“It’s not your fault, Wade,” I bit out, brushing my shorts more vigorously even though they were as clean as they were going to get. Jake stopped me, taking my hands in his.
“Gonna have to disagree with you there,” Wade said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I pushed too hard. I wasn’t expecting it to backlash on you like that.”
“I’m not fragile!” I burst out. “I can handle it.” They all stared at me with various levels of shock, and I let out an irritated groan as I spun around toward the cabin. “I’m going inside.”
They let me go this time and my heart strummed in time to my racing thoughts as I stomped to the cabin. A place I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay at anymore.
A couple of hours later, I heard the creak of wooden boards as someone walked toward me. The cabin had quickly become confining as everyone tiptoed around me. Now, it looked like they’d decided to check on me.
“I’m fine,” I muttered to whoever stood behind me.
“Seems like I remember saying something similar to you a few months ago.” A heavy thump proceeded his next words as he settled next to me. “If I recall, you ignored me.”
“Danny.” I took a deep breath and then let it out as whatever I was about to say died a quick death.
“Yep,” he said, kicking his feet as they hung over the edge of the dock we were sitting on. “Apparently, the rest of them are too scared to talk to you.”
“So, you drew the short straw?”
“Nah, I wanted to come. Didn’t even tell them, but I have a feeling they’re watching us.” He bumped me as he glanced over his shoulder and I heard his chuckle. “Yep, they suck at covert, by the way.”
“No undercover work for them?”
“Not where you’re concerned at least.” He agreed before letting silence settle over us once again. The tension eased from my shoulders as he didn’t mention my earlier outburst. If anyone had a right to call me on my shit, it was Danny. I’d forced him to confront his parents months earlier in a showdown so emotional, it made me want to ugly cry just remembering it.
“Something bugs me about Summer’s death. Why smother her? It takes a long time to kill someone by asphyxiation. Snapping her neck would have been much easier.”
“I’m going to ignore your last sentence so I can plead ignorance if necessary.” He snorted at my words. “But they weren’t strong enough to snap her neck. They didn’t want her to suffer, they just wanted her gone.”
“Interesting reason for killing someone. Doesn’t really fit the MO of a jealous lover,” he observed, his steel toed boats barely skimming the water underneath us.
“It is.”
“Not strong enough doesn’t really fit either. David wasn’t a small guy. He could have easily snapped her neck.” It didn’t escape me that we’d stopped referring to him as my dad and only used his name.
“We don’t know that,” I responded belatedly, frowning as I tried to recall seeing a picture of my dad as an adult.
“We do,” Danny answered, holding a picture in his hand. He offered it to me and I eyed it warily. He was patient though and eventually I took it.
Two young men stared back at me from the photo, wide grins on their faces as they held up fish they’d just caught. Their appearances were so similar my breath caught. David was a little shorter and stockier than Duke, but otherwise they were identical. Duke had his arm thrown around David’s shoulder and it was hard to believe their relationship splintered so dramatically only a short time later.
“I’m not psychic or anything, but my gut tells me David didn’t kill Summer.” Sliding the photo through my fingers, I wanted to agree. It was impossible for me to believe he’d hurt his brother that way. The man who’d written a dying letter to me had his share of regrets but they didn’t involve murder.
“Something bugs me about Summer’s death. I can’t put my finger on it though,” I told Danny, finally verbalizing the vague feelings I’d been experiencing.
“We know she was killed by a left handed man.” His statement left me uneasy, but again I didn’t know why. We were missing something. “The stalker is still at large. If we catch him tomorrow and he’s left handed, then I’d say he’s our best suspect.”
“They tried to cover it up, have it declared a suicide instead of murder. Mayor Keyes ruined that though.” I glanced at Danny. “Who would have that power? And why was it never questioned?”
“It was the police chief who informed Keyes so he was either misled or part of it,” Danny stated, working through it with me.
“But he’s dead,” I reminded him.
