Mississippi Blues (21 page)

His patience was quickly coming to an end with their little personal game of Clue. When Mary-Gray had called and invited him to go to church with her family, he had accepted for the chance to mingle with Lindy's friends. He thought he might pick up a lead as to who had really killed Jimmy Ray, but all he'd heard so far was gossip and misguided guesses. Although the murder was the talk of the picnic, he hadn't picked up a single piece of useful information.

Without being obvious, he kept Summer in his sight. Although she had come into church later than him, he knew when she arrived as though she had gifted him with a breath of fresh air when he was suffocating.

Tuning out Mary-Gray's meant-to-be-charming chatter, he glanced again at Summer and Glory. They seemed to be having an intense discussion with their heads close together. He wondered what they could be talking about so seriously, looking so pretty. No one could miss Glory in her crazy dress that clashed with her vibrant hair. But it was Summer he couldn't take his gaze off. Like her name, she looked sunny and bright in her flowery pink dress. Her skirt flowed out around her like the petals of a flower. Suddenly she smiled and he couldn't breathe. Nor could he hear Mary-Gray. “Would you excuse me?”

Without waiting to hear their answer, Trey walked toward Summer. She looked up and their gazes met and held. He didn't have a plan, he didn't have anything to talk to her about, all he knew was he had to speak to her before she left. “Hi.”

“Hey, Trey. What's up?” Glory spoke to him. Summer did not.

“Not much.” He squatted on his heels like a child trying to coax a kitten out of its hiding place. “Just thought I'd catch up.”

“Starting with Mary-Gray Bennet, I see.” Summer's voice dripped ice.

He hid a smile. She was jealous. “A pretty girl asked me out. Do you know some reason I should've turned her down?”

“Not a one.”

He did smile this time at her tone. “Me either. Are you enjoying your picnic?”

“I was.”

Glory coughed. “I think I'll go get some more punch. Do you want some?”

Trey smiled at her. “No, thanks.”

“No,” Summer said.

Touching her shoulder, Glory said, “Be right back. Remember what we talked about.”

“What were you having your heart-to-heart about?” He hoped it was him.

“I can't see where that's any of your business.” She fiddled with the tiny gold heart she wore around her neck then sighed. “We were saying some things are hard to forget.”

“Yeah.” His smiled faded. “I know.”

“Have you found Lindy yet?”

“No. Actually, that's why I'm here. I'm going to circulate and see if I hear anything.” He frowned and picked at a strand of grass.

“You really think you're going to find someone here who knows where Lindy is?” She raised her eyebrows at him. “Honestly, do you think a kidnapper lurks among Juliet's churchgoing members?”

He studied the blade of grass. “Not really, but at this point I'll try anything.”

Her frozen tone warmed a fraction. “You haven't found a clue?”

“No.” He tossed the grass away, trying to think of a way to broach the other subject heavy on his mind.

As if she read his thoughts, she said, “Let me answer the question I know you're going to ask next. No, I haven't talked to Jace. He hasn't come home.”

“Did I ask?” Why did he feel so crummy for wondering if Jace was behind Lindy's disappearing act?

“You wanted to.”

He didn't attempt to deny it. “Where do you think he is?”

“Not with Lindy.” She twisted the chain again. “I don't know, Trey. If I did, I'd tell you just to keep you from badgering me.”

This wasn't going well. For once he didn't want to talk about Jace or even Lindy. He wished they could have one conversation without their siblings being the main focus. “I don't mean to hound you.”

“And yet here you are.”

“I'm sorry.” He let his hands hang between his knees when all he wanted to do was reach out and take her face with his palms and kiss her until they both ached from it.

She tilted her head and stared at him like she had never seen him before. “If only you meant that.”

“I do. More than you know.” If he could just erase their history and make it all okay again, he would. But he had no magic, no way to pull down the invisible barrier between them.

“Words come so easily to you, Trey.” She looked away. “Here comes Glory. And I see your date is looking for you. Good luck finding Lindy. I hope she's all right.” She reached for her picnic basket.

