Burn Out

by Traci Hohenstein

  “Mike is just a friend. I don’t have time for a relationship.”

  “Who said anything about a relationship?” Stacy said. “You just need a little companionship. Big difference.”

  “That’s what Maggie is for.” Rachel said with a twinge of regret. She missed her black lab and hated leaving her for so long. However, she knew Jack was taking good care of her.

  “It is not the kind of companionship I was talking about and you know it.”

  Rachel grabbed her brush off the counter and started attacking her long, auburn hair with it. Her hair was already getting frizzy from the humidity. She twisted it around into a bun and secured it with a clip.

  “What time are you leaving?” Rachel asked, eager to change the subject. She wasn’t ready to discuss her feelings about Mike just yet. Stacy was intuitive – it’s what made her a good reporter. And once she had a hold of something, she wouldn’t let it go. That was something they had in common.

  “Tsk, tsk. Changing the subject. But I will let it go for now.” Stacy closed her laptop and put it in her briefcase. “I am planning on leaving for the airport right after the press conference.”

  Stacy had to go back to Miami for a meeting with her boss, but would be coming back in a couple of days.

  “I can take you to the airport after the conference,” Rachel offered.

  “Thanks, but Mack offered to give me a ride to the conference and then to the airport. It will give me a chance to talk to him so I can turn this story in when I get to Miami.” Stacy was writing an update on the search for Sam for the Miami Sun. Even though she was technically still on vacation, her boss was glad to have her back working on a potentially hot story.

  “Ok. I’m going to get dressed. I have to meet Tammie in about an hour. She said she wanted to talk to me in private and I’m anxious to see what she has to say.”

  “Sounds good. I will see ya there.”

  Rachel headed upstairs to change. She was looking forward to getting this press conference done and hoped it would bring in the lead she needed to find Sam.

  ***

  Rachel pulled up to Tammie’s house. The home was a brick, ranch-style with black shutters, a small manicured front yard with a Tampa Bay Buccaneer flag stuck in the flower bed – with colorful Zinnias scattered around. She walked up to the door and rang the bell. After a moment, she heard Tammie yell, “Be right there.”

  She opened the front door with a baby on one hip and another small child wrapped around her legs. She wore sweat pants and a white t-shirt, which had baby food splattered across her chest. Her long, dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail.

  “Hang on a second. Let me give the kids to my husband and I’ll be right out to talk. It’s quieter out here.”

  “Ok.” Rachel took a seat on one of the rocking chairs and waited.

  She heard some yelling inside and the baby crying. A few minutes later, a frazzled looking Tammie walked back outside. She took the other chair and let out a sigh.

  “Sorry about that. It’s my husband’s only day off and he thinks he can just sit around all day and watch TV.”

  “It’s okay,” Rachel said. “So you and Samantha have been good friends for a long time?”

  “Yes. My family moved next door to Samantha’s family when I was six years old. We moved from Georgia when my dad got a better job here in Florida. Sam and I have been friends ever since.”

  “I was amazed at all the trophies at Nora’s house. From talking to the guys at the fire department, Sam doesn’t strike me as the beauty pageant type, even though she is a beautiful girl. How did she get involved in pageantry?”

  “Sam was a rough and tumble tomboy at heart. But her mom was the one who pushed the beauty pageants on her. Until she was twelve, she was on the kiddie pageant circus. Her daddy worked two jobs like most firefighters did. So, he didn’t have much say in it. Two to three days a week you could find him at the fire station and on his off days he mowed lawns – except for Sundays. He wasn’t around a lot when Sam was growing up, but she loved her daddy.”

  “Why did her mom want her to be in pageants?”

  “Nora is a former beauty queen. She started entering Sam into beauty pageants when she was just a baby. She won the Little Miss Walton County, Little Miss Sunshine State, Miss Junior Florida and dozens of other titles.

