Deadly Summer (Darling Investigations Book 1)

by Denise Grover Swank

Fifteen minutes later, I turned into the Olson family farm. The fields were overgrown and had long since been abandoned. I was surprised Otto hadn’t rented out the land or at least had neighboring farmers cut the fields for hay, but he clearly hadn’t cared about such practicalities. Why would he?

  I pulled to a stop in front of a pile of charred wood and brick, which had obviously been a house at one time. Dixie had been chatty until we turned onto the property, but she’d clammed up. I reached over and grabbed her hand. “You okay?”

  She nodded.

  She was so not okay.

  I almost hadn’t brought her, but she’d insisted, and I sure wasn’t gonna tell her no. “Why don’t you wait in the truck while I look around the house?”

  “Not a chance,” she said as she opened the door and hopped out.

  We started walking along the perimeter of the house while Bill pulled up in his car. He got out his camera and started filming, walking away from us.

  Dixie looked shaken, so I grabbed her hand and linked our fingers, squeezing tight while she wiped away a tear.

  “It was awful, Summer.”

  “What was?” I asked quietly.

  “That night. The fire.” I knew she wasn’t talking about Otto’s.

  “I wish I’d been here for you, Dixie. I’m so, so sorry I wasn’t.”

  “Even if you’d come back, you wouldn’t have been here that night. The night they died.”

  We continued walking. Dixie seemed like she wanted to talk about it, but it was as if the words had left her.

  “I know it happened at night,” I prompted her.

  She nodded.

  “Was it late? Early?”

  “Later. Around ten.”

  “Where were you when it happened?”

  She released a bitter laugh. “In the overseer’s house with Trent Dunbar. We were high. Trent’s older brother had a hookup, so Trent brought some over to party with me.

  “You could see the fire from there?”

  “I’d gone in the barn earlier to clean the horse stalls. Momma came and checked on my work and told me that I’d done a bad job and I couldn’t leave the barn until it was done right. I was pissed because I had plans with Trent. So I snuck out the back and met him at the house. We were out there for at least an hour and a half before I heard the sirens. I saw the flames. When we got up there, the whole thing was engulfed, and Meemaw and Teddy were crying and screaming that Momma and Daddy and Pawpaw were inside.” She glanced over at me. “Teddy told me Momma said she’d found my jacket. They thought I was inside. They went back in to save me.”

  I let go of her hand and wrapped my arms around her. “Oh, Dixie.”

  “I killed them.”

  “No, you didn’t. It was an accident.”

  “You know that’s not true. The fire was arson, Summer.”

  “You were down at the overseer’s house. A quarter mile away.”

  “Trent and I had taken Xanax, then drank. I couldn’t remember at least forty-five minutes of that night. And when I did become aware of where I was, I was in a field between the barn and the overseer’s house.”

  My head got fuzzy. “That doesn’t mean anything, Dixie.”

  “I was furious with Momma. I was talkin’ about how unfair it was for her to make me clean out the barn.”

  “That doesn’t prove anything, Dixie.”

  “My clothes reeked of gasoline.”

  I couldn’t catch my breath.

  “Teddy tried to cover it up, but Luke smelled it as soon as he got close to me.” She held my gaze. “Teddy blames Luke for arrestin’ me, but he had no choice, and I didn’t fight him on it. He tried to make it as easy for me as possible. He even got me an attorney.”

  I started to cry. “No one told me. Oh, Dixie. I should have been here for you.” The story I’d heard was boiled down and vague—most of this was new to me.

  “What could you have done?”

  “I could have been here for you.”

  “I didn’t want anyone. I refused to talk to Teddy, and like I told you the other day, Meemaw didn’t want to have anything to do with me after I pled guilty. I just wanted to die.”

  “Dixie.” My voice broke.

  “Luke talked to the prosecuting attorney and made sure they charged me as a juvenile. I got out in two years, but I was in bad shape. But Luke was there when I got out. He helped me through things.”

  “What do you mean, helped you through things?”

