Page 70 of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

“There’s a chance he might not know anything at all. Especially if he was a lot younger than Chuck.”

“Or he might know where Chuck’s living right now.” She studied me for a couple of seconds. “It’s not like you to be so pessimistic.”

“I know,” I said with a sigh. “I just don’t want to disappoint Magnolia, and it seems unlikely that even if we track down Chuck Petty that we’ll get him to confess to murdering Bethany. There’s no statute of limitations for murder.”

“Then let’s just see what his brother says,” Dixie said. “Stranger things have happened, and we can’t discount the power of guilt.”

“You know what, Dix?” I said. “You’ve gone above and beyond with this case, taking charge of things, like finding Peterand asking him for an interview. I think with the new season ofDarling Investigationsthat you should take a case or two on your own.”

“What?”

“Yeah, in fact,” I said with a nod, “you found Peter, so you should take the lead with this interview.”

She seized up, her eyes going wide with panic. “Summer, I don’t know if I can handle this.”

“I have no doubt that you can, otherwise I wouldn’t be suggesting it.But if you get overwhelmed, don’t worry. I’m sitting right there as your safety net.”

My computer began to ring with a video call, so we took our seats in front of my monitor and I scooted my chair slightly to the side. “Go ahead and answer. I’ll take notes.”

Dixie gave me a terrified look, then answered the call. An older gentleman with snow-white hair answered. He was sitting in a home office with a window overlooking a backyard with a birdfeeder in view.

“Mr. Petty?” she said. “I’m Dixie Baumgardner and this is Summer Butler.”

His eyes widened. “Hey! I know you two. You’re on that TV show!”

“That’s right,” Dixie said. “But we’re investigatin’ a case that’s not on the show.”

“Are you lookin’ into cold cases?” he asked. “Are you lookin’ for my brother?”

“As a matter of fact, we are,” Dixie said, folding her hands in her lap. She didn’t look terrified now. She looked confident and in control. “What can you tell us about Chuck?”

He blew out a breath. “Not a whole lot, sad to say. I was a couple of years younger than Chuck, and he didn’t talk to me much. He didn’t like his little brother hangin’ around.”

“My brother was the same way,” Dixie said with a warm smile. “It was even worse because I was his littlesister.”

Peter laughed. “I suppose that would be worse, although I have kids of my own, a boy and a girl—twins—and they were like two peas in a pod.” He made a face. “Well, I guess until high school anyways.”

“Which is when your brother ran off,” said Dixie like a pro, steering him smoothly back to the reason for the call. “He was a senior at the time, so did that make you a sophomore?”

“That’s right.”

“I know you said he didn’t like you hangin’ around,” Dixie said, “but did you get along at home?”

“Not really,” he said, shifting in his chair. “Chuck didn’t really get along much with anyone.”

“He didn’t have friends?” she asked.

“Superficial, I suppose,” Peter said. “Most everyone was afraid of him—me included, I guess.”

“So he was a bully?”

He sat back in his seat, and I could hear the leather of his chair creak. “It seems wrong to speak ill of someone who isn’t here to defend himself.”

“It’s not wrong if you speak the truth,” Dixie said gently, “and if it’s speculatin’, just be sure to make that clear.”

He agreed with a nod.

“You said he didn’t get along with anyone. Does that include your parents?”

---