Page 116 of Deadly Revenge

“Where’s the next closest Walmart?” he asked.

She named a town thirty miles away. “Then there’s Chattanooga...”

“Call and ask Alex if she can get someone to check out the other stores in a thirty-mile radius of Pearl Springs and have them show Sebastian’s photo.”

She punched in Alex’s number, and the chief deputy agreed with them, promising to check right away.

“Alex will let us know what she learns,” Jenna said and pocketed her phone. “Turn right at the next road.”

Max turned at the road she indicated. “I’ve been thinking about that day I found you unconscious, and I remembered something from when I took judo—there’s a way to knock someone out by striking them with a hard karate chop to one of their pressure points ... like the base of the skull.”

She gasped. “That’s the spot that was tender!”

He nodded. “Our sensei wouldn’t let us practice it, but he showed a video of someone using it. The person who received a karate chop at the base of the skull went down like a sack of potatoes. If it happened to a person and they weren’t expecting it, they probably wouldn’t know what hit them.”

She closed her eyes and released a breath. “So I’m not having PTSD.”

“But someone wanted you to think you were—you were set up.”

Jenna opened her eyes and turned to him. “The only person who would benefit by people thinking I’d lost it is Phillip.”

“He probably has help,” Max said.

“Sebastian.”

59

None of the cabins had panned out, and Alex hadn’t called with any news. Jenna massaged the knots in her neck. The ibuprofen had helped, but not knowing where her father was had her insides tied up in knots. At least Max didn’t think she was having PTSD now.

She studied the remaining addresses they had to check out. Was her father being held at one of them? “This address is out by Eric Darby’s place. Why don’t we check on it then stop by his place and see if he’s ready to tell us anything.”

Max glanced at his watch. “As long as we don’t miss the funeral.”

Twenty minutes later, Max pulled off the main road onto a gravel drive and drove a short distance to the house. He put the SUV in park, and they climbed out as a man came out of the house with a box.

“Can I help you?” he asked as they approached.

“I hope so.” Jenna showed her badge and then scanned the cabin and yard. “A man went missing last night, and we’re checking to see if anyone has seen him.”

“You’re the first people I’ve seen today. I’m sure my wife hasn’t seen anyone, either.”

“Do you mind if we ask her?” Max said.

He shrugged and yelled, “Holley! Can you come out? A deputy sheriff wants to talk to you!”

A thin woman came to the door, questions showing in her face, and they explained what they were looking for. She shook her head. “Nobody’s been around here today, but if we see anyone before we leave, we can give you a call.”

“Thanks,” Jenna said. While she hadn’t really expected them to have seen her dad, time was running out.

“Have you seen anything unusual?” Max asked.

The couple exchanged glances. “Well ...” the husband said. “We’ve been here a week and there hasn’t been much traffic—”

“Until the other night,” the wife said, “there’s been a whole lot of people up and down the road.”

“Really?” Jenna said. “Do you know where they’re going?”

The husband shook his head, but the woman hesitated. “I wonder if they’re going to that cabin we saw our first day—we were out riding around and saw it.”

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