  “When something got too bad to handle, he made me promise to call him. He would listen and offer advice.”

  “Why didn’t you tell Teddy?”

  “He was freaked out when I came home. Worried I’d start using drugs again. And I understand, but Luke was easier to talk to. You know?”

  “Yeah.” I remembered all the hours we’d logged on the phone while he was waiting for me to come home.

  Bill waved at us. “I’ve got enough B-roll. You ready to check out the barns?”

  I glanced over at Dixie, but she was already breaking away from me and heading toward Bill.

  We went into the smaller barn first, Bill filming our every move. The barn doors faced south, letting in plenty of light in addition to the light streaming in from the holes in the wooden walls. “First, we’re going to see if we can find anything to suggest that Otto actually came out here,” I said. “Because so far, it’s all a guess.”

  Dixie and I walked around, kicking dirt and leftover straw that stunk to high heaven. Ten minutes passed without us finding anything.

  “Let’s check the other one,” I said, grateful for an extended lunch break.

  Dixie nodded her agreement.

  This barn was in better shape than the smaller one, and the doors faced east. We opened them wide, and I turned on the flashlight on my phone to give us a better view. We only searched a few minutes before we found something.

  “I found a blanket,” Dixie said.

  I hurried over, Bill following us with the camera. We squatted down next to a pile of hay to look at it. “It’s not that dirty,” Dixie said. “It could have been Otto’s. Let’s keep looking.”

  We sifted through the hay until I found a small wooden box. I pulled it out and looked it over. It was nothing fancy, like something you’d likely find in a thrift store. I opened the lid and gasped. “I think I found what they were lookin’ for.”

  Dixie leaned over to get a look. “Holy mother of contraband.”

  Bill leaned over to film the plastic bag stuffed full of pills.

  “We have to call Luke,” Dixie said.

  “Luke’s in a meeting with the mayor and the city council members.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Over those photos?”

  My stomach turned cartwheels with nerves. “I don’t know,” I said. I couldn’t stand the thought of him losing his job because of me. “I told Amber to have him call me the moment he’s free, and he hasn’t called yet.” I grabbed my phone and pulled up Cale’s number. It seemed like the murders were mostly his cases, so he was probably the right person for us to bring in anyway.

  “Hey, Cale,” I said when he answered, “Dixie and I stumbled upon something I think you’ll be interested in.”

  “I’m all ears,” he said.

  “We’re out at Otto Olson’s old farm, and we found a bag of pills.”

  He was silent for a second, then he laughed. “Damn, we should put you two on the force.”

  I got more satisfaction out of the compliment than I probably should have. “I opened the box they were in, but other than that, we haven’t touched it, so you should be good for prints.”

  “See? You two are naturals. I take it you’re there right now?”

  “And our cameraman, Bill.”

  “Your cameraman?”

  “He’s filming all of this so we can expose the murderer on the show.”

  He paused. “I thought the show was a bunch of fake cases.”

  “That’s what the producer thinks. We’re
doin’ this on our own.”

  “Pretty smart,” he said. “Okay, you all hang tight out there. I’ll be there shortly. Don’t leave.”

  “Okay,” I said. “We don’t have to be back until four to get ready for the parade.”

  Dixie and Bill had gotten the gist of the conversation.

  “So Otto stole the drugs and hid them?” Dixie asked.

  “And the person he stole them from kidnapped him to tell them where they were,” I finished. “Or so I would guess.”

  Bill cringed. “I hate to be like Lauren, but could you two repeat that on camera?”

  “Sure,” I said. “That’s a great idea.”

  We decided to sit by the box with the bag. Dixie said her line and I repeated mine.

  “But who could it be? Luke said Otto and Ryker died within hours of each other, so maybe the same person killed them both.”

  “But they died in two totally different ways,” Dixie said.

  “I think it’s safe to assume that Ryker and Ed were partners.” I looked at Dixie for confirmation, and she nodded. “What if Ryker tried to get the information out of Otto—maybe by making him drink Jim Beam—and then he died from alcohol poisoning. Ed could have gotten pissed and killed Ryker.”

