Where The Heart Is: A Bay City Paranormal Investigations story

room. As he took his jacket off the hook beside the door and shrugged it on, Dean heard Ron’s voice, followed by Kerry’s. She sounded upset. Dreading a confrontation with Kerry, Dean hurried out the door. She didn’t know the details of his falling out with Sommer, but he hadn’t been able to hide how hurt he’d been, and Kerry had reacted accordingly. If Ron was telling her about Sommer’s call right now, Dean didn’t want to be around to hear Kerry rip Sommer to shreds.
He wasn’t sure what it meant that he was so willing to run to Sommer’s side after the things Sommer had said. Or maybe he was sure and just didn’t want to think about it. Either way, he was going, because Sommer wanted him to.
Unlocking Ron’s car, Dean slid behind the driver’s seat, started the engine and drove off into the night.
    A Hummer, a battered red minivan, and an expensive-looking road bike were parked in front of the Blue Skye Inn when Dean arrived. He glanced at the upstairs windows. All the lights were off.
    Dean was relieved. It was only ten-thirty p.m., and he’d been afraid some of Sommer’s guests would still be up. Apparently they were all asleep, which was good. Whatever had shaken Sommer so badly, Dean had a feeling it was something he wouldn’t want the guests to know about.
    “Sommer?” Dean called softly as he stepped out of the car. The front yard was shrouded in deep shadow from the trees surrounding the house, and Dean couldn’t see a thing.
    “Over here.”
    Dean turned toward the sound of Sommer’s voice. Beneath the big oak, he could just make out the pale blur of a face. A creak of chains told him Sommer was sitting in the old swing.
    Crossing the yard, Dean sat beside Sommer. “I’m here, Sommer.”
Sommer turned to look at him. His brown eyes glittered in a stray beam of moonlight, the corner of his mouth hitching into a sad little smile. “Thanks for coming. I…I was afraid you wouldn’t. Not that I’d blame you.”
“We can talk about that later.” Dean laid a hand on Sommer’s knee. “Tell me what happened.”
“I found something,” Sommer whispered, staring into Dean’s eyes. “Right at the spot that apparition led us to before.”
Apprehension coiled in Dean’s gut. “What did you find?”
Sommer stared into the distance. His fingers twisted together. “A body.”
Jesus. Swallowing against his suddenly pounding pulse, Dean forced himself to speak calmly. “Sommer, if you’ve found a body you’ll need to call the police.”
“I know. I know, just…” Sommer licked his lips, rocking in place. “They’re going to think I did it, and I didn’t.” He turned and gave Dean a pleading look. “Just come out there with me, and look at it. Help me figure out what to do.”
Dean knew he should persuade Sommer to go inside and call the police right away. But the terror and sorrow in Sommer’s eyes undid him. Taking Sommer’s hand in his, he squeezed gently.
“Okay. I’ll go take a look.”
Sommer’s grateful smile made Dean’s chest hurt. Keeping Dean’s hand clutched in his, Sommer pushed to his feet. Dean rose alongside him. Leaning down, Sommer picked up a large flashlight which had been lying on the ground beside the swing. He switched it on and led the way toward the woods.
They walked in silence, fingers still wound together. The flashlight’s wide beam glittered in the frost coating the grass. Sommer seemed calm, but his eyes were a bit too wide, his breath coming too fast. Finding a body behind his house would certainly explain that reaction, but it was more than that. The shock in Sommer’s eyes seemed personal. Dean thought he knew why.
When they entered the stand of trees, Sommer’s fingers tightened around Dean’s. Sommer slowed as they approached the little clearing. “It’s in there,” Sommer said, aiming the flashlight at a pile of loose dirt surrounding a wide hole in the ground. The beam shook.
Taking the flashlight from Sommer, Dean walked over and knelt on the edge of the opening. Sommer went with him, his hand clutching Dean’s in a painfully hard grip. The interior of the hole was shrouded in shadow. Steeling himself for whatever he’d see, Dean shone the beam inside the shallow opening.
“Oh, my God,” Dean breathed, staring at the pile of white bones gleaming in the light. “Sommer, how did you find this?”
“I followed the ghost, like I told you. It came straight here, like before, and just hovered. I got the urge to touch it,