BooksBarbecue
Back Season of Fear
Chapters (67)
  1. Contents
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART ONETHE EXTREMES
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. PART TWOSOMETHING BAD
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. PART THREECHAYLA
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. PART FOURHIT AND RUN
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. EPILOGUE
  67. AUTHOR’S NOTE

‘I’m afraid not.’

‘I wonder if you felt like you knew him,’ Cab said.

Tarla’s face grew sharp. ‘Knew him? What are you talking about?’

‘Is it possible he wasn’t a stranger?’

‘He was wearing a hood,’ she said. ‘And how could it be anyone I knew? Who would do something like this?’

Cab debated whether to say anything at all. Then he said: ‘Could it have been Drew?’

She reacted angrily. ‘Drew? That’s ridiculous, Cab! No, it wasn’t Drew.’

‘Someone overheard him threatening Birch shortly before Labor Day. He said he would kill him. Blow his head off.’

‘I don’t care what he said. Drew did not do this. He was in the pool at home when we left.’

‘He could have gotten out of the pool.’

‘And driven there how? Do you think Diane left him with car keys? He was just out of rehab. He wasn’t going anywhere.’

She seemed certain of the truth, and he had to admit there was logic to what she said. He assumed that the FBI would have confirmed Drew’s whereabouts as a standard check-a-box during their investigation. Even so, he wondered. Something made sense to him about Drew pulling the trigger. The whole affair felt personal.

Murder, not assassination.

‘Why would Drew have threatened to kill Birch?’ he asked.

‘He was troubled, Cab. He was an addict. That doesn’t make him a killer. He wasn’t the type.’

‘No one ever seems like the type.’

‘I knew Drew. You didn’t. I don’t know why you’re wasting your time with this, Cab. If you’re trying to protect Diane, why aren’t you back in Tampa? Whatever happened here was in the past. It’s over, it’s done. Why do you insist on reliving it?’

‘Maybe because everyone tells me not to,’ Cab said.

‘Yes, you’re stubborn. I get it. You’re my son. Just please tell me you didn’t raise this nonsense with Diane.’

‘I asked where Drew was that night. That’s all.’

‘And you don’t think she’s smart enough to leap from A to B? Cab, you disappoint me. She deserves better from you than foolish accusations. Let it go.’

Cab felt slapped. He knew when Tarla was asked to go places she didn’t want to go, she blustered and got angry. He didn’t know why the next words popped into his head. Maybe he just wanted to hurt his mother.

‘We slept together,’ he told her.

Tarla stared at him. ‘What? Who?’

‘Diane and I. That summer. We slept together. Once. I left the next day.’