Page 6 of Deadly Revenge

Jenna started walking again, and Wayne followed suit, but they didn’t find a castle nut. When they reached the drive, she walked toward the attached garage and found it locked. “I wonder if there’s a key hidden outside somewhere?”

She approached the back of the two-story house and felt along the top of the door. Nothing. Maybe the Slaters had hidden one under a rock or—she glanced around the flower bed—a brick.

“What are you doing?” Wayne called.

“Looking for a key.”

“We don’t have a search warrant,” he said.

“Why do we need one? The people who live here are dead.”

Wayne eyed her like she should know why they needed one. “But they didn’t die here, so we have no right to poke around in their private property,” he said patiently.

How had she forgotten that? Maybe because she already viewed the accident as a crime, and somehow the legal ramifications had slipped her mind. “Let me text Alex and see what she wants us to do.”

She quickly sent her boss a text, explaining they needed a warrant to get inside the garage.

The chief deputy’s response was a quick text back.“Not if Slater’s sister will let us in. She lives up the road. I’ll call and see if she’ll meet you there, although it might be a minute.”

Jenna pocketed her phone. “Alex is getting in touch with the sister to let us in. You want to wait here or walk back to the accident site?”

Wayne glanced toward the road. “Let’s go back and sit in air-conditioning.”

Jenna grinned at him and followed him down the hill to the road. Sweat ran down the side of her face as she continued to search the road and shoulder. After half a mile, they reached the oak tree again. She glanced at Wayne. His uniform shirt stuck to his body. “We need to cool off a minute,” she said.

“I thought you’d never suggest it.”

“You know, you could’ve said something.”

“And have you think I can’t take the heat? No way.”

That was exactly what she was thinking, but instead of saying anything, she took a swig of water. “Look, there’s no need for both of us to look for the nut. When we reach our vehicles, why don’t you sit in the air-conditioning and write up the report for the accident? And I’ll keep looking.”

“You sure?”

“I am. I’d rather do just about anything than paperwork.” Plus she could look around Slater’s garage to her heart’s content.

3

Max climbed into Alex’s SUV. Jenna looked great. Maybe not happy to see him, but that was his fault—he should have called her right after he left Chattanooga. Once again he felt his neck heating up. Talk about bad mistakes ...

He brushed the memory aside and focused on his reason for being in Pearl Springs. He turned to the chief deputy. “How many people usually attend the Founders Day picnic?”

She flipped her signal on and turned onto the highway. “A couple thousand normally. With Harrison Carter here, maybe double.”

That was more than enough for a killer to blend in with. If there was a killer.

“How serious is the threat to Carter here in Pearl Springs?” Alex asked.

“My superiors are taking it very seriously after they learned someone tried to run him off the road between here and Chattanooga last week. Carter chalked it up to an impatient driver until he received a threatening letter two days ago. That was Saturday, and I got the case Sunday.”

“So it could be someone he upset while he was the Pearl Springs’s mayor,” she said and briefly glanced toward him. “But why wait this long? He hasn’t been mayor for several years.”

“Good question,” he replied as Alex turned into the parking lot at the sheriff’s office.

When they reached the chief deputy’s office, Nathan Landry was waiting for them. Alex took a seat behind her desk, and Max extended his hand to the Pearl Springs police chief. “Good to see you again.”

“You too.” Nathan Landry grasped Max’s hand firmly. “Sorry about having to delay our meeting.”

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