Advocate For The Dead (Complete Novel)

Chapter 20: A Lot To Talk About

In hindsight it felt strange being led away from the Dean household in handcuffs. It was a touch of irony in that the last time both Deacon and I were here together was when we had arrested Dexter. I had led the Kaleidoscope Killer away in handcuffs, as Deacon parted the way through reporters and onlookers. Lucky for me, on the night I stole into the Dean household in search of Summer's body there were no reporters around.

Still, as the sheriff's car pulled away, I felt as if I were in a spotlight. Or worse yet, a deer caught in a car's oncoming headlights. Sheriff Deacon didn't say much at first. We just drove quietly a couple blocks down and then he pulled over in the darkness. He turned around in his seat and gave me this serious look.

"I'm going to let you sit up front now, okay? Don't make me regret my decision."

He got out of the car and opened up my door. I hesitated for just a minute. I was waiting for Summer to give me more advice. But she just sat there in silence watching me, waiting to see what I would do.

"You going to get out?" Deacon asked.

"Yeah," I replied and got out of the car. I went around to the front passenger side and got in. He watched me the whole way, and I got the feeling maybe he was testing to see if I was going to run or not. I wonder if he would have shot me if I had tried to sprint off into the darkness.

After I was in and the door was locked, he got behind the wheel and put the cruiser in gear. We hadn't gone far at all when he asked the question.

"So, you want to tell me what you were doing in the Dean house?"

I sighed. "I don't know if I should."

"Cole, look, neither one of us likes the other very much, but I can't help you if you don't help me understand what's going on in that head of yours. I don't want to see you in jail, I really don't. Maybe if you tell me, then maybe I can somehow convince that Dean kid to not press charges. But you got to be on the level with me, ok?"

I took a deep breath. With my next exhale I said it. "I thought he was the one who'd stolen Summer Denning's body. You know, the missing body from the graveyard?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Really. How did you come to that conclusion?"

"I overheard some statements he made lately that made me think he'd done it."

"..And?"

I thought about it for a minute. "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he just wanted to set me up. Knew I would take the bait."

I glanced behind me at Summer in the back seat. She was nodding her head. Maybe I was finally on the right track.

Deacon didn't seem to notice my distraction. He was just looking ahead as if he were thinking something out. "So, he made himself look suspicious in order to get you arrested for trespassing? That seems a bit much."

"Maybe he thought I'd react differently. Maybe he thought there would be a struggle. Some reason to shoot me legally. Get his revenge or whatever."

"For his brother, I assume?"

"Yeah."

Deacon looked out his window and then back to me. "Well, his brother was the Kaleidoscope Killer. Justice was served. You and I both know that."

"Yeah, it was."

"Give me your hands."

I looked at him. The question must have been in my eyes.