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Back Sunset Beach Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. Epilogue
  71. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  72. About the Author
  73. Newsletter Sign-up

“Yeah,” Zee agreed. “She found it in the attic at the cottage.”

“So you did take it,” Brice said, nodding. “I wondered.”

“I’ve read most of the file,” Drue said. “And I talked to Vera Rennick, who has her own theories, but I’d appreciate it if you two would just please tell me the truth.”

“You might not like it,” Zee warned.

“I’m a big girl. I think I can handle it,” Drue countered.

Zee sipped his beer. “Yeah, you keep telling me that.”

“I told Drue I was having a thing with Colleen,” Brice said. “She’d already guessed that much.”

“Vera told me Colleen’s husband was abusive,” Drue said.

“That’s putting it mildly. Allen Hicks was a sadistic drunk,” Brice said.

“Piece of shit dirtbag,” Zee put in. “You know what our big mistake was? We should have taken him out and dumped him in Lake Maggiore that first night at the Dreamland. Let the gators take care of him.”

Brice filled his daughter in on the domestic call the two partners had responded to at the motel, the week before Christmas in 1975.

“There was nothing about that in the file,” Drue said.

The former cops exchanged a meaningful look.

“Colleen refused to press charges,” Brice said. “We never even called it in to dispatch, so there wouldn’t be any paper trail.”

“It started that night,” Brice said, looking miserable. “I thought I was being so damn clever. I told Sherri I had a study group on Thursday nights, but she eventually caught on.”

“And you knew Dad was having an affair with Colleen?” Drue asked Zee.

“It didn’t take a genius.”

“Things ramped up with her so fast, I didn’t realize, until it was too late, that Colleen had emotional problems,” Brice said.

“Total head case,” Zee agreed, swirling his finger beside his face.

“I guess it was in July when she really started talking crazy. Allen beat her up pretty bad. I kept telling her she should leave him, get a divorce. I offered to help her, but I was very clear that I was never going to leave Sherri.”

“You’d screw around on Mom, but you didn’t want a divorce?” Drue asked, her voice dripping scorn.

“Believe it or not, I loved your mom. Through everything, God help me, I loved her. When things got really crazy with Colleen, I realized, too late, that I wanted to make my marriage work. Your mom and I had a life together. We had plans. I was going to go to law school, we were gonna have kids.” He sighed and fished the olive out of his martini.

“And what did Colleen want?” Drue asked.