Page 34 of The Sinner's Son
More rustling came through the speakers as the trio moved on from their spot. “Oh, wow,” Alec said. “That dilapidated barn on the opposite side of the property is still standing. It looks remarkably the same nearly thirty years later. There might be a few more holes in the roof and more wood siding missing.”
“That’s a murder barn if ever I saw one,” Marina said. “The entire property is a killer’s paradise. You could hide an endless number of bodies out here.” The shiver in her voice came through loud and clear.
“How is that old barn still standing?” Ricky asked in awe.
“Too ornery to give in to nature, I suspect,” Alec replied. “My dad used to park his old red Camaro in there. He kept it covered with a tarp to protect it from the elements. I used to fold it back so I could sit inside the car and pretend to drive it. One time, I forgot to recover it, and his punishment made it hard for me to sit for a few days.”
“Damn, man,” Ricky said, followed by a soft pat probably on Alec’s shoulder or back. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”
“No kid does. And the women my dad killed sure as hell didn’t deserve their fate either. It’s why I can’t let this go.” Alec took a deep breath. “Let me show you my favorite spot as a kid, and then we’ll get out of here,” Alec told them. A few minutes of rustling introduced the buzz of insects to the sound mix as they thrashed their way through the tall grass.
“Here?” Marina asked with thinly veiled disgust. “I assume there’s a body of water beneath the slimy green scum and floating flowers.”
“They’re lily pads,” Alec replied. “And yes. My dad and I used to fish here. It’s one of the few happy memories I have of him. He was so patient while waiting for fish to bite, but the slightest delay from me anywhere else had Andrew reaching for his belt.” Alec’s voice veered off again to wherever his thoughts had taken him, but the man standing next to Sawyer stiffened as if the confession made him uncomfortable.
“Thanks so much for giving me a preview,” Sawyer cut in. He checked his watch and grinned at Alec. “See, plenty of time for you to show me that important detail you uncovered.” But before Alec could respond, Sawyer’s phone rang. He removed the device from his pocket and saw Royce’s name and handsome face on the screen. “I need to take this. Maybe Ricky can cue up the big reveal while I retreat to my office for a few minutes?”
“Of course,” Alec said. There wasn’t a flicker of annoyance or impatience on his face, so maybe anxiety had fueled his shitty behavior the previous week.
“Hey, Ro. What’s up?” Sawyer asked as he briskly exited the conference room.
“Hey, sexy. Um, there’s no need to panic.”
Cue the racing pulse and thoughts.“Nothing good comes from conversations that start out this way,” Sawyer said.
“This story has a good ending.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Sawyer quipped. “And I’ll have to settle for a synopsis because I need to hop on a Zoom call soon, and there’s something Alec needs to show me first.”
“I just bet he does.”
The growl in Royce’s voice made Sawyer’s blood hum in his veins, but he didn’t have time for that either. “Ro, I need you to be as serious as a heart attack right now.”
“Funny you should say that,” Royce said. “Eddie had a health scare at the hardware store this morning. It happened when I stopped by to get parts for the Suttons’ dishwasher.”
“Fuck! Is he okay? Are you at the hospital? I can be there in—”
“I’m fine.” Eddie’s gruff voice calmed Sawyer’s rising panic. “I had a horrible case of acid reflux after drinking that rocket fuel Sal called coffee.”
“Eddie,” Royce said. “There’s a little more to the story.”
“Fine. Maybe I haven’t taken care of myself the way I should have all these years.”
“And…” Royce prodded.
“I might have an ulcer, a bum gallbladder, and a shoddy liver,” Eddie said.
“Damn,” Sawyer said. “That’s a lot to deal with at one time. I’m so glad it wasn’t worse though.”
“You and me both, kid.” The older man heaved an enormous sigh. “I need your help.”
“Anything,” Sawyer said without hesitation. He knew how much it had cost the proud man to utter those words.
“I have all these different diet restrictions now.” The hint of whine in his voice was so much like Royce’s that Sawyer couldn’t resist a smile. “I’m overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Royce said you would have suggestions to help. He even said you’d make a healthy dinner for Jo and me that would mostly taste good.”
“Mostly taste good,” Sawyer repeated, his voice hitching higher with every word.
“Eddie,” Royce warned, “the acid reflux might not have killed you, but you’re not out of danger yet.”