One Grave Too Many

taking a bite.
    “Her. Why do you want to know?”
    “Anything we can get to verify where the two of you were, the better for you and Star,” said Diane.
    “She’ll get all mad if I bring trouble to her. The only way she’d let us stay was if Star’d clean her house and take care of her baby.”
    Diane raised an eyebrow and took a bite of her cheeseburger.
    “And you,” said Frank. “How did you contribute?”
    “I got odd jobs.”
    “Were you there when Star’s parents were killed?”
    He shook his head. “We’d moved on by then.”
    “Where to? I thought you said you were in Atlanta?”
    “Places. Around Atlanta. Why you asking so many questions? You’re just like Star’s parents. Always wanting to know our business.”
    “You may know things you’re not even aware are important,” said Frank, pushing another cheeseburger in Dean’s direction. “Where did you and Star stay after you left your cousin’s?”
    “We camped out some. That was fun.”
    “How did the two of you eat? What were you living on?”
    “Odd jobs. I told you.”
    “What kind of odd jobs?”
    “People pay for stuff. No big deal.”
    Both Diane and Frank let that rest for now. “Why didn’t Star want to come home?” asked Frank.
    “Her parents were too hard to get along with. They’d gotten into some kind of tough-love crap someone at their church was feeding them. They didn’t understand me or Star. Them folks think by calling something love, it’s good. They kicked Star out. I bet they didn’t tell you that.”
    From the look on Frank’s face, Diane guessed Dean was right. That might account for their desperate attempt to lie about the bone in order to get the police to look for her—guilt and fear that their tough love might have driven her to her death.
    “Tell me, Dean, do your parents have a pile of animal bones behind their house?” asked Diane.
    “Lady, you ask the weirdest questions. Silencers and now bones. No, not that I know of, they don’t. What would Mom and Dad be doing with a pile of bones behind the house?”
    “Why don’t you go back to your parents?” asked Diane.
    “Dad’s always drinking and Mom’s always fussing and crying. They don’t want me back, and I don’t want to go back.”
    “Dean, can you think of anyone that saw you about the time Star’s parents were killed?” asked Diane.
    “I don’t know. I think we were with some friends in Cherokee County. They don’t want anything to do with the police.”
    “They don’t have to get involved with the police. All they would have to do is say you were there,” said Frank.
    “Trust me. They wouldn’t make a good alibi.”
    “Dean. I have a son,” said Frank. “He has this dog—a lab who loves to play keep-away. She gets a stick, or one of her toys, and brings it to you. Just as you reach out to get it, she pulls it away and runs. I think you like that game too. I know you think you’re being pretty smart, keeping information from us while you get to scarf up our food, but it’s not smart. And you aren’t doing yourself a favor.”
    “Look. These guys are probably gone. Anyway, they’d just say we weren’t there, and that’d be worse.”
    “Do you know anyone who might have killed Star’s family?” asked Frank.
    “No. I just know we didn’t. Star’s been going crazy, especially about her brother, Jay.” Dean took another drink of Coke and got another corn dog. “What are you two doing upstairs?”
    “Looking for clues,” said Frank. “How did you get in the house?”
    “The back way.”
    “It’s locked.”
    “Star showed me how to get in when we got the coins.”
    “Show me,” said Frank.
    “No. I told Star I wouldn’t tell anybody.”
    “Look, son—” said Frank.
    “I’m not your son. I’m not anybody’s son, so don’t you call me that.”
    “OK, Dean. Let me take you down to the police station. We’ll tell them you want to clear your name.”
    “So you’re going to turn me in anyway.”
    “I know it doesn’t seem like it to you, but it would really be best if you went to the police yourself. They will find you eventually,” said Frank.
    “Not unless you turn me in, they won’t. I’ve got friends.”
    “No one has enough of that kind of friends. You’ve already said your friends won’t give you an alibi. Your own cousin made you work in order to stay at her place. You’ll just get into more and more trouble unless you start getting your life together