He'd been dismissed. He handed it over, careful not to touch her, and stood. “Take care of yourself.”

“You, too.” Her big blue eyes glimmered and he hesitated. There had to be something to say to make them friends again. He knew what she wanted him to say — that he didn't think Jace had killed Soloman — and he couldn't do it. With a heavy sigh, he walked away.

Mary-Gray looped her arm through his and he managed to smile at her. Brunette hair glistening, a form-hugging dress that showed legs for miles and smelling like honeysuckle, she should've made the blood race to his cock. But she didn't pique his interest. “Re-introduce me around, will you?”

“With pleasure.” She smiled at him and he faked one back.

As they moved from group to group, old friends greeted him warmly. All asked about his parents and many wanted to know about his time in Afghanistan. Although everyone went out of their way to make him welcome, this felt wrong to him. Without the Chief shooting the bull with his cronies, Trey's mother and MiLann sharing their secrets, and he and Jace off to play basketball, everything felt off kilter.

Spotting a group of men standing off by themselves, he asked Mary-Gray, “Would you excuse me for a minute? I'd like to chat with the guys.”

“Of course. I'm sure my mother would like me to help clean up.” With a show of dazzling white teeth, she let go of him. “Hurry back, okay?”

He nodded then joined the group of men, saying nothing, willing to listen. Buford Krebbs, a beefy barrel of a man, was speaking to his friends. “I don't care who killed Jimmy Ray. They did this community a favor getting rid of trash like that.”

Several of them nodded in agreement.

Almost the exact sentiment expressed by Mary-Gray's mother and father. Trey wondered idly if the same kind of talk had gone around when Jace had been arrested for Soloman's death. He supposed so. Gossip was the nature of small towns.

“Kind of weird, though, don't you think? Jimmy Ray getting shot out of the blue like that? From what I hear, he's been a thorn in a few people's sides for a few years. Why do you think someone did him in now?” Trey asked.

“Darn right, he's been a sore spot.” The speaker, a red-faced man Trey remembered as the grocer answered. “I don't know why your daddy didn't run him off the minute that establishment opened. Decent, God-fearing people don't want his kind around.”

“You didn't mind stopping in there a time or two,” one of them pointed out, “for a drink and a bit of titty-tat.”

The grocer's face turned redder. “This isn't about me,” he sputtered. When no one answered he stomped off.

Buford snapped his suspenders and rocked back on his heels, full of self-importance. “Tom's right. Samuel should've taken care of that lowlife a long time ago. Run him out of town like the snake he was. Shut him down on a business license violation or something.”

“I guess Hunt probably had all his paperwork in order,” Trey said mildly. “The Chief can't pick and choose who runs a business.”

“That's right,” Leroy Eaton said. “We can't have vigilante justice in this town. Look at what happened last time … ”

“Leroy.” Buford shut him up with one word.

Leroy shot a nervous glance at Trey.

“Go on,” Trey urged. This is what he wanted, for the men to open up and speak of the past. “What happened that I don't know about? Something to do with Soloman's murder?”

“Naw, nothing about that old business. Why would you think that? All Leroy means is that we can't have folks shooting each other like we're cowboys out in the wild west.” Buford put an arm around Leroy's thin shoulders and squeezed. “Right?”

“Yeah.” Leroy kept his gaze on the ground. “That's what I meant.”

“We have to let the Chief do his work. He knows what he's doing. We just have to trust him.” Buford let go of Leroy's shoulders and slapped the skinny man's back, nearly knocking him down. “Like we always do.”

Trey looked between the men, puzzled by their behavior. If he didn't know better, he'd swear Krebbs was warning Leroy to keep his mouth shut about something. Telling himself his imagination was working overtime, he tried to ignore his gut. These men were the Chief's cronies. They probably had a few tall tales they shared among themselves, not a cover-up of some kind.

Frustrated by the circle of silence, he bid them goodbye and went back to Mary-Gray. With a sky-bright smile, she threaded her arm through his. “I'm in the mood for ice cream. The ladies' society has some homemade. Will you get me a scoop?”