  “That’s why her daddy had to work so hard. Pageants cost a lot of money. And her mom, Nora, knew how to spend it. Dresses, coaches, fake teeth, or flippers, like they are called in the kiddie pageantry, and travel costs were in the thousands.

  “Sam was almost guaranteed to win any pageant. She had inherited her momma’s good looks. Beautiful thick blonde hair with corkscrew curls, cornflower blue eyes lined with thick curly lashes and a smile that lit up a room. She didn’t like all the makeup and fancy dresses and all the time spent with dance and pageant coaches, but it was what was required in order to win pageant titles. Sam would rather be outside climbing trees and making mud pies.

  “But she was good at pageants. She could also win over the judges just by a wink and a smile. It was genuine. And boy, was she a natural. It was like she was born to be on stage. She won pageant after pageant. She got a couple thousand dollars in college scholarships as well,” Tammie said.

  “What happened to change all that?”

  “Well, the unthinkable happened. The summer before Samantha turned twelve, she had a horrible accident. Her dad had taken a rare day off and took Samantha fishing with him. She loved the pageants, but loved spending time with daddy more. And she would follow him to the ends of the earth.

  “So, early one Sunday morning, she went off with her daddy and big brother to Millers Lake for a day of fishing. It was really a hot day, so her daddy let her go swimming after they had lunch. Sam didn’t see the other boat until it was too late. She got caught in the propellers and it ripped into the right side of her arm, shoulder, and part of her face.

  “They rushed her to a local hospital and then life-flighted her to the Atlanta children’s hospital, when they realized the extent of her injuries.

  It was touch-and-go because of all the blood she lost. She also got an infection, which complicated her recovery. All in all, she had five surgeries to fix her injuries, including plastic surgery to help with the deep gashes in her face.”

  “Wow, I guess it put an end to her days of pageantry,” Rachel said.

  “Yeah, it did. I don’t think Nora truly forgave her husband. Sam missed a whole year of school and got behind. The family had tons of medical bills and Nora had to get a job to help.

  “Sam became closer to her older brother. They were at home a lot by themselves. Her brother always wanted to be a firefighter like his dad. She hung out with him and all his friends.

  “When it came time to graduate high school and think about college plans, Sam decided to follow in her brother’s footsteps and go to Fire College. Her mother was devastated, to say the least. She wanted Sam to go to the junior college and get a business degree.”

  “I have the recent pictures of Sam that Nora gave me. She’s still beautiful. You can barely see the scars on her face.”

  Tammie agreed. “Even though Sam still has scars on her face, she is very beautiful. She doesn’t think so, though.”

  “So, she went to Fire College in Ocala.” Rachel tried to move the story along. She could hear Tammie’s baby starting to cry in the house. She figured it wouldn’t be long until Tammie’s husband started yelling for her to come back inside.

  “Yep. She graduated with honors from Fire College. She got the job at the fire department a few months after graduation.”

  “What happened to her brother?”

  “By this time, Breck had met a girl, got married and moved to Miami. He was working for the Miami Fire Department when he was killed. His unit responded to a fire at a furniture store. Breck was on the roof when it caved in and he fell to his death. Broke his neck on impact.”

  “That’s
horrible. And she lost her dad as well?”

  “Yes, to a heart attack about a year after Breck’s death.”

  “I see why Nora is so emotionally distraught.” Rachel absently chewed on her thumbnail. “How did Sam and Ken meet?”

  “Sam met Ken soon after joining the fire department. If I remember right, it was a domestic violence call that got ugly and the guy had lit his house on fire. Within six months of dating, she was pregnant with Ken’s baby. They got married and moved into a trailer on her parent’s land while they built a house. By the time the house was ready, she was pregnant again. Another girl. Born twenty one months apart. They settled into working and family. Ken working his way up at the police department and Sam juggling the girls and working at the fire station.”

  “Then Ken gets arrested and the whole family is thrown into turmoil again,” Rachel finished for her.

