Page 120 of Deadly Revenge

“Sure thing ... perhaps the church has a room we can meet in?”

“I’ll arrange it, and we’ll meet you in the welcome center.”

Carter gave him a curt nod and took a slip of paper from his pocket. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go over my eulogy for Joe Slater.”

Before Max returned to his seat, he walked to the church office and had no problem setting up a room for their meeting. He followed the receptionist to a room with a large table.

“This is our workroom,” she said. “Will it do?”

“It’s perfect.”

Soft organ music began as Max reentered the sanctuary and walked to his seat at the back of the church, nodding at Carter. The man barely acknowledged him.

Max had the distinct impression Harrison Carter would like nothing better than to skip their meeting.

61

He slipped into the church from a side door. The receiving line reached all the way to the front door. A quick check of his watch confirmed there was no need to get in line—the service would start in ten minutes, and one thing funeral director Harvey Pickford prided himself on was starting a service on time.

There was room on the back pew, and he scanned the rows as he ambled toward the back of the church to see who all was there. Sheriff Stone’s granddaughter, the new chief deputy, sat two rows up with the police chief.

When he reached the last row, his mouth turned to cotton. He hadn’t noticed that Jenna Hart and that TBI agent were already seated on the pew. It would look odd if he looked for another seat. He swