Trey turned his Mustang off the highway into the parking lot. Jody's patrol car sat in front alongside an ambulance with flashing lights. Trey jumped out and headed for the open side door. He stepped inside and took a minute for his eyes to adjust. No one was in the bar, but he could hear voices coming from the back office. He headed that way.
The blonde he had spoken to yesterday and two other girls huddled in the hallway. One of them was crying. Jody was talking to them, making notes as he did. Trey leaned on the wall and waited to speak to him.
“None of you heard the shots?” the officer asked.
The blonde shook her head and not a hair moved. She'd probably used half a can of hairspray. “No. There was a huge crowd last night. We wouldn't have heard a cannon going off back here.”
“None of you came back here to look for Jimmy Ray?” Jody pressed.
“We were cleaning and we had the jukebox really loud,” Stephanie said.
Jody glanced at his notes. “The three of you were all out front all night?”
They nodded.
He graced the big-breasted brunette with a glance. “Did you go back to the office after I left here for the first time?”
A flush covered her cheeks and neck. “No. I had to help get ready for tonight. We always have a big turnout on Monday night. It's ladies night.”
“Are we in trouble?” the crying girl asked.
“Did you kill Jimmy Ray?” Jody asked.
“No!”
“Then I can't see why you would be. Go on home, and if I have any more questions I'll find you there.” As they left, Jody closed his notebook and stowed it in his shirt pocket. He spotted Trey. “What are you doing here?”
He stepped forward. “I just wanted to see if you have any theories as to what happened to our buddy here. Looks like he found some trouble, huh?”
“He's not going to give anyone any more grief that's for sure.” Jody shifted slightly so Trey could see over his shoulder. Two EMTs were loading a body bag on a stretcher.
“Any idea what happened?” Trey didn't watch as they maneuvered the body through the door. He'd seen more bodies loaded onto stretchers than he could count.
Jody shrugged. “I'm not sure. Looks like a homicide. Someone shot him in the chest.”
“I wonder who killed him?”
“Could be any number of people. He wasn't exactly popular and he ran drugs and guns out of here. Trouble was we knew it, just couldn't ever catch him in the act. I shouldn't say any more.” Jody moved a few feet into the room where a female officer dusted for prints. She glanced at Trey with raised brows, but didn't comment. “I don't think there's going to be a lot of mourners at his funeral. Maybe a few hardcore drinkers who'll miss his booze. And don't forget your sister,” Jody said. “Maybe this news will bring her out of hiding.”
Two EMTs rolled the gurney carrying Jimmy Ray's body. When Trey glanced away, his gaze lit on something under the edge of the couch. “Hey, check it out.”
Jody looked where he pointed. “What is that?”
“Looks like a necklace or bracelet. Probably one of those girls lost it in here.”
Bending to retrieve it with a gloved hand, Jody examined it. “It is a bracelet. Apparently your sister's.”
“What do you mean?” Trey demanded.
“Doesn't this belong to Lindy? Isn't it the one you gave her?” He held up a ruby bracelet.
“Yeah. It's the one I gave her for graduation.” Trey's throat grew tight. He forced his next words out. “Do you think she murdered Jimmy Ray?”
Jody shot him a look. “I hope not. We know she was here night before last, so hopefully she lost her bracelet then. If I were a betting man, I'd say Jimmy Ray got himself killed in a bad drug deal. But I need to look at all the angles.”
“Maybe Lindy came back here and shot him for what he did to her.” He voiced his fears. “And lost that.”
“I doubt it. My guess is that Lindy dropped it before she left,” Jody said again.
“I hope you're right.” Trey ran a hand over the back of his neck. “How long before you have something on prints?
“Not long, and you really do need to go so you don't contaminate the scene any worse.” Jody stared at him until he backed up a step.
“Okay, okay. I'm going.” Trey headed for the door. “I'm going to find my sister. It's more important than ever that I find out where she's hiding.”
“You come up with any new ideas?”
“No. I'm going to go see Summer. Find out if she's heard anything from Jace yet.” Trey kept his voice matter-of-fact. No sense letting anyone see how his heart sped up at the prospect.
“Do you think that's a good idea?”
Trey heaved a sigh. “Probably not.”
Summer sat in the kitchen watching Mama pace from the porch to the window to the stove. She stopped briefly and stirred her butterscotch pudding with a vengeance. “Where could Jace be?”
“I'm not sure, Mama.” Summer swallowed her guilt. She wished now she'd told her mother about Jace's nocturnal visit. Because he hadn't stayed, Summer feared that would upset Mama more than not knowing where he was. Bracing herself, she said, “I need to tell you something.”
“What is it, dear?” Mama tasted her pudding, frowned and added a drop of cream. “That's better. Jace likes it sweet.”
“Mama, listen to me, please.” Summer gathered her courage, taking a deep breath trying to prepare herself for what Mama might do.
She continued to stir. “I am listening, dear.”
“It's about Jace.”
Finally giving Summer her full attention, Mama set her dripping spoon on the stove. “What about him?”
Avoiding her mother's eyes, Summer said, “He called me today. From Biloxi. He went there instead of coming home. He said there's too much bad blood here.”
“My baby isn't coming?” With a bewildered look, Mama sank into a kitchen chair. A tear slipped down her scarred cheek. She raised a hand and fluttered it in the air. “But I cooked all his favorites.”
“Oh, Mama.” Summer took her mother in her arms and held tight as her body shook with grief. She murmured words of comfort and stroked her back, but nothing seemed to help. “I'm sorry. I wish I had happier news.” Guilt and regret filled Summer. In the last twenty-four hours, she'd lied to Mama more than she had her whole life. She prayed she made the right choices.
“Why doesn't Jace want to see me? I miss him so much.” Mama wiped her red eyes with her apron.
“I'm sure he does,” Summer managed around the catch in her throat. “But he's afraid to come here. When he feels safe, he'll come home and you'll have all the time in the world with him.”
“I wish he wasn't afraid of those people,” Mama whispered.
“I know,” Summer said. “Me, too.”
“Those people can't do any more to us.” Bitterness filled Mama's voice. “We won't let them.”
She meant the Bouchés. Summer's guilt grew a few notches. If her mama found out she'd spent yesterday afternoon in Trey's company, she'd flip out. “They can't hurt us anymore.”
“If my boy calls again you tell him I said to come home.” She stood and turned off the stove.
“I will, Mama. I promise.” Summer's heart broke. If it were in her power, she'd put her family back together. She'd turn back the clock and all pain would just disappear like fog on a hot Mississippi morning.
Mama braved a smile. “There's pudding. Want some?”
“Yes, ma'am.” Summer faked an appetite and dished a bowl. Together they carried their dessert to the porch and sat. A robin chirped at them from a nearby pine branch. Summer ate her butterscotch dessert without tasting it. Damn Jace anyway. Yes, he had been through a lot, but he should've stayed long enough to see Mama. She had been through hell, too, and she deserved some happiness.
“I'm tired this morning. I think I'll do the dishes, then take a little nap,” Mama said.
“Go on and lay down, Mama. I'll clean up.”
“You do too much already.” She reached across the table, took Summer's hand and held it. “I've asked too much of you. This isn't fair for you to put your own life on hold. You're young. You should have a husband and children to take care of, not an old, useless woman.”
“Stop it, Mama. First of all, you're not old, and second, you're far from useless.” Summer's heart twisted painfully. Mama rarely waddled in self-pity. To hear her do so was frightening.
“What good am I to anyone stuck here in the house like I am?”
“I couldn't get along without you.” Summer leaned forward and stared into her mother's troubled eyes, trying to make her see how much she meant her words. “I don't want to hear any more of this kind of talk. You're just overtired. Go on to bed now and I'll take care of things down here.”
“I think I will. Thank you, darlin'.”
Cleanup took only a few minutes, and then Summer went back outside to water her garden. The morning air felt wonderful, caressing her bare arms and legs. The humidity wasn't too bad, but it was going to be a scorcher later. The nearby pines loomed like an army of watchful sentinels.
