Her Grave Secrets (Rogue River #3)(23)

So much food. And people were still arriving with more.

James took a swig of beer. “You get stuck shucking corn at all? I always hated that job. I swear I remember doing it for hours on end as a kid.”

Zane pointed at a circle of five kids with a huge pile of corn husks in the center. “Looks like she’s keeping that job for kids. Maybe it’s a rite of passage.”

James’s wife swept by with her three-year-old on her hip. She kissed James, greeted Zane, and dashed off to stop her older boy, who’d stepped too close to the horseshoe pits.

“Things good with you and Debra? Any more Katelyn problems?” Zane asked.

“Haven’t heard a peep out of Katelyn. I hope she’s given up for good. If she hasn’t, Debra sees her for what she is. She’s known her a long time.”

“Speak of the devil,” said Zane, nodding across the wide lawn. Katelyn and Faye had just come around the house, carrying huge bowls of potato salad. Faye’s foreman, Walt Burrowes, was two steps behind carrying a third bowl. Katelyn stopped and said something to him, and Walt nodded eagerly at her words.

James and Zane exchanged a look.

“Maybe she’s moved on,” James said. “I hope so.”

Arms slid around Zane’s waist and he didn’t need to look to know Stevie was behind him. She sniffed at his neck and sighed. “You smell good enough to eat.”

“Eau de barbecue?” asked James.

“It’s the best. Someone should bottle it.”

“Any word on JD Hearne’s death?” James asked. “I know you went and talked to a dealer they arrested at the coast this morning. Was he involved?”

Zane shook his head. “We don’t think so. The dealer was picked up for selling C-22, and he’s trying to get a deal by leading the task force to the manufacturer.”

“Really?” James’s brows shot up.

“The problem is he doesn’t know who it is,” added Stevie. “Claims there’s someone new who’s stepping on everyone’s toes and cleaning house to take over the area for their own distribution.”

“You’ve got a drug war going on?” James whispered, leaning closer. Worry sparked in his eyes. “Is Roy’s death related? What about Dad’s?”

Stevie blew out a breath. “We’re trying to figure that out. It’s logical that someone would eliminate a police presence if they were getting too close. Possibly that’s what Dad and Roy’s deaths were about.”

“But Roy was on the take,” said James. “Someone was paying him a lot of money. Maybe it was payment for him to look the other way?”

Zane glanced at Stevie and saw her swallow hard. “We’re considering that.”

“Holy crap. This is big, much bigger than just some local idiots selling drugs to our kids.” James was stunned.

“We noticed,” Zane said dryly.

“We discussed it at the city council meeting last week, but we didn’t have the big picture. We thought things were winding down, but possibly it’s escalating? We can’t have that going on in Solitude.”

“We’re working on it. The task force is processing JD’s scene. We’re lucky we found it quickly.”

“Unlike Roy’s,” Stevie whispered as pain flashed across her face.

Zane tightened his arm around her shoulders.

“Good afternoon, everyone!” Faye’s cheery voice broke the tense silence of their circle. “What a glorious day for a barbecue. I’m so glad Patsy carried on the tradition this year. I would’ve been crushed if she hadn’t.”

The group greeted Faye and Walt. Zane noticed relief cross James’s face as he realized Katelyn wasn’t with her mother at the moment. Faye turned inquisitive eyes to Zane. “What’s this I’m hearing about JD Hearne’s death being drug-related?”

“Yes, there were drugs found near the scene,” Zane admitted, carefully judging what facts he could allow Faye to introduce into the town rumor mill. “But we don’t know if they’re related to his death,” he emphasized.

“Of course they were,” said Faye. “The poor boy was shot in the head. Only a drug-crazed nut would do that.”

Stevie tensed under his arm. “Now, Faye, we don’t know what happened for certain yet. Let’s not spread unsubstantiated rumors. Let us get some facts first.”

“We’ve never had problems like this in Solitude before. The police need to get it under control. It’s those hoodlums from the coast that are spreading their drugs into our town, my town.”

“We’re working with Rogue County to assess the whole problem,” Zane started.

“It’s unacceptable. It’s going to chase away tourists if they think it’s dangerous here. I’m trying to build and promote an image of clean living and bring more money into this town. Dead drug dealers aren’t helping.”

“I agree,” said Zane. “We’re as concerned as you.”

“No leads on who killed JD?” Walt asked. “He’d been working out at the hotel a little bit. Seemed like a nice kid but a little unreliable.”

“What exactly was he doing at the hotel?” Zane looked sharply at the lean man, his radar going off. Peter Rollins had claimed he found C-22 stashed in a tree trunk not too far from the hotel.