Chapter Five
"Are you really wearing that?" Dean asked padding down the staircase. Autumn was sitting in the living room, her hair fell freely spilling over her shoulders in perfect little curls, Athena had insisted on doing her hair and make-up which was something Autumn rarely did, then proceeded to talk her sister into a jean skirt and jacket with a slightly more revealing than Autumn liked halter top underneath.
"Yes, why is there something wrong with it?" all the confidence she'd had with 'yes' had faded quickly into panic by the end of her sentence.
"No." he said coming over to sit on the couch across from her. "So what papers is this for again?" he asked trying to make decent conversation.
"He did some research on our house a few years back. He has some information we'll never get a hold of that should help in figuring out who is haunting the house and where their body is." her voice shifted from the worried young woman straight into her all business voice. Dean knew he'd completely lost her at this point but pushed further.
"You know we'd fair just fine if you didn't want to do this?" she shrugged.
"Can't kill me to speed things up, get a free meal, and spend an evening with a decent guy." still all business. He stopped and actually thought before speaking again, what would Sammy do?
But Sam was having his own problem walking with Athena up and down main street, window shopping. She'd insisted on getting out of the inn, and didn't want to be alone. So, he'd agreed to go for a walk, not like fresh air was going to hurt anything. At first Athena had kept her distance and just spoke when he said something to her. But somewhere along the way he'd opened a can of worms he wished had stayed sealed.
"What she like? Dean said she was smoking but he really don't have a good record as far as I'm concerned."
"She's smart and sweet." he started but she didn't let him get very far.
"And brave, and pretty, and blah, blah, blah. I know all that. I mean any girl who would risk life and limb to help right a wrong she and her father unwittingly done, has to be all those things. But what is she really like, what do you think of her?" she pranced about a few feet ahead of him.
"I like her, but"
"Jess?" Athena asked. She didn't understand how much pain that one name brought up in him. But she didn't ask it the way Dean did, she at least understood it did hurt and he needed time still to shake all of the emotions.
"Not entirely, I realize she's gone, and she'd want me to be happy."
"But you miss her like your right hand, and every time you get close to Sarah you remember her and have to pull back." he chuckled. Maybe she understood more than he gave her credit for.
"Yea, something like that."
"What about Cassie? Do I need to play guard dog for Autty?" Sam shrugged.
"Dean's a big boy. Cassie told him that she didn't see where they had a future together." he answered her. Athena had stopped to stare in the window of an antique store.
"I'll have to stop here before we leave. But Dean and Cassie, so they are definitely over not that he wouldn't jump if she showed interest again."
"I guess." Sam agreed.
"Well, as long as she's not showing interest I'll leave my sister to her own idiocy. So does Sarah call you often?" he groaned and she laughed. "You can't shake me, dear, I'm like a leech!"
"No, we talk every now and then, but I don't want her hurt." he laughed. It sounded weird to say something like that with a laugh behind it but Athena didn't seem to care.
"The circle continues. Your dad know about her?" he followed her into a hat shop.
"I don't know." Athena rolled her eyes and mumbled something about men, putting on a purple hat with a red bow on it.
"What do ya think? Is it me?" he laughed and grabbed for another hat from the rack and replaced the purple one with it.
Autumn and Dean were still 'talking' in the living room when Curtis came in. He had cleaned up, his jeans with the wore out knees were replaced by a pair of dress slacks, that he probably only wore to church Sunday mornings, his sweat soaked t-shirt had been traded for a blue button up that matched his eyes, and his sandy hair had met a comb. He smiled when he saw her and she stood up.
"You look amazing." he said taking her in. She grinned.
"Don't look so bad yourself." his grin widened still further.
"My mother took over my wardrobe."
"My sister did mine."
"I had help from the dog." Dean said not enjoying being tossed aside so quickly.
"Oh, I'm sorry Dan I didn't see you there." Curtis held out his hand.
"It's Dean." Dean corrected shaking his hand. "Well you kids should get going." he started ushering them towards the door with the thought that the sooner they left the sooner they would return. He stood on the porch and watched Autumn climb into the cab of the other man's pick-up. "Don't forget to buckle up." he called out. She smiled back at him and waved. "Don't stay out too late remember they lock up at ten."
"We'll be back in time," she called back. "Don't worry so much." Dean stood on the wrap around porch and watched the truck pull out of sight.
"So, what Athena's your baby sister and he's your older brother, twin maybe?" Curtis asked hopefully.