  “Yep. Now with Samantha missing and Ken in jail, Nora is clinging to those girls. She feels like a curse has been put on her family. The former beauty queen is beaten and down trodden. Sam’s little girls are all she has left. So finding Sam alive and well would be a god-send for Nora. She has already lost so much.” Tammie shook her head.

  “Did Sam know about Ken’s marijuana operation?”

  Tammie looked a little uncomfortable at the question.

  “Tammie, I don’t want you to think you’re betraying Sam’s confidence. This conversation is between us. I need to know everything I can about Sam if I am going to find her.”

  Tammie took a big breath. “I’ve been interviewed by the police. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

  “I promise. What you say is between us,” Rachel said again.

  “She knew, but she wasn’t involved that I know of. She kind of turned a blind eye toward it.”

  “When did she find out?”

  “Ken hid it from her at first. He told Sam he was working on project for work. She never went to the barn. She referred to it as his man cave. After a few months he started spending more and more time back there. One day, curiosity got the best of her. While Ken was at work, she walked back there and found the door locked. She thought it was strange. He never locked the barn door. When he got home, she mentioned it to him. He made up some story he had bought some expensive tools for his project and wanted to lock it for security purposes.”

  “Did that explanation satisfy her?”

  “At first. Then she noticed Ken started buying a lot of stuff. And he started taking her to nice dinners and he was always buying toys for the girls. Sam did most of the bill paying for the family and knew how much he made. When she asked him about where the extra money was coming from, he made up something about a bonus check. But she didn’t buy it. Once again, she took a trip out to the barn. This time she brought some bolt cutters and broke in.”

  “I bet she was suprised.”

  “Yeah. She was shocked. The whole barn had been transformed into a grow factory. There were rows and rows of plants, special lighting, and all kinds of chemicals and bottles. When she realized what he was up to, she was pissed. She was waiting for Ken when he got off his shift. She put the girls to bed early and waited.

  “She confronted him with what she found and he admitted it. When she found out how much money he was making, she was shocked. He said he was saving most of it for retirement. Ken promised he would stop after he made so much money.”

  “Did she know Paul was involved?”

  “Yes. She wasn’t happy about it, but Ken explained he needed some start-up money and cut Paul in on the deal.”

  “Why didn’t she like that Paul was involved?”

  “Well, ever since she broke up with Paul, she tried to keep her distance from him. She tolerated him. Especially since Ken and Paul were good friends.”

  Rachel looked shocked. “Paul and Sam dated? Before she married Ken?”

  “Yes, I just assumed you knew that. She and Paul were high school sweethearts. Paul was little possessive. I will never forget this goofy heart charm he gave Sam. It was a heart in two pieces. She wore one half on a necklace and he had the other.” Tammie leaned back on the bench and stretched her legs out. “Paul proposed after college, but Sam turned him down. They had a nasty break up.”

  “Wow. I had no idea. And Ken and Paul remained friends?” Rachel wondered why Paul didn’t mention he was in a relationship with Sam when they met at the Donut Hole a couple days ago.

  “Things had already started going sour, and if you ask her side of the story, her and Paul were already broken up when she met Ken. Paul denies it. He begged for her to take him back, but once she met Ken, things happened fast. She got pregnant and they got married. Eventually, Paul came back around. She didn’t really care for him hanging out with Ken, but she tolerated it. Paul was friends with her brother and his friends. It’s a small town and all.” Tammie shrugged her shoulders.

  “Did Paul ever get married?”

  “No. But he had a serious, live-in relationship with Mary Anne Lipscomb. She is an older lady who runs the local pharmacy in town. They broke up a few months ago – before Paul was arrested. He moved out of her home and bought a new place just outside of town. I don’t think he is seeing anyone now. In my opinion, he never really got over Sam. He thought they would get married and have kids.”

  “Ken was okay with that?”