  Dixie nodded. “Yeah.”

  “But who killed Ed? Seems like it could only be the supplier who contacted Tommy.” And where did that leave Teddy in this situation? Because I was sure he was involved.

  “The one you were supposed to meet last night,” Dixie said.

  “Maybe I should text and apologize,” I said. “We still need to figure out who he is.”

  “I think we should tell Cale,” Dixie said. “It’s his case. We’ve done a lot of the legwork for him. He can take it over from here.”

  I wasn’t sure that would be good enough for the show, but I wasn’t selfish and stupid enough not to tell him. “Okay. Good idea.”

  I heard a car engine outside, getting closer. “Cale must be here already. I’m gonna go out and meet him.”

  I walked to the barn door and glanced down the long driveway. The vehicle at the end of it looked familiar, but not how I’d hoped.

  “Oh, crap. It’s a white van.”

  “Like your stalker was driving on Sunday?” Dixie asked in disbelief.

  “Exactly like the van from Sunday.”

  Dixie pulled out her phone. “How did this guy find you? I’m calling Cale to see how close he is.” She shoved me out the door and toward the truck. “We need to go.”

  “Cale said not to leave the pills,” I protested.

  “Leave them. This guy’s more interested in getting you than a bunch of pills.”

  We hadn’t quite made it to the truck when the van sped past it and pulled to a halt, blocking our way out.

  “Summer . . . ,” Dixie warned.

  “Stay back and call 911.”

  Sebastian got out, and he looked pissed. “I’m very disappointed in you, Summer.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Sebastian.”

  “You know my name now,” he said with a sneer. “I guess you had to learn it to file your restraining order.”

  “That wasn’t my doin’,” I said. “That was the police chief’s.”

  “I know you’re screwing him.”

  “What?”

  “I thought you were a good girl, Summer. Turns out you’re just a slut.”

  I saw Dixie coming toward me. Why hadn’t she stayed in the barn?

  But Sebastian didn’t seem to notice. “I saw you at that bar last night. Screwing him in the front seat of your truck.”

  “We didn’t have sex!” Not that it was any of his business.

  “It sure looked like it to me,” Sebastian said. “He didn’t have his shirt on. I guess you go for guys with lots of muscles like that.”

  “Duh!” Dixie exclaimed. “Who doesn’t?”

  “Not helping, Dixie,” I muttered.

  She made a face. “Oh. Yeah, I guess not.”

  “What were you doing at the bar, Sebastian?” I asked.

  “Trying to see you.”

  “Did you take photos?” I asked. “Did you sell them to those websites?”

  “No!” he said in disgust. “I don’t want your nasty pictures out there for the world to see.” His mouth pressed together. “He doesn’t love you. He would never disgrace you like that if he did.”

  “Why are you here now?” I asked. “You’re supposed to be a hundred feet away from me.”

  He started to pace. “That’s in town, Summer. But we’re out of town now, so that police chief can’t stop us.”

  “He’s sure gonna be surprised,” Dixie muttered under her breath.

  I didn’t want to give him a head’s-up. I needed to keep him talking. “Luke can’t stop us from what?”

  He stopped and his face turned red. “Being together! Keep up!”

  I held up my hands. “I’m sorry if I’m actin’ slow. I had a head injury a few days ago. If you were in town, you probably knew.”

  He took a step closer, and his eyes pleaded with me. “I was there.”

  “Where?”

  Some of his anger faded. “In your hospital room. While you were sleeping. You were so beautiful. I left you a rose.”

  “That was from you?” Where is Cale?

  Dixie grabbed my arm and whispered, “I’m officially creeped out, Summer.”

  I was a few steps ahead of her. How ironic that I had a stalker now, years after I stopped being actually famous.

  “Okay, Sebastian,” I said. “You’re here. I’m here. What do you want?”

  My question seemed to stump him.