Without Mama's income from teaching, they hadn't been able to afford the three-bedroom cottage they'd had near the Bouché estate. Living on Summer's limited income and Mama's teaching pension, they'd had to settle for much, much less. The old Nichols' farm had seemed perfect. Although falling down, it was far enough from town that Mama hadn't had to endure people's stares or whispers. The isolation was exactly what she needed.
Summer had never felt afraid here. She would hate to be out here in the middle of nowhere all the time, though, with no one to talk to. Like Mama. Her friends had given up on her a long time ago. Initially after the trial, a few had tried to keep their friendship going, but she hadn't been able to endure their questions, their pity.
After a time, she had begun to refuse visitors, then she would make excuses not to go to town. Before Summer realized what happened, Mama completely separated herself from her past. Rarely did anyone even ask after her anymore. It was as if she'd died.
Realizing she'd soaked a tomato plant too much, Summer shook off her painful memories. Laying the hose on the next row, she went to the porch and retrieved her glass of iced tea. Mama said Summer needed a husband and children. Trey's face came to mind. She fought the image. He was the last person who would fit the bill. Her mind skipped back to the kiss he'd planted on her. If things were different, she knew she wouldn't have stopped him.
He had the exact effect on her as the last time she'd seen him. He made her heart pound, her knees go weak, and her mind turn to mush. Why couldn't she feel like this about Scott Lewis at the bank? Or maybe Will Stone who'd she'd gone out with a time or two? Whatever the reason, they didn't make her lose all good sense like Trey did without even half trying. If she didn't keep her distance from him, he could do a lot of damage to Mama, to Jace, and most importantly, to herself.
Still deep in thought, she turned off the hose and rolled it up.
She didn't immediately notice the car in the driveway, or the quiet engine come to a stop. Not until the tall figure came around the corner did she become aware of him. Startled, she jumped and let out a little scream.
“Summer, it's me.”
Trey.
What was he doing here? How many times did she have to tell him to stay away? “What do you want?”
“To talk to you.”
“Why? What else is there to say? I thought we'd covered it all.” She shot a glance at Mama's bedroom window. Thankfully, the shade was down. Grabbing his arm, she dragged him to the corner of the house where the magnolia would shield them from Mama's window, should she decide to look out.
He leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. “This is about Jace.”
His tone was so serious she panicked. “What about him? Has something happened to my brother?”
“No. No. Not that.”
She resisted the urge to slug him for scaring her. “Then what?”
“I went back to Shantytown last night with Jody and we talked to Candy Carter. She told us Lindy was with Jimmy Ray Hunt. We then went and spoke to him. His face was all beat up. He claimed Lindy hit him.” He waited a moment. “Summer, we went back again and he was dead. Somebody shot him at point-blank range. The Chief wants Jace found right now.” Trey's gravelly voice sounded somber as if he'd been at a funeral. “And he's not going to be patient.”
“So he can throw my brother back in prison for another murder he didn't commit?” Summer's fingers curled into her palms until they ached. “I can't believe you want to keep dragging my family through the mud. Why won't you and your dad just face the fact that my brother isn't here? You just said Jimmy Ray Hunt was the last person to see Lindy. Why don't you make his employees tell you what they know?”
“I wish they could. The Chief would if he had that much power.”
She glared at him. “Why can't he?”
“None of them are talking.”
“I suppose you think Jace had something to do with his death.” Her nails dug into her palms until she feared she drew blood.
“Don't be ridiculous,” Trey snapped.
“I'm not,” she shot back. “You're the one who said this has something to do with Jace. If he's not under suspicion for Jimmy Ray's death, then what?”
“The Chief thinks there might be a link between Lindy's disappearance and Jace not showing up here.”
“Why? That's a huge leap. She left a bar with another man, disappears, and it's my brother's fault? How? I know your daddy had it in for us, but this is taking it too far. I'm glad Jace decided not to ⦠that he went elsewhere.” Had he caught that slip? Oh, God.