29

Boyett Farm

Good Hollow Road, Fayetteville, 6:30 p.m.

As Bent parked in the drive next to her SUV, Vera realized she hadn t spoken since they left Fraley s home. Each time she d considered asking a question or making a comment based on that unexpected disclosure from Walt, she just couldn t bring herself to open that door.

They were both convinced it was you girls.

Beatrice and Florence had suspected she and Eve were responsible for Sheree s disappearance. They d believed this so strongly they had gone to Walt about it.

How in the world had they come to that conclusion? And why the hell had she asked? It was the sort of information you couldn t unhear . . . and it was too damned close to the truth.

While you were interrogating Fraley, I received a call from Conover.

Bent s voice startled her. Vera shook off the disturbing thoughts. Conover. His lead forensic guy. She steeled herself for even worse news. He hadn t told her what the call was about. By the time he d come back inside, she had heard Walt s damning statement and wanted to leave before the man could repeat it for Bent. Then she d been lost in thought on the drive here.

Why hadn t Beatrice said anything to her today? This was not the sort of thing she should have kept to herself. It just didn t make sense.

Vera steadied herself and cleared her throat. Judging by how long you were outside, there must be an important development. She didn t even want to hazard a guess. The shit just kept getting deeper.

The school ring the male vic was wearing belonged to a Norton Gates of Huntsville. Fifty-four at the time of his disappearance. Divorced. A teacher at Huntsville High School, as well as a professor at Calhoun College. Gates was reported missing in May three years ago by his girlfriend.

Vera had never heard the name. Huntsville was the largest city in Alabama and only thirty miles south of Fayetteville. Known as the Rocket City because of its ties to NASA, it was also a university town and had garnered the nickname the MIT of the South. A good many of Lincoln County s residents worked in Huntsville. Plenty of others attended university there.

Vera struggled to focus on the appropriate response. Is there anyone, a family, the girl who reported him missing, you can talk to about who he might have known in this area? Sounded plausible to her. They could be looking for one of his students, a coworker . . . a friend who killed him and tucked him into that cave. Someone with ties in Fayetteville obviously. Eric would likely be calling with the same information. Vera was going to need another favor from him. Maybe two.

But that wasn t her biggest worry at the moment.

I m working on that, Bent told her.

The tone of his voice drew her eyes to him. She stared at his profile. Followed his gaze forward. There was nothing to look at other than the trees and scattered blooms in the landscape. Whatever was on his mind, he didn t want to look at her when he spit it out.

Good God, what else? Maybe he d already known what Walt told her.

When the silence lingered, she demanded, What?

He turned, his eyes searching hers. You know the likelihood that this doesn t involve your family or someone close to your family is practically nil at this point.

How well she knew, and still cold enveloped her at hearing the words from him.

When you find evidence to prove your theory, let me know. She reached for the door handle.

He put his hand on her arm but didn t speak again until she met his gaze. We can t stop this thing. I m not sure we can even slow it down. You need to be prepared for the worst.

What the hell does that mean? If he had something to say, he should just say it.

I think you know what I mean.

You now have another potential suspect, she snapped. Maybe this Gates was a serial killer, and the women in that cave were his victims. Maybe someone figured it out and had their revenge and tucked him into that cave? It wasn t impossible. Damn it.

Based on what we know about Gates so far, I d say that s a long shot. Particularly in Sheree s case. The personal items found with her remains don t exactly fit.

He was right, damn it. But rather than respond, Vera opened the door and climbed out. She walked, ignoring the pain in her hip, straight to her front door without looking back. His eyes on her had her skin feeling as if it would catch fire. Thankfully the door was unlocked, preventing her from having to dig for a key. She escaped inside and closed and locked the door.

Who the hell was Norton Gates?

A clatter from the direction of the kitchen snapped her to attention.

Was someone here? Luna s car wasn t outside. Eve s was still in the shop. She d mentioned staying with Suri.

But the door had been unlocked . . .

If there was another intruder.

A figure appeared in the doorway. Vera s breath stuck deep in her lungs.

Eve.

Peanut butter sandwich in one hand, a Coke in the other, Eve stared at her. You okay?

Vera s muscles went so lax she almost wilted to the floor. Damn it, Eve. You re supposed to keep the door locked.

Sorry. She tore off a bite of her sandwich and started to chew.

It wasn t until that moment that Vera realized she was starving. I need one of those.

Eve swallowed with effort. Come on. I ll make you one.

Vera followed her sister to the kitchen. She quickly prepared a sandwich, placed it on a paper towel, and then rounded up a cold can of cola.

Once Vera had settled at the table and the meal was in front of her, she announced the latest news. They ve ID d the male victim.

She took a bite of her sandwich and instantly felt her body relaxing. Peanut butter sandwiches weren t at the top of her favorite foods list, but it was food, and she was starving.

Do we know him? Eve sipped her cola.

Vera shook her head. Never heard of him. Norton Gates from Huntsville. Teacher.

Eve blinked. How d he die?

Vera took another bite and chewed for a bit before answering. Same as the others, head trauma. At least that s the preliminary finding.

But you said he wasn t like the others. Not posed or whatever.

He was more or less stuffed into a crevice. The way the killer disposed of the body spoke volumes about the emotional tie. He was angry with him. Disgusted. Maybe because whoever killed him knew him to be a murderer. She needed Bent to seriously consider that possibility. And he would. She knew this.

Eve s eyebrows reared up. You got all that from the way he was buried?

Vera shrugged. Every action tells a story. You just have to take the time to read it closely enough. She frowned. Didn t you say you were staying with Suri until your car was fixed?

