The Summer She Died

The Summer She Died

D. A. Ratliff

Mindy Thomas died the summer we were eighteen. We planned a fun week at the shore after high school before we went our separate ways. That week was not supposed to end with one of us dying.

We had been best friends since grade school. Mindy, Eva, Carlie, and me, the Four Musketeers, as we called ourselves when kids, but later in junior high, Carlie renamed us the Spice Girls. I always preferred the Musketeer moniker, but "Spice Girls" we became. At least, until high school and high school boys, when we became regular teenagers, full of hope and angst.

Eva's parents paid for the hotel suite. They wanted us to take the memories of our long-time friendships with us throughout our lives. What we took away was an empty place in our souls.

Twenty years later, I sat in my living room, a photograph in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Today's revelation punched me in the gut. Memories dredged up that should have remained tucked away with the pain they created. I gulped down the wine as my mind reeled from shock at what happened.

My partner, Ed James, took the call, wrote down some information, and grabbed his weapon from his desk drawer. "We're up, Haley. Skeleton found on Cambia Isle."

At the word's skeleton and Cambia Isle, my blood turned icy. It couldn't be. As I grabbed my service weapon and followed him, I did not doubt that it was.

Uniformed officers were waiting for us at the construction site. One of the officers told us the beach house that once stood on stilts on the site had been severely damaged during a hurricane a few years before, and a new owner was razing the place to rebuild. The skeleton was found between a double concrete wall in a ground-level utility closet.

I had requested the ME and forensics to the site as we drove there. The techs arrived before we did, and one handed me a pair of gloves. There was no need for other protective gear. Any evidence outside of the concrete walls eroded long ago.

Ed knelt next to the skeleton, still clad in blue shorts and a print shirt, as another tech took pictures, concentrating on a concave broken section on the back of the skull. "Look here. Looks like a necklace." He pointed to the thin gold chain, and the tech took a series of photos." Ed then unclasped the necklace and held it up for me to see. I sucked in a breath that did not go unnoticed.

"Haley, do you recognize this necklace?"

"Yes, and so should you." I slipped my fingers under my shirt collar and pulled the necklace I wore out for him to see—a gold chain with a ruby pendant. It was identical to the one he held.

Two hours later, Ed and I sat in Captain Tate's office. I knew what the captain would say, but I was not letting him take me off this case. I owed her that.

"Detective Banes, you are positive that this necklace," he held up a photo, "belongs to your friend who disappeared on the island twenty years ago?"

"Yes." I had taken off my necklace, and I handed it to him. "You can see it is identical to the one found with the skeleton. Mindy, me, and two other friends received these identical necklaces as graduation presents from our parents. You will find our initials engraved on the back of the stone setting. We had been inseparable since elementary school. We were all going to different colleges, and that week was the last time we would be together for a while."

Captain Tate picked up another file. "This is your statement from when your friend disappeared. I've read it. None of you knew anything about what may have happened to her?"

"No, sir. Carlie and Eva were as devastated as I was. We tried to think of anything to help determine what happened to her."

Ed interjected. "At the time of her death, the property was owned by William Franklin. He was thirty-two at the time. Did you ever meet up with a man by that name while staying on the beach or any other time?"

"No, I never remember hearing that name. We vowed that guys were off-limits that week. We were there to have fun with each other."

"Any man hanging around that you didn't know?"

I shook my head. "No, we had some guys try to make moves on us, but we ignored them."

The captain pulled a document from the file. "You had a suite at the hotel. Your statement says you roomed with Eva and went to bed around one a.m. That was the last time you saw Mindy when you said goodnight?"

"Yes, she seemed fine. There was no reason to believe anything was wrong."

"Haley, you and Ed caught this case, but I am not certain I should allow you to continue."

"Captain, I understand there might be a conflict of interest here, but someone must talk to Eva, Carlie, and Mindy's parents. I am asking that you allow me to do so. I became a police officer because of what happened to Mindy. If things become difficult or I need to step aside, I will do so, and Ed can take over."