“Sure.” Wanting only to get out of there, he tried to be patient. It wouldn't help his cause to annoy the Bennet family.

As they waited their turn, Trey nodded at the appropriate times but he couldn't have repeated a word the brunette girl had to say. His gaze wandered, hunting for Summer, but she wasn't with Glory. The redhead met his look with one of her own that was hard to read. He nodded and she gave a small wave. He turned his attention to Mary-Gray. “I'll walk you back to your folks, then I'd better get home. I promised my mother I'd spend some time with her.”

A quick frown flitted across her perfectly made up face. “Okay, I understand. But, don't be a stranger.”

After thanking her family and making Mary-Gray no promises, he looked for Leroy, but the man didn't seem to still be around. Curious what Leroy would say if prodded, Trey decided to go find out.

Summer gathered the last of their picnic, anxious to go home. She wouldn't confess for the world, but watching Trey with Mary-Gray had made the evening seem endless. Just as she added the last item to Glory's picnic basket, a shadow fell across her and she looked up. Jody stood there, feet spread wide. As her gaze traveled upward, a shiver ran down her back. He didn't smile even a fraction.

“What is it, Jody?”

“You need to come with me.” His tone, normally a soft lilt, was somber. He wouldn't meet her eyes, studying something near her chin instead.

Her heart skipped a beat. “Why? What is it? Has something happened to Mama? Did you find Jace? Oh, God, did someone shoot him?”

“No. No. Nothing like that.” He shifted his weight. “The Chief wants to talk to you.”

“I don't have anything to say to him. So go tell him to leave me alone. This is my day off.” She continued to pack.

“He told me you'd say that. He said to come in or he'd come to your house.” Jody's grave expression told her the Chief meant what he said.

Shooting Glory a trapped look, Summer said, “Fine. Glory's coming with me. We'll meet you there.”

“No, just you. I'll drive you home.” Jody waited as the put the rest of their things in the basket.

Glory shrugged. “I have things to do. I'll see you later.”

Shaking with fury, Summer marched to his car, got in and slammed the door behind her. “The nerve of that man! Who does he think he is, God?”

Jody tightened his lips and didn't answer.

Within a couple of minutes, they pulled in front of the police station. “I'll walk you up,” Jody said.

“I'm not going to cut and run.” Summer climbed out and slammed the door behind her. “Let's get this thing over with.”

“Okay.”

Jody joined her on the curb. “The Chief just wants to ask you a few questions.”

“I don't know anything.”

“Tell him that,” Jody suggested.

“Let's just get this over with.” She marched in the building like a soldier going to battle.

Chief Bouché looked up from behind a scarred metal desk as they came into his office. “That'll be all, officer. Thank you.”

Jody backed out of the room. “Yes, sir.”

Not much had changed, Summer thought as her gaze roamed over the stuffed bookshelves and rows of file cabinets. For a moment, she allowed a rush of nostalgia to overtake her. She'd visited here many times as a child. Unsure where to direct her attention, she looked out the window. From this vantage point, she could see most of Juliet's main street. Regret for all they had lost filled her and she blinked back unexpected tears.

“It's been a long time,” the Chief said quietly.

“Yes.” She refused to look at him.

“Sit down, please.” A request.

Summer hesitated for a minute then moved and sat across from him, spine straight, hands folded in her lap. She studied his face. He hadn't aged well. Creases had etched lines of time around his mouth and eyes. Gray shaded his formerly blonde hair. She met his gaze and held it. “What did you want to see me about?”

“I think you know.”

“Like I've told Trey over and over again, I have no idea where my brother went.” She made an effort to relax her stiff body.

“He hasn't been home? Made some contact?” His blue eyes bored into hers, but she didn't look away.

Summer held her voice steady. “No.”

The Chief didn't blink and she was sure he knew she lied. “I hope you're telling me the truth. If I find out you've seen him and didn't tell me, I'll charge you with obstruction of justice. Understand?”

Not trusting her voice, she nodded.

“Are you aware Lindy is missing? I have reason to believe she might be with your brother.”