Lone Star Threat by Barb Han

Author:Barb Han
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-12-01T15:45:27+00:00

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WALKING ONTO THE empty fairgrounds brought on a rush of memories. The smell of funnel cake. Livestock. The bright lights and all those carnival rides.

Autumn’s favorite had been the Tilt-A-Whirl. Nothing said the fair like strapping themselves into a ride that spun so fast and hard they almost tossed up their candy apples.

Cotton candy. Autumn couldn’t get enough of it. She was terrible at games but never passed one she didn’t think she could win anyway. Her seven-year losing streak was always on the verge of being over, according to Autumn.

The fair was the one place they’d gone every year without fail. They laughed and played. They would feed llamas and pet baby pigs. For that one day, they weren’t poor or hungry.

Tears welled at the memories.

Walking hand in hand, she led him to where she remembered the necklace booth to have been. There wasn’t much there now but a patch of grass. She looked around for a hiding place.

There was a light pole with a metal plate screwed onto the base. “Maybe in there, Dawson.”

He’d brought a pair of gloves and a paper bag that he’d explained was used for collecting evidence. He’d grabbed a few other items that he explained were useful. Things like tongs.

Dawson moved over to the light pole and took a knee. He examined the plate. “There’s a screw missing.”

Her heart leaped in her throat at the possibility of this hunch panning out.

“It’s loose.” He jiggled the plate.

Chill bumps ran the length of her arms. Experience had taught her not to get too excited before she had something concrete but this was promising.

Somewhere deep in her gut, she knew that if her twin hid something anywhere that it would be here. She prayed someone else hadn’t gotten to the evidence first.

Dawson snapped a few pictures of the plate from different angles. He pulled a screwdriver from his pack and went to work loosening the screws. He set the plate down carefully and shone a light inside the six-by-four-inch opening.

A small smile crept across his lips. Summer knew. There was something inside.

Using the tongs, he pulled out a freezer bag through the opening. He set it down and then checked for more. A second freezer bag came and then a third.

One of the bags contained what looked like a journal. It was labeled My Story.

The second bag was labeled Cheryl. It contained some type of bloody clothing along with pictures that had been taken of her after she’d been strangled.

In the final bag, there were pictures with labels on the backs.

Dawson flipped over the bag with the journal in it. There was a folded-up sheet of paper tucked in the back with Summer’s name on it. He opened the bag carefully and, using the tongs, pulled out the note.

He set it down on the grass and smoothed it out for her to read.

Summer,

This is bad. I’ve gotten myself involved with a bad person and I don’t know how to get out without him hurting the people I love.

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