"Dean? No, it's just after you hunt so many of these things down you get pretty close. I mean we've spent countless hours in transit, our little team has to survive all the traveling and filming, interviewing. We get close." Curtis gave her a sideways glance.
"Uh huh. So I've got us reservations at this place a couple towns over. A little expensive but great food." Autumn fought down the urge to tell him that this was strictly business smiling instead.
"Sounds great. Did you bring the papers?" She was really starting to feel dirty at this point. A date in trade for research. Barely better than a common hooker.
"Yea, they're in the back." she twisted around to look in the bed of the truck expecting to see a yellow envelope or a binder. She was shocked to find a large plastic tote.
"That's full?" she asked. He nodded.
"I went in for a little and came out with the house's life story." he told her.
"What kind of assignment was this?" he gave a light chuckle.
"High school English. We were supposed to think of a legend that had a profound effect on our childhood. A lot of kids did things like the Headless Horsemen, or Hookman, or something of the sort. The kind of stories they were told just for a good scare. But I was never very interested in those. I like the one that literally lived next door. So I got more research because everything was right here in our town. That one project pulled my ass out of the fire too." he grinned. "Mind if I turn on the radio?"
"That's fine with me." she was glad for freedom from his what little conversation he was offering. He clicked on the radio and instantly Jimmy Buffet was singing "Why don't we get drunk and screw" blared through the cab. Blushing bright red he twisted the dial. He made it through several other stations before settling on a country station playing Reba's "Night the Lights Went out in Georgia".
"I hope country's okay." she nodded.
"Best there is."
"Really? City girls don't usually think that." she laughed.
"I was raised on this stuff. Well this and some of the old rock stuff. My mom like the 60's rock, Dad like Pink Floyd or B52's, he was into strange music. But I was the only third grader who knew all the words to 'Love Shack'."
"I never particularly cared for them. But the Beatles and Monkeys were cool." she laughed.
The rest of the ride went on with conversation about music, and lame bands they'd been into as children. The occasional mention of a huge crush they'd had on random members of said lame bands, but overall nothing noteworthy. Fifteen minutes later Curtis pulled off the main road onto a beaten path into the woods. The hair stood up on the back of Autumn's neck and her hand gripped her cell phone in her purse but she didn't say anything. After a few minutes of nothing but trees a large one level barn came into view. Mud covered pick-ups surrounded it. A dozen or so people were scattered about the makeshift parking lot, all in jeans and boots. Speakers attached every fifteen or twenty feet to the barn's roof played Brooks n' Dunn. Curtis turned to her and grinned.
"This is your expensive place?" she asked holding back a laugh. It was redneck heaven.
"So, maybe the most expensive part is replacing your clothes afterwards but hey a little fun never killed anyone." He climbed up in the back of his truck. "Now, if you don't mind, I must amend my mother's dress code." Autumn turned around her back to the truck at watched a couple making out while Curtis changed, in front of the whole world. Once he dawned a pair of faded jeans and red t-shirt he hopped down holding the box of information. "Lead the way m'dear." he gave an awkward bow and pointed her toward the door. He kept the box tucked under his left arm, and his right hovered, debating on whether or not to wrap itself, around Autumn's waist.
"So you come here often?" she asked him dodging a group of people just in front of the two sliding doors that served as an entrance.
"When you live in tiny town you frequent anywhere that isn't home." he told her. "Come on my sister said she'd save us a spot in the back, so we can work on this stuff." he nodded toward the box.
The inside of the barn was perfect. A bar had been put in off in the back right corner, a dance floor under a strobe light, tables had been scattered everywhere and from the loft above a DJ sat surrounded by his equipment. The music was loud, the crowd was pleasant, and there was saw dust and hay on the floor.
"This is way better than expensive!" Curtis laughed and guided her to an open table in the corner.
"Little Curty! How are you baby brother?" a tall blonde woman, in a jean mini skirt and cowboy boots came up and hugged Curtis. "Who's your friend?" Curtis shook off his sister and sat down the box.
"Lyn this is Autumn. Autumn, this is my older sister Lyn." he introduced the two.
"It's nice to meet you." Autumn said shaking the girls hand. She was a little shocked to see that Lyn didn't wear a wedding band and Curtis had said he only had one sister.
"Pleasure. Now, you kids have fun. Everything's on the house."
"Thanks, sis, but I can pay." Lyn waved her brother off.