“Doesn’t mean we can’t look into his life, maybe the answer is there.” Danny’s words reminded me we weren’t done. Not with our stalker or our investigation. I hopped up from the dock and winced as sensation rushed back to my numb butt. Danny stood up slower, his long frame dwarfing me. He started walking down the dock, but I stopped him, feeling unaccountably awkward.
“Thank you,” I managed before I had to clear my throat. “You were right and I’m glad you weren’t scared to come tell me I was being a crybaby.”
“I don’t think those were my exact words,” he denied with a smile.
“Close enough,” I muttered and under my breath added, “And deserved.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
I lifted my eyebrow but didn’t argue.
“I respect your instincts and knowledge, Danny. Even if you don’t have any psychic abilities.” His arm came out to knock me into the water, but at the sight of my smile he caught me in a hug instead. After he squeezed the breath out of me, I gasped, “So, does this mean you’ll join me and Wade?”
He gave a weird groaning laugh and then said, “If you can convince Wade, then, yeah, I guess I’m in.”
I gave a little skip at his answer, already positive I had Wade in the bag.
“Your confidence is starting to frighten me.”
My laughter was wicked when I said, “I wouldn’t bet against me.”
Hours later, Connor slapped the counter as he shouted, “Holy hell, how did people find anything before Facebook?”
“The newspaper?” I offered, rubbing my own tired eyes as I looked up from the newspaper archives I was searching through. “Most of these are microfiche or not even available. I thought this was the information age?”
“I guess small town newspapers didn’t get the memo,” Jake sighed, pushing away his own laptop. “For a police chief, there really isn’t a lot of information available about him. His cases all appear on the up and up, except for Summer’s.”
“It had to be personal,” Connor stated. “Something about Summer’s death was personal.”
“Maybe he was the one who killed her,” Wade mentioned and they all glanced at me.
“You have to phrase it as a question,” I reminded them and got sheepish smiles in return.
“Did Police Chief Davis kill Summer Keyes?”
“Nope.”
“Did he have a wife?”
“Yes.”
“What was her name?”
My forehead wrinkled as the word ‘Joy’ came to mind. “Joy?” I said, a little uncertain.
“Now, we’re getting somewhere,” Connor cried, rubbing his hands together. “Did he father any children?”
“No.”
“Damn, a son would have been the right age.”
“Time for supper,” Jules called from the kitchen. “And I won’t say it twice so you better get your butts in here.”
Connor hopped up immediately and Jake glanced at the rest of us. “There is a strong possibility my sister will spit in our food if we don’t get in there.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Danny joked as he and Wade headed to the kitchen. I lingered, my mind stuck on her words. Supper was used for the evening meal, unlike dinner which was used at lunch. My grandfather said the same thing, but it was Jules saying it that reminded me of someone.
“You coming?” Jake’s question broke me out o
f my musings and I glanced at him. “I’m pretty sure she won’t spit in your food, but if you want to keep working I’ll bring your plate to you.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I need a break. And what’s better than dinner with the gang?”
“It promises to be an adventure.” He paused and squinted at me suspiciously. “How bad is the kitchen going to be?” I bit my lip avoiding his eyes and he tilted his head back with a groan. “I should have known better than to take her up on her offer to cook dinner if we cleaned up the kitchen.”
“Payback is a bitch,” Jules crowed as we walked in and the other guys stood there staring at the mountain of pots and pans in front of them. “You better eat up because you have a lot of cleaning to do.”
Jake sucked in a breath and said, “That’s my sister for you.”
I took my seat silently, dishing up creamed potatoes, grateful I had played no part in this little deal of theirs.
“Any success with digging up information on the chief?” Carly asked, breaking the heavy silence as the guys finally sat down at the table.
“If you define success as a big fat zero, then sure.” Connor scooped up half the bowl of creamed potatoes and I was glad I’d already gotten my share. Jules silently set another bowl of potatoes on the table, but she quickly slapped Connor’s hand when he reached from them also. He jerked his hand back and I handed him a basket of rolls.