  “This is between you and me, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I want to send Dixie away. So it will be just the two of us.”

  “Summer!” Dixie shouted. “No!”

  “Dixie. Trust me.” I turned to Sebastian. “That’s a good idea, don’t you think? Then we can be alone.”

  “I want the guy with the camera gone too.”

  I turned around and realized that Bill was still filming us from the open barn door.

  “Bill,” I said, “come on out. Why don’t you both head toward the truck?”

  “Summer,” Bill called out as he walked toward me, “I don’t think we should leave you.”

  I heard a car engine approaching, and apparently Sebastian did too. “You bitch!”

  So much for being my number-one fan.

  Dixie and Bill took off running for the truck.

  Sebastian lunged at me and tried to make a grab for my arm, but I jerked out of his reach and started running toward the truck too. I didn’t stop until I reached Dixie and Bill. When I turned around to see if Sebastian was still following, I didn’t see him anywhere.

  A police car pulled up behind us, and Cale climbed out. “Summer. What’s goin’ on?”

  “My stalker showed up,” I said, trying to catch my breath.

  “He ran into the barn,” Dixie said.

  Cale’s eyes widened, and he was instantly on full alert. “Does he have a weapon?”

  “No,” I said. “I didn’t see one, but he’s acting agitated and then some.”

  “You guys stay back here.” Cale made his way toward the barn, casting a couple of glances back at us as he approached. “Sebastian, come on out so we can discuss this.”

  Sebastian didn’t answer.

  “Cale,” I called out to him, “the pills are in there.”

  He gave a sharp nod and pulled out his gun.

  Dixie let out a squeak, and she, Bill, and I squatted down next to the truck.

  “Sebastian, just come on out. Hidin’ in the barn’s not gonna solve anything.”

  “I’m outside of the city limits,” Sebastian called out from inside the barn. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I just wanted to see her.”

  “Summer?”

  “Yeah. If she just spent some time with me, she’d see we’re perfect for each other. I don’t car
e that she slept with the police chief.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Cale said. “One thing at time. If you want to see her, then you’re gonna have to come out.”

  “No.”

  Cale continued trying to coax Sebastian out of the barn, but my stalker had quit talking. After a couple of minutes, Cale told Sebastian he was coming in.

  I held my breath when Cale disappeared inside the darkness, but he returned alone after a minute or so. “He’s gone,” he said, shaking his head. “He slipped out a back door. And I think he took the pills with him.”

  “What?” Dixie asked.

  I wrapped my arms across my chest. It had felt like we were so close to ending this thing . . . and now we were further away than ever. “We should have taken the pills, but you said not to move them, and he showed up so fast . . .”

  Cale moved toward us. “Summer, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s okay.”

  “What are you gonna do?” I asked. “Are you gonna go after him?”

  “We don’t have the manpower, and even though he took off with the pills, you said he didn’t have a weapon. We don’t consider him dangerous to the town.” He paused. “However, he’s escalating with you. You should cancel your appearance in the parade.”

  Even though I wasn’t excited about riding on a float down Main Street, I’d made a commitment. “No. I promised I’d do it. People are counting on me.”

  “It’s not worth risking your life so you can wave to the crowd, Summer. I’m sure that Luke will pitch a fit.” He gave me a grim smile. “But that’s between you and him. I’m more interested in how you three knew to come out here.”

  I shrugged. “I just thought about where Otto used to be happy. It made sense he’d come here whenever he was feeling down. But we think we might have figured out what happened.”

  Surprise washed over his face. “Oh? What?”

  I told him our theory about the deaths. “If Ed killed the other two, the real question is who killed Ed.”

  “And why,” Cale said.

  “We figured that part out too.” I gave Dixie an apologetic grimace. “I have the phone number of the new supplier.”

  Cale did a double take. “Say what? How’d you get that?”

  “I’d rather not say, but I was supposed to meet him last night out at the Jackhammer; however, things got a little out of hand, and I’m pretty sure it scared him off.”