The captain's eyes drifted toward Ed and then back to me. "All right. You two will stay on the case, but I need you to inform me of what's happening." He stood. "Right now, you need to inform Mindy's parents what we have learned."

~~~

The drive from the entrance gate to Bradford and Marlene Thomas's home was longer than I remember. Ed gave a low whistle as he drove along the tree-lined brick drive.

"Been past that gate a thousand times, never realized how big this place was. Did you come here often?"

"Yes, growing up. It was the perfect house for little girls to play in, with many places to hide and pretend. Mindy had a suite, not a bedroom, and her parents were rarely around. It was our haven from everyone else, so we spent a lot of time here."

"Have you been back much since…?"

I gazed out the side window toward a small pond with a fountain spraying water into the air. "No, it's been years—nineteen—since I was here. A year after her disappearance, the Thomases held a memorial service. My parents, my younger brother Dan, and I attended the service and the gathering at the house afterward. I haven't seen the Thomases since."

We arrived, and a housekeeper answered the door. I knew Bradford worked from his home office and rarely went to the corporate headquarters of his financial brokerage company. I called ahead to make sure Marlene was also home.

The housekeeper escorted us to a sunroom off the living room where the Thomases were waiting. I introduced Ed and was surprised when Marlene rushed toward me and hugged me. Bradford Thomas kept his distance, and I sensed a disconnected tone in his voice.

"Haley, we heard you became a police officer. Not what we expected of you." Before I could respond, he continued. "I am assuming you have some news about Mindy."

Marlene choked back a whimper and joined her husband, grasping his arm. I responded. "Yes, I have possible news about Mindy. Early this morning, a construction crew doing demolition of a house on the beach road discovered the remains of a woman inside a concrete block exterior wall. While the ME has not formally identified the remains, we believe it is Mindy."

Marlene sobbed, and Bradley steered her to a chair to sit. He turned toward me. "Why do you believe that it's our daughter?"

My hand involuntarily went to my throat, touching the small part of the necklace chain visible. "I recognized the necklace found with the remains. It was the same as the necklaces given to Mindy, Eva, Carrie, and me when we graduated and engraved as all were with our initials."

"Then there is no doubt it is her?"

"I cannot say with one hundred percent certainty, but I can say with a great deal of probability that the remains are Mindy's."

"Where on the beach?"

Ed started to answer, but I interrupted. "We're still trying to determine who owned the house then. We'll let you know as soon as we know that information and when we have a positive ID."

As we pulled away from the house, Ed glanced at me. "Why did you stop me from telling them who owned the house?"

I wasn't sure how to put my suspicions into words. "I have known the Thomases for a long time. The Bradley Thomas I knew as a child was a fun, happy man, not the man I saw today."

"People change, Haley. And he lost a daughter. That could end all that happiness."

"I know, but something about the look in his eyes made me think that he was wary about something. I'd rather know more about William Franklin before we tell him."

Ed nodded, and we returned to the squad room.

Now, I sat in my apartment, unable to sleep, wondering if I would finally know the truth about Mindy's death.

~~~

I walked into the squad room shortly after seven a.m. and sat at my desk when the ME emailed his findings—the preliminary cause of death was a skull fracture due to blunt force trauma. Dental records confirm that the skeletal remains found were that of Melinda Allison Thomas.

My friend.

I sat still as my heart shattered. Memories echoed through my mind—memories of sandboxes, birthday parties, summers in the pool, concerts, high-school dances, and tending to each other's broken hearts. We would never be the Spice Girls again.

I took a deep breath and told myself I could bring closure for all of us—time to go to work.

While Ed was researching William Franklin, I contacted Carlie Parker. She now lived in a large city a few hundred miles from here and ran a successful public relations firm. Before I spoke to my friends, I gave Ed a statement on record regarding my recollections of the evening. I headed for an interrogation room and contacted Carlie via Zoom, reminding her I was recording the session.

"Haley, so good to see you! What's it been, seven years? You look great!"

"So do you. The last time was at your grandmother's funeral. A tough time for all of us, but it was good to see you."

"Yes, she loved all of us so much."

"And made the best chocolate chip cookies."

"Haley, when I got your call, I felt the pain of that week all over again. Remember that morning? We walked onto the beach toward our rented lounge chairs. Four seagulls were flying about those chairs. I took that photo, and later, after Mindy was lost, I found it and had to give you and Eva a copy to remember that there were four of us there." She moved her laptop. "I enlarged the image and have it hanging here. When I look at it, I remember that day. Sitting in those chairs, we vowed to do everything we wanted. I think it is so fitting that one chair is a different color. We didn't realize then what that would mean."

My throat caught, and I sipped coffee before I could speak. "I treasure that photo. It is us, more than if we were in it. Carlie, tell me what you remember about that night."

"I assume my memories are the same as yours. We spent the day on the beach. You and Mindy went parasailing. We returned to our room at about four. Everyone showered. I think we all took a nap. I did. Then, at about seven, we dressed and went to dinner at Monty's. Then, we headed to The Sand Bar to dance. We were there until, what, after midnight, I think. After all that dancing and sun all day, I was exhausted and went straight to bed. If I remember, you did, too."

"Carlie, did you notice anything unusual about Mindy that week?"

"Not really, but I did see her talking to Eva one morning after breakfast. They looked upset and shut up the second I walked out on the patio. I honestly didn't think about it again."

"Do you know the name William Franklin?"

Carlie shook her head. "No, I don't."

I ended the Zoom session but promised Carlie I would stay in touch.

Ed and I headed to the Thomases to notify them officially that the remains were Mindy's. Ed was making headway in his investigation of Franklin. I asked him not to divulge what he had discovered until we talked to Eva. We headed to see Eva when we finished with the Thomases.