“The biggest thing is the lack of info about his personal life. He had to have a reason for saying Summer’s death was a suicide. If he didn’t do it then he knew who did.”
“What if he didn’t though? What if someone told him the wrong thing or led him astray?” Carly asked objectively.
“Then he still knew something! Whoever told him Summer’s death was suicide is our murderer,” Connor declared passionately. He leaned back in his seat as he said, “Someone knew the truth and if the police chief turned a blind eye or actually believed her death to be a suicide, then it had to be someone he trusted.”
“It’s just hard discovering who was in that inner circle decades later,” Jake said around an exhausted yawn. “This is one of the coldest cases we’ve ever worked and half of our informants are dead.”
“What about the wife? Maybe she knew something or if she’s still around she can shed some light on his life at the time. Wives always know what’s going on,” Jules stated confidently.
“Are you basing that on your experience?” Jake asked her drolly. She flicked a forkful of peas at him and at the glint in his eyes, I knew I had seconds to prevent an all-out food fight.
“NO! The guys have to clean the kitchen and that includes the table,” I uttered the rule as I leaned over the table, my arms spread wide as if I could physically prevent them from slinging food.
Everyone froze at my shout and then dissolved into laughter at my position. Jake tried to stop his laughter, pulling me back into my seat, but it was hopeless. I crossed my arms as everyone at the table laughed around me.
“Glad y’all are enjoying yourselves,” I muttered, stabbing my fork into my pile of creamed potatoes.
“It was funny,” Wade said, gasping for breath.
“Yeah,” Connor agreed as he widened his eyes and spread his arms in a reenactment to the others’ amusement. My mouth twisted and I felt Jake’s arm come around me. His lips brushed the edge of my ear and I shivered.
“We laugh because we love you,” he whispered and my anger spiked. The plate in front of me was entirely too tempting and within seconds it was sliding down Jake’s face as he sputtered.
“I laugh because you have to clean it up,” I whispered to him as I escaped the suddenly silent kitchen. Moments later, laughter erupted once again as they took in the sight of Jake with a face full of food.
“Peace offering?” He asked, offering a slice of apple pie as he hovered next to the swing.
“You’re not going to shove it in my face, are you?” I asked sheepishly, knowing I probably deserved it.
He laughed and sat next to me, holding up two forks.
“Only if you don’t agree to share.”
“Deal,” I agreed, going for the crust. “You eat the apples and I’ll eat the crust.”
“Your concept of sharing leaves a lot to be desired,” he muttered as I shoved apple pieces toward his fork. “I thought you liked apples.”
“I do, but not in pie,” I informed him to his confusion. “You have much to learn.”
“Obviously. I’m not sure a lifetime is long enough,” he said, stealing a piece of crust from me.
“It’ll be a short lifetime if you keep stealing my pie,” I cried as he slipped another forkful from under my watchful eye.
“I’ll take my chances,” he replied as he leaned back, draping his arm over the swing and as he left the rest of the pie for me. “I’ll have to remember to get you your own dessert.”
“Damn straight,” I muttered, taking dainty bites of the crumb crust as he rocked us.
The others meandered out a few minutes later, keeping a wide berth as I ate my pie.
“You’re not going to throw that at me, are you?”
“Why would you assume I’d throw it at you, Connor?” I asked sweetly.
“Well,” I raised my eyebrow and he frowned. “I wasn’t mocking you. It was funny! Damn it. You need to learn to take a joke.”
“I’m not mad at you, Connor.” I rolled my eyes and said, “It’s not all about you.”
He relaxed when he realized he was off the hook and I dug his lottery tickets out of my pocket. “See, I got these for you earlier.”
“You did?” His pleasure was easy to see and I felt the warmth of it as he took my gift. “You have to scratch them.”
