Page 104 of The Summer that Changed Everything
Claxton started to laugh. “Of course he did.”
Lucy felt like she’d just been kicked in the stomach. They finally had something solid—an item stolen from the trailer that night in the hands of a known ne’er-do-well—and Claxton still wouldn’t listen. “I’m serious,” she said.
“I have no doubt you are. You want to see your father walk free, but I’m convinced that would create a danger to society. And convicted killers don’t get out of jail on evidence like this.”
A muscle moved in Ford’s cheek. “You could at least look into it.”
“Why?”he said. “How many times do I have to say the case is closed?”
“What about the blood in the kitchen sink?” Lucy asked. “Has the DNA from that been tested against Reggie’s?”
“You’re forgetting that the DNA evidence points to your father.”
“Only what was underneath Tony’s fingernails.”
“Exactly. You don’t get any closer than that!”
“There’s still so many unanswered questions—” Lucy started to say when a voice called Ford’s name, and they turned to see Houston standing outside the police chief’s door.
“What areyoudoing here?” Ford asked his brother.
“Kevin and I are about to go to lunch. Is that okay with you?”
“Didn’t you just have drinks last night?”
“Is there a rule that says I can only see him once?” Houston said with a laugh. “What if I’m lonely? It’s not as ifyou’veshown any interest in hanging out with me.”
“This isn’t funny, Houston,” Ford said.
Houston turned up his palms. “It kind of is. You’re letting your emotions draw you into a mess, little brother. I’m guessing it has something to do with what’s going on in your life back home. Coming here, focusing on something else entirely, is a great escape, especially when you get to be the knight charging in on a white horse to make it up to a beautiful woman who became collateral damage fifteen years ago. But you’re wasting your time playing amateur sleuth. Even worse, you’re wasting Kevin’s. Please, bro, give him a break, okay? Why can’t we all just enjoy the summer?”
Ford looked from Claxton to Houston and back again. Then he took Lucy’s hand. “Come on,” he said. “I don’t know why we bothered to come here. I guess we thought the chief of police would be interested in making sure his department didn’t put an innocent man in prison, but I guess not.”
“Ouch, go easy!” Houston called after him, but Ford didn’t respond. He didn’t speak until they were outside the building. Then he paced angrily back and forth at the side of the Land Rover.
“I’m sorry,” Lucy said. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.”
“You didn’t drag me. And you’re not the one who should be sorry. They’re both assholes,” he said, flipping off the building.
“I get why they won’t believe us. Maybe wewouldbe better off enjoying the summer. Nothing we find will matter. It all comes down to the DNA evidence in that sink.”
“We haven’t heard from Friedman lately,” he complained.
“I’ve been anxious for him to call, too. But you heard what he said when I asked about the timing—it takes a while to do what we need him to do.”
He nodded, then his phone buzzed. When he looked down, Lucy automatically did the same and happened to see the name “Christina” with a picture of a beautiful woman on his screen.
His estranged wife. Suddenly feeling like an interloper, she looked away, and he silenced the call and put the phone in his pocket.
Ford had to call Christina back. He wasn’t excited about it. He didn’t want to allow her to intrude on the three-month reprieve he’d allowed himself. But he wouldn’t be approaching the future in good faith if he ignored her completely.
“There you are,” she said.
Ford shaded his eyes to see Lucy in the ocean. He wanted to get back in the water with her, loved that she had no fear of the sea and they could laugh and swim and bodysurf together for hours. But he had to get back to Christina before he let it go too long, and because he’d returned to where they’d left their towels to finally put on some sunblock, he had a minute. “What’s up?” he asked.
“That’s it?What’s up?Aren’t you the least bit happy to hear from me? We haven’t talked since you first got to North Hampton Beach.”
He knew she didn’t want to hear his honest answer, so he didn’t give it to her. “I don’t want to play games, Christina,” he said. “And I’m busy right now. What can I do for you?”