I changed my mind. She downed the last of her soft drink. Things are getting too interesting around here. It s like a streaming family drama. I can t wait for the next episode.

Vera studied her sandwich, felt abruptly overfull. Her sister was right in that this thing kept stacking up the episodes. Each time a phone rang, she tensed. Would this be another set of remains discovered on their property? Or some other element that made her family look guilty?

Bent thinks the FBI will go for pinning Sheree s death on someone in the family. I m guessing Daddy. The bread and peanut butter turned into a hard lump in Vera s belly.

If you set aside the fact that he s our father, Eve said, and you put your analyst hat on, what do you think?

Vera sipped her drink, hoped the sugar would brace her. If I didn t know what I know about Sheree, I would tend to agree-simply based on the facts we have so far. This is his property. The cave is not a place easily found. Sheree was his wife. She cheated.

Eve finished off her sandwich. Or maybe Daddy allowed someone else to put his kills there. To protect that person. You know, a favor for a friend.

This was not a far-fetched scenario for sure. They had talked about how someone outside the family could have used the cave as a dumping place. What they hadn t discussed, though Vera had considered it, was the possibility that their father or mother had been protecting that someone.

But Walt Fraley says the only really close friends of Mama and Daddy were him and his wife and the Higdons. He said there were never any farmhands, no handymen. No one. And, honestly, I think he would know.

Maybe it was Sheree, Eve offered. Maybe she killed the competition.

Vera made a face. Can you see Sheree dragging a body into that cave?

Eve poked her thumb into her chest, then pointed a finger at Vera. We did.

Anyway, Vera countered, opting not to respond to the comment, the timeline is wrong for that to be a legitimate scenario. Sheree and her boyfriend Rimmey had no reason to know anything about this family until she set her sights on our daddy, and that was years later.

So, we re screwed. Eve propped her elbows on the table and plunked her head into her hands.

Maybe more than we know. Vera had at first thought she might not mention this to Eve, but it was best if they stayed completely open with each other. Sheriff Fraley-Walt-said that the wives, Beatrice and Florence, always knew everything. They were his go-to informants for the gossip in Fayetteville.

Eve harrumphed. They don t call Mrs. Higdon the Radio for nothing.

There was that. Anyway, he insisted they were never wrong. Whatever info or theory they passed along always panned out . . . except once. When Sheree died.

A frown furrowed across Eve s brow. I m assuming they had a theory.

Vera nodded. They were convinced it was us-you and me.

Her sister s eyes rounded. Are you fucking serious?

I am really fucking serious.

What did Bent say?

Thank God he was outside taking a call at the time. The thought stopped Vera. But, I m guessing Walt has told him this already. Which would explain why he s always asking if we re hiding something. Or maybe he hadn t and only told Vera because Bent was not around.

So what do we do?

We both know what happened to Sheree, Vera said. We stick with our story. It s the others that we need to figure out. I swear, my gut-my instincts-are telling me that one, probably our father, or both of our parents may have helped out a friend. It s making more and more sense.

Eve eyed her for a moment. You really think that s a possibility?

It s the only one that makes sense-beyond the idea that some random person just happened to find the cave and start using it as his dump site. Maybe this Norton Gates.

I guess you re right. Her sister picked up her cell and started to scroll.

Vera hated this feeling that there was a wall or a door between them at pivotal moments like this . . . that there was more Eve needed to say but wouldn t for whatever reason. When she started scrolling on her phone, she was done.

I really need you to tell me, Vera urged, if you recall anything I should know. Any little thing. It could be important, and you just don t realize it. Something you saw one of them do or overheard one of them say. We need to be ahead of anything that might be found by the FBI.

I get it, Eve snapped. Then she took a breath. Look, we ve been over this. I ve told you all I know. She frowned at her phone. Shoot. Gotta go. Suri needs my help with a late arrival. She s waiting for me outside. She tucked her phone away. We do that sometimes. Help each other out when a late one comes in and the family needs them ready to go ASAP.

You re coming back tonight, right? Vera certainly hoped she was. This thing had just escalated to critical. I was thinking we might look through photo albums and see if anything sparks a memory.

Can we do that tomorrow night? Eve was backing out of the kitchen. If I make it back tonight it ll be late.

Okay. Tomorrow then.

For sure.

Eve pivoted but then faced Vera once more. The security people can t come until next week. Bent won t like it.

Vera waved her off. I ll tell him. Eventually.

Thanks. Eve hurried away.

Lock the door, Vera called after her.

She sat for a moment. Listened to the sound of emptiness in the house. Tried to ignore the numerous voices urging her to see what she did not want to see. Then she straightened.

She had research to do. Who was Norton Gates? Who was Teresa Russ? How did they play into all this?

Who could her parents have been helping? And why the hell hadn t Beatrice warned her about how she and Florence Higdon had felt when Sheree disappeared?

Vera found her courage and took the fastest, most reliable route for part of what she needed. She put through another call to Eric.

Vera, he said in greeting. I was just about to call you about God .

She laughed. I just found out he s Norton Gates.

Your locals work fast.

She smiled. They had a head start. Look -she moved around the table and gathered their dinner remains as she talked- I know I said I needed just one more favor, but I actually need another.

He laughed. Any time, any place, lady. I am always available.

A flutter in her chest made her just a little sad. He was such a nice guy. Maybe she d made a mistake not going to that next level with him. Bent immediately appeared in her head, and she dismissed his image, as well as the entire notion.

I need everything you can find on our Norton Gates and also on a Teresa Russ, both of Huntsville, Alabama. And, Eric, I need it yesterday.

You got it.

Vera needed answers . . . it was the only way to protect her family.