“I don’t have too. Really. There’s a winner in there,” I promised him, but he only shook his head and handed them back. His superstitious nature insisted I scratch them or they would suddenly stop being winning tickets.
I took them, muttering under my breath as Jake handed me a quarter. I took my time as I scratched the surface of the ticket, so intent I didn’t notice Wade staring at me.
“You really think those are winners?” He asked and it was Connor who answered.
“Hell, yeah, man. She won’t do it often though. Says it’s not ‘fair’ or some shit.” He shifted his beer as he made the air quotes and I blew the ticket I held.
“Here, you tell me if it’s a winner.” I grinned as I handed the ticket to Wade and he whistled.
“That’s a grand right there,” he muttered in surprise as Connor snatched the ticket from him.
“My grand. You have to convince her yourself if you want to win.”
“I’m the one who asked her the question in the first place, you should be splitting that,” Wade countered, crossing his arms.
“He speaks the truth,” I told Connor, watching them go back and forth.
“We can split it,” Connor agreed, holding out his hand to Wade, who slapped it away.
“Dude, I was kidding, but it’s good to know.” He nodded toward me. “She can keep the lights on at the shop at least.”
“What are you going to do with the winnings?” Danny asked and I frowned as I crumpled the non-winning tickets. Danny was struggling financially and too proud to ask for help.
Connor stood there with his mouth open, caught off guard by the question. The truth would only get him in trouble with Jules since he’d used all of his prior winnings to buy her engagement ring. I suspected the honeymoon they didn’t go on had also been paid for with lottery winnings.
“He donates it to charity,” I said, coming to his rescue and cornering him into doing it at the same time. “These winnings are going to the animal shelter aren’t they?”
He snapped his mouth shut and stared at me for a second, a glint of respect in his eyes. He nodded and said, “Yep, Addie insisted we do something good with our winnings.” He handed the winning ticket back to me. “I’ll let her handle this one.”
I tu
cked the ticket back into my pocket, already knowing exactly what to do with it.
“Ooohhhh, that is so sweet,” Jules gushed, wrapping her arms around Connor as she kissed him. “You are so generous.”
I nodded in agreement when she glanced over at me with a proud smile. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me what you’ve been doing. That’s so awesome.”
Jake snorted next to me, not believing what I’d said for a second. Wade eyed me suspiciously, but didn’t contradict me even when he glanced over at Danny. He’d caught the flares of emotion with Danny’s question, and like normal he’d seen so much more than everyone else.
“I think our next plan of action is to catch the stalker,” Connor declared, changing the topic away from himself and his ‘good deeds’ and back onto me. “He’s our best suspect at this point. We know he stalked Summer and there’s a good chance he killed her. I think we should set a trap for him.”
Danny’s hand slipped into his pocket, fishing for his lighter I was sure and Jules avoided my eyes as Carly started twisting her hair around her finger. I thumped back against the swing only to catch Jake’s considering expression. He gestured at my cohorts in crime and I gave him an innocent look. He shook his head and I let out a sigh.
“We already thought of that,” I finally said only to be met with Jules betrayed glance. I lifted my palms up and said, “We might as well come clean.”
“What were you planning?” Connor asked sharply, focusing a hard stare on his wife.
“Ah, you gonna explain about that snake?”
“Snake?” Jake’s forehead wrinkled and I rubbed my face in my hands.
“We went to the lake this morning to try and draw the stalker out, instead Danny caught us and dragged us back. We were going to go out again in the morning to see if he’d take the bait this time,” I admitted in a rush, peeking out from between my fingers to see how they reacted to my explanation.
“How exactly were you planning to draw him out?” Connor asked the question I was hoping we could avoid, but from the tense set of his jaw that wasn’t happening.
“Me,” Jules admitted in a tiny voice. “I was going to stand by the lake and see if he would,” she said, before she was interrupted by a roar.
Hidden Secrets (The Hidden Series Book 3) Page 18