"Go get you and Autumn a couple of drinks, I'll baby sit." Curtis glanced at Autumn who smiled okaying his leaving. The moment he was gone Lyn turned toward Autumn. "So, you know he just turned twenty, right?"
"No, we just met the other day and he asked me to join him here to discuss some stuff." not missing a beat Autumn replied.
"I know my brother, dear. If you hurt him, I'll hurt you." Lyn gave her a big smiled and a pat on the shoulder as she stood up and left. Autumn perched herself on the vacated stool and waited on Curtis to return.
"What's taking so long?" Athena whined. They had all gathered in the living room. It was getting close to ten, and they'd been waiting for a half hour already.
"She'll be here, relax." Sam coaxed from the couch where he sat with his coffee. Athena stood up from her place on the arm of a large chair and started pacing. Dean thought about joining her but instead went for a beer.
"Do you think it worked? Think he handed over the papers no questions asked?" Athena asked.
"Yes, it was his idea." Sam said matter-of-factly. Athena rolled her eyes.
"I know, but it's been almost three hours, she didn't even stay out with Billy-Jack that late without a phone call."
"Your parents really messed you up." Sam joked.
"It wasn't my parents fault, it was the Mortons. They didn't want us gone more than an hour without an update. Completely paranoid." Head lights stopped outside the door and Athena froze. "Is that them?" She skittered to the door and peered out the window. Sure enough there was a truck parked in front of the inn. She could see her sister pulling a box out of the bed and the whole while talking and laughing with the driver. She leaned in the cab and kissed the Curtis before turning towards the house. "She's here." Athena jumped into the nearest seat and pretended to be busy.
"Knock. Knock." Autumn pushed through the door. "I've got presents." Dean sat his beer down on the mantle as he came back in the room and took the box from her.
"What's this?" he asked.
"This is all of his info on our dear house of horror."
"Really? He found this much?" Sam asked staring at the box.
"It has everything," she eased out of her jacket and started up the stairs. "And I'll tell you all about it after I get changed." she went up to her room, and after a few moments the three of them followed. They had to linger in the hall for a couple minutes longer before Autumn opened the door. "Sit the box on the floor." She instructed Dean grabbing the pillows off her bed and tossing them down there too. She flopped down on the ground, garbed in her Eeyore pajamas and opened the box. She pulled out folders and note books passing them around. "The one you have, Athena, has the places of burial for the whole family, plus anyone who has ever died there. Sam, yours has the clippings, and reports on the construction workers that were killed. Dean, you've got the good stuff."
"Thanks." he smirked. Autumn rolled her eyes.
"I mean you have the public records of what happened to the family."
"So, who is it?" Athena asked.
"Personally? I'd say the oldest son, the one that's in the chimney. I mean he's got motive. He was racist, and as for killing his brother that's easy. His brother helped kill him. I can't find a solid motive for all the others."
"Okay, then lets go salt and burn." Sam said looking up from his folder.
"Not tonight. Curtis is headed over to make a run through the house. He told the police he'd run through every night until they figure out who killed those kids." the group exchanged looks waiting on someone to come up with an insanely clever plan to get in and out without being caught by Farmer Curtis. "Tomorrow night he teaches shooting sports to the local kids. He's making an early run through the house, and I might be able to keep him busy afterwards."
"Busy how?" Athena asked eyeing her sister.
"Don't worry about the details. While I'm at the shooting sports thingie, you'll be salting and burning. Then we are out of here by the end of the week."
"What if it isn't the oldest, what if it's the brother that was poisoned?" Dean challenged.
"The tornado that took out the chimney knocked big brother out. So the city had him buried in the family cemetery, in the back yard. The two now have marked graves back there. So if there are any doubts burn them both." Autumn told him. "I really don't see how the younger brother could really have had a reason to kill all those people. It don't add up."
"Okay, so we dig up the guy, salt and burn, while you keep Curtis busy. Why does that sound too easy?" Sam asked.
"Because it is too easy." Athena chimed in looking over the contents of her folder. "Nothing ever works out that easy Autty."
"True, that's why I'm giving you extra time by sticking around and distracting Curtis." Autumn said confidently.
They sat going through the information for a while longer. There wasn't anything to point to anyone other than their two current suspects. So without another idea they agreed to go with Autumn's plan. Sometime after one in the morning they all drifted off to bed. The next day was going to be a busy one.