Page 52 of Deadly Revenge

“Maybe a few people in town who didn’t lose their family land. Or those in the valley who had already sold out—they probably didn’t care one way or the other.”

“I don’t understand. I didn’t know anyone had sold their property.” From what Jenna remembered, most of the people who lived where the dam and reservoir had been created refused to sell—that included her dad’s friends she’d talked to last night. The state had condemned their land by eminent domain and seized it.

When Darby didn’t respond, Jenna repeated her question.

He looked off in the distance, then brought his attention back to her. “That was probably the wrong choice of words. Your dad knows more about the subject than I do. Just ask him. I’ve already said more than I should’ve.”

“What do you mean by that?” Max asked. “Has someone threatened you?”

“Nope. Nobody has any cause to threaten me.” He checked his watch and stood. “It’s about my supper time, so if you’ll excuse me.”

They had been dismissed. Period. But she wasn’t finished. “How about Harrison Carter? What can you tell us about him?”

He chewed on her question, then said, “Like I said, he was mayor when Joe Slater and Paul Nelson were councilmen.”

They were going in circles. “Did you like him?” she asked.

Again he was slow on his answer. “Liked him ’bout as well as I like any politician.”

The man was infuriating.

“Was he honest?” Max asked.

Darby scratched his jaw. “’Bout as honest as—”

“Any politician,” Jenna finished for him. She would fight this battle another day. She stood and fished a card from her pocket. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Darby. If you think of anything that might help with our investigation, would you contact me?”

“Don’t think I’ll be remembering anything new,” he said.

That was exactly what she thought he’d say. She circled her cell phone number. “If you do, you can always reach me at this number. And can I have your phone number? In case I have more questions.”

He rattled off his number. “It don’t work half the time here, so don’t be surprised if I don’t answer.”

She didn’t know whether it didn’t work because of reception or if it was his way of saying he wouldn’t be answering. Jenna wrote it down anyway.

He stood. “I’ll walk down and let you out so you won’t have to crawl under the fence.”

Now he was going to be nice? She couldn’t figure him out, but she had one last question for him. Not that she expected an answer. “Why are you barricaded in like this?”

“Why not? There’s a lot of bad people in this world.”

26

At the gate, Max stuck out his hand and thanked Darby for unlocking it while Jenna walked on to his truck. “It was good to meet you.” He nodded toward the dog that had trailed behind them from the house. “And Bear.”

“Bear seems to like you, and he’s a good judge of character. But don’t tell anyone you stopped by here or that I talked to you.”

Max raised his eyebrows. “Why’s that?”

“I have a reputation to uphold. People been leaving me alone for twenty years, and I don’t want that to change.”

Max handed him one of his cards. “I’ll be here the rest of the week. Call me if you need anything.” He hesitated. “Any particular reason you were in town today?”

“Doctor’s appointment. Got a little high blood pressure, and he won’t give me a refill on the medicine unless I come see him every six months.”

“Take care of yourself. Bear too. And if you remember anything—doesn’t matter how small, call me.”

The older man rubbed his jaw, and for a second, Max thought he was going to say something, then he gave him a curt nod before turning and walking toward his house with Bear on his heels.

---