feel like we’ve met.”
“We have met, although it has been a long time since we’ve seen each other. About twenty years, to be more specific.”
My brows shot upward. “Dottie Pemberton?”
The woman smiled and offered her hand.
“Wow.” I reached out and hugged the woman. “I’m so sorry I didn’t recognize you. It’s just that…”
“It’s just that the fifty-two-year-old woman you remember looked a bit differently from the seventy-two-year-old woman standing before you today.”
“Yes.” I stepped back. “I mean, no. I mean, sure, your hair is different, and I guess we all have a few more laugh lines, but still …” I realized I was rambling, so I stopped and hugged the woman again. “How are you?”
“I’m as well as can be expected. I was sorry to hear about Kayla.”
My smile faded just a bit. The death of my twin sister and best friend still hurt almost more than I could bear. I’d tried to do as others seemed to want and hide my pain, but no matter how hard I tried, the simplest thing—a song, a scent, a memory—would remind me just how much I’d lost, and the grief would return in a wave that would envelop me and then cast me into a sea of darkness once again.
“I guess it must have been extrahard with her in a coma for so long not knowing how things would work out in the end,” Dottie added after a moment.
She had no idea. In reality, Kayla had died a year ago, when a distracted driver had slammed into the car she was driving, but while everyone assured me that her mind was gone, her body had lived on, and as long as she clung to life, I’d clung to hope. Then, two months ago, her distraught husband decided to pull the plug and let her go peacefully, and I knew that my life would never be the same.
“How have you been holding up?” Dottie asked. She looked concerned, which I suppose was understandable, because I hadn’t said a word since the moment she’d brought up Kayla’s name. “I do understand how difficult something like this can be. I suppose it is even possible to lose ourselves in our grief.”
I cringed as I remembered the random acts of craziness that had been brought on by my overwhelming grief. “It has been hard,” I finally said. “But I’m hanging in there. Some days are harder than others. Some days it doesn’t seem real. But I guess you might understand that. I heard your Harold passed away as well.”
“Yes. Three years ago. He was the love of my life, and I miss him every day.”
I squeezed her hand. “I’m so very sorry. Sometimes I think Kayla’s death would have been easier to deal with if she’d lived a good, long life before passing. Forty-two is much too young. She had so many things yet to do. She had a husband and two daughters who needed her, and she had me, who probably needed her most of all. But then I stop and ask myself if her passing would have been easier if she’d been seventy or eighty or a hundred, and I can’t help but be faced with the truth—when you lose half of your heart, it is going to hurt no matter how long you’ve had together on this earth.”
“It is true that losing someone you love is never easy. How are her husband and daughters holding up?”
I thought about the husband and daughters left behind. “It’s been hard, but the girls are in college now and live busy lives. The accident did occur a year ago, so I guess you could say they’ve had time to adjust. Mark was a mess in the beginning, but he seems to have moved on. He’s even dating.” I exhaled slowly. “Truth be told, I’m really the only one who hasn’t been able to let go. Everyone says I should. Everyone says the time for grieving has passed. But losing Kayla feels like losing half my soul.”
Dottie smiled in understanding but didn’t respond. She turned to watch a pair of dolphins who’d decided to race the ferry, or
at least it seemed as if that was what they were doing. I took a moment to rein in my emotions. They still felt so raw, and I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that a huge cosmic mix-up had occurred and Kayla wasn’t meant to die. Not only was she much too young, as I’d pointed out to whatever celestial body might be listening, but in dying, she’d broken a promise, and Kayla was the sort to take any promise she made quite seriously.
A small black bird landed on the railing not far from where I was still standing next to Dottie. I closed my eyes as I let my mind transport me back in time. I felt the tension fade just a bit as the years fell away and I conjured up a happier time. I thought about the two little girls who’d looked just the same. Two little girls who were not only sisters but best friends and soulmates as well. I remembered the promise made by those little girls, and I grieved for the hope that had been shattered when that promise was ultimately broken.
When Kayla and I were kids, I guess around six or seven, a friend of ours lost both her parents in an airplane accident. The tragedy was too great for either of us to really understand, and I remember that we’d both had nightmares for weeks. The content of our dreams was somewhat different, but the subtext was much the same. We both dreamed of a dramatic event that would rip us from the life we loved, only to be thrust into an empty space, where we’d find ourselves lost and alone.
One night, long after we were supposed to be asleep, Kayla came into my room and climbed into my bed. She was shaking and crying, so I held her close while she shared the depths of the terror she’d been feeling since our friend had been orphaned. I’d been feeling it as well, but I wanted to comfort my sister, so I reminded her that no matter what happened, even if our parents died and we were left alone in the world, we’d always have each other. That reminder seemed to help both of us, so we’d made a pact to always be there for the other, no matter what. We’d even promised to die on the same day so neither of us would ever have to be alone. As absurd as that might sound, I think there might be a tiny part of me that was angry at Kayla for not upholding her part of the promise.