  “I don’t think Ken knew Paul was still pining for Sam. Ken is the most laid back, easy-going person I know. Even as cop, he rarely raises his voice, but when he does, people notice. If he knew Paul was still in love with Sam, he never mentioned it.”

  “What about Sam? Did she know Paul’s true feelings?”

  “I think so. But she ignored it. With work and raising two little girls, she rarely had time to think about it. She hoped Paul would find someone else.”

  “Is Paul a vindictive type of person?”

  Tammie thought about it for a minute. “I’m not sure. He went a little crazy after the breakup, but he never did anything to hurt Sam. I know he is crazy about her little girls. Always buys them presents on their birthdays and stuff.”

  “He was pretty upset about getting arrested, though,” Rachel said.

  “It was his own stupid fault for going along with Ken’s idea. He knew the risks when he got involved.”

  “What about Mack Dixon? I heard him and Sam were close.”

  “They have been friends for a long time. But I think they became even closer after Ken got arrested. Mack stepped in to help out. He was always around the house when they were off shift.” Tammie closed her eyes like she was trying to remember something. “She was bothered about something a couple days before she disappeared, though.”

  “Did she say what it was?”

  “That is what I wanted to speak to you about.” Tammie hesitated.

  “Go ahead,” Rachel prompted when she sensed Tammie’s reluctance. “This conversation is between us. I’m not going to repeat anything you tell me.”

  “She stopped by my house on the way home from her shift one morning. I could tell she was upset. I thought it was Ken or the trial. I asked her what was wrong. She said she had gotten herself into a mess with Mack. When I pressed to find out what she meant, she said to just forget it.”

  “Did you find out what it was?”

  “No. It was the last time we spoke.”

  “Any idea as to what kind of mess she was in?”

  “No, but I can guess,” Tammie said. “She was fooling around with Mack and someone at the station found out. That’s grounds for termination. I think it is also why she was looking for another job.”

  Rachel glanced at her watch. She only had a few minutes to get back to the beach house and get ready for the press conference with Samantha’s family. She was glad it stopped raining and the sun was making an appearance. “Ok. I will keep this information to myself. Thanks for your time, Tammie. If you think of anything else, please call me.”

  Tammie nodded her head. “I appreciate it. I don’t
want anything coming back on me.”

  “Will you be at the conference?”

  Tammie shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll try. It depends on my husband’s mood.” As if on cue, Rachel could hear Tammie’s husband yelling for her to hurry up. “He’s a little grumpy. Working all those extra shifts since the baby was born.”

  “Ok. I hope to see ya there.”

  Rachel drove back to the house thinking about her conversation with Tammie. She wondered what exactly Sam meant by getting in a mess with Mack. Sam was already on probation at the station and was looking for another job. Why would she care if someone found out about her and Mack? Something else was going on with Mack. Maybe Stacy would get it out of him when they met. Mack just might be the key to all this.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Santa Rosa Beach, Saturday 11am

  There was a mob of people standing outside Campbell’s Farmer’s Market when Rachel got there. Nora had insisted on holding the press conference there since it had been the last place Sam had been seen. It had been almost a week since Sam’s disappearance and nothing new had turned up.

  The local and national news people showed up in droves. Sam’s unusual disappearance was turning out to be a big media sensation. The story had gotten the attention of Nancy Grace and other cable news networks. Stacy Case was covering the story for her paper, The Miami Sun.

  Chief Gladstone took the podium. “Good afternoon. I’m police chief Gladstone with the Santa Rosa Beach police department. We're here today with Samantha Collin’s family and Rachel Scott with Florida Omni Search. They are not prepared to answer questions today, but each will make a short statement. First, I will give you an update on where we are with this investigation.

  “Let me first say that I know the public has a very keen interest in knowing every detail of Samantha’s disappearance, and we appreciate it. We are now classifying this as a criminal investigation and because of that, there are still a number of details we cannot get into and we will not be taking any questions today regarding the investigation.