I swallow hard, my throat burning again. “He said he knew. About my parents. He told me… that they’d died.” My grip tightens on the mug, heat biting into my palms. “He said… his cousin… Deputy Thompson told him.”
Constance’s mouth opens, then shuts again, as if she doesn’t know where to begin. Adelaide looks from me to Jacob, wide-eyed, searching for someone to explain.
Jacob leans forward, his voice cutting through the stillness like a blade. “There is no Deputy Thompson.”
Both girls whip their heads toward him, stunned.
Adelaide shakes her head slowly. “But—he must’ve meant?—”
“He didn’t mean anything,” Jacob snaps, his eyes burning into me, not them. “He lied. Or he slipped. Either way, Harrow knew before I did, and I was second on scene. No one, other than fire fighters entered that building before me.”
Constance stiffens, her hand pressed against her chest. “That doesn’t make sense. How could he?—”
Jacob doesn’t look at her. He doesn’t look at either of them. Only me.
His voice drops lower, almost a growl. “He did it… or he knows who did. That’s the only explanation.”
“That’s where we were headed. To ask him… to get answers" I say.
Jacob shifts closer, his arm tightening along the back of the sofa, his presence overwhelming, dark and immovable. “We will find out what’s going on, Summer, I promise.”
“I need to look him in the eye and find out the truth,” I say, my voice stripped down to something cold and steady.
Constance clears her throat, her hand still pressed against her chest. Her voice is soft at first but steadying with each word. “You shouldn’t go alone. You know the sorts of men who hang around the Dogwood. And even though you?—”
My head jerks up. “He’s not in Dogwood, or his trailer.”
Constance arches a brow, her voice cutting through the thick quiet. “Then… where is he?”
Adelaide glances between us, her confusion plain, eyes darting from my face to Summer’s like she’s trying to piece together a puzzle she doesn’t want to finish.
I feel the question land, heavy and pointed. The kind that doesn’t need to be shouted to draw blood.
“Where is he, Jacob?” Constance repeats, slower this time, suspicion curling around every syllable.
“He’s in St. Luke’s Hospital,” Jacob responds, each word flat, measured, the calm that comes after the storm. I meet their eyes one by one. “You think I was going to let that piece of shit come to my home, put his hands on my girl, make me out to be the devil and walk away?”
The room goes still. Even the clock seems to stop ticking. Constance’s lips part like she’s about to speak but nothing comes out. Adelaide just stares, the color draining from her face.
“We’re going there,” he says, voice low but unwavering. “And I’ll wait outside the room while Summer talks to him.” His jaw tightens, the muscle ticking as he forces the next words out. “I’m not happy about it—but it’s the right choice.”
“No,” Constance interrupts, steel threaded through her tears. “Benny would know something was wrong if she went in by herself. He’s not stupid. He’d smell it on her.” She swallows, eyes flicking to me, full of stubborn love. “But if Adelaide and I go with her… he’ll believe it. We’ll make him think we’re just there to comfort her. That we brought her to see him and are waiting outside to give her space. He… he knows how close we are. We saw him in The Dogwood, we—” Adelaide nudges her, as if telling her not to speak about my confession of the dance to them, only a few nights ago.
“This isn’t the time, Connie!” Adelaide interrupts. “But yes. It’ll look natural. Like we just came with her because she needed friends around her… which isn’t a lie.” She shoots Jacob a look. “Because we didn’t want her alone right now.”
Jacob grinds his teeth. His hand tightens on the back of the sofa until the leather creaks.
Constance see’s Jacob’s reaction—the space between them sparks, so hot I can barely breathe. Jacob’s look of disgust lashes out like a whip, but Constance doesn’t back down. Not this time.
I stare into my mug, the liquid trembling with the shaking of my hands. I don’t want to go. God, I don’t want to. The thought of looking into Benny’s eyes again makes bile climb my throat.
But then Mama’s screams echo in my head, dragging me back into the smoke. Papa’s silence follows, heavy as stone.
I force myself to lift my head. My voice comes out hoarse, but it cuts through the room. “I’ll do it. But Jacob comes and waits outside too.”
“Summer, you don’t have to—” Adelaide starts.
“I do.” I shake my head, clutching the mug tighter, as if the heat will anchor me. “I don’t want to. I don’t want any of this. But if there’s even a chance it helps us find out who did this to Mama and Papa—” My voice fractures, shattering on their names. I swallow hard and push the words out anyway. “Then I’ll do it.”