Eva Loria McKean lived in the same neighborhood where we grew up. She had become an elementary school teacher, and her husband owned a heating/air conditioning company. They had four children. We pulled up in front of a well-kept, modest brick home, a tricycle and a bike in the driveway.

As she pressed the doorbell, Ed remarked, "I grew up in a house like this. Brings back memories." As I waited for Eva to open the door, memories flooded back for me, too.

Eva looked as young as she did when we were eighteen. She hugged me, tears running down her cheeks. "Please come in. I was devastated and relieved when you called and said you had found Mindy. It has always hurt to know she might be out there alone." She took us through the house toward a spacious but messy family room with a patio door overlooking the backyard. A boy about seven and a girl about twelve played in the yard.

"Sorry, I like to keep an eye on them. My oldest two are in college, and we had two surprises." She offered drinks, which we declined.

"Eva, even though I was there, can you tell Ed why we were staying at the hotel and what happened the last night that we were with Mindy."

For the next twenty minutes, Eva gave a thorough recount of our week and what happened that night. When she finished, I had a couple of questions.

"You do not remember Mindy leaving the suite at any time that night?"

Eva took a deep breath, her eyes shifting from me to Ed and back to me, but she didn't speak, only shook her head. She was lying to me. Why? I needed to shake her up further.

"Did Mindy ever mention the name William Franklin?"

Her eyes widened, pupils dilating. I had no doubt Eva knew who he was. I needed to hit her with the truth.

"Mindy's skeleton was found between two concrete walls in the utility area of a house on the beach. A house owned at the time by William Franklin. Tell me what you know."

"Haley, I promised her." Her voice was shaky, tears spilling from her eyes. "I should have told someone then, but I thought she'd just run away with him. She begged me not to tell. That she would be fine."

"Franklin?"

"Yes, they'd been together since she was sixteen. She was desperate that her parents would not find out. That her father didn't find out where she was."

"Mindy and Franklin were having an affair?"

"She had known him since she was sixteen, but Mindy told me they didn't start the relationship until she turned eighteen in May. She was planning to run away with him."

"Why didn't you tell the police?"

"I told you. She begged me not to tell. I thought that she would show up or would call her parents. As time passed, I couldn't. I was too embarrassed. Afraid what the police would do to me." Eva sobbed. "Did he kill her?"

"We don't know what happened, so I can't answer that. Tell me, how did they meet?"

Eva swallowed hard. "William worked for her father then. I don't know about now."

~~~

I fumed with anger as we headed for the Thomas house. Ed contacted the captain to update him on the information regarding the now suspect William Franklin. The captain said he would obtain an arrest warrant for Franklin and let us know as soon as it was issued.

As I walked into the house, memories again bombarded me, filling me with emotion. I reminded myself I had become a police officer, intending to become a detective to solve cases. I didn't want anyone to suffer by not knowing what happened to their loved ones. Now, I might solve the case that spurred me to this career, but at what cost?

The Thomases were waiting in the sunroom again. No niceties this time—I walked up to Bradley Thomas. "Mindy was found at a house that William Franklin owned then." Bradley paled. I kept the pressure up. "You suspected, didn't you? You suspected your daughter was involved with him. Did you ever confront him? Did you ask him if he knew where she was after she disappeared?"

Marlene stood. "Brad—Brad, did you know? Did Will have something to do with Mindy's death? Tell me."

Brad looked at his wife and then turned to me. "I did suspect that Will was interested in Mindy. I warned him to stay away. For God's sake, he was thirty-two. When she disappeared, I begged him to tell me the truth. He told me he hadn't seen her. He said he had broken it off—he knew it was wrong. Dear God, he's worked for me all these years." He collapsed onto a chair, dropped his head into his hands, and sobbed. "He told me he hadn't seen her."

~~~

It was after midnight, and I couldn't sleep. The day's events played over and over in my head. Eva's painful admission, confronting my friend's father forcing him to relive his loss, sitting in an interrogation room as William Franklin admitted Mindy died at his beach house that night.

Franklin said he had ended his relationship with Mindy, but she kept pushing him. She showed up, begging him to take her back. She was standing on the deck steps when she lost her footing and fell, hitting her head on a landscape rock at the foot of the steps. He feared the police would not believe him and arrest him for murder. He had been building a storage addition to the garage and had plenty of extra concrete blocks and cement. In a panic, he built a false wall to hide the body. Then, six months later, he put the beach house on the market.

When I left the station, the assistant prosecutor had yet to determine what charges the state would bring against Franklin. He told me he also wanted to talk to Eva and Bradley Thomas, who had both withheld information, but he seriously doubted they would charge the two with anything.

I stared at Carlie's photo of four seagulls hovering over four empty beach chairs. In many ways, we were four friends who had gone our separate ways after that week, never forgetting the summer she had died.

We were friends—all for one and one for all.

Maybe we were always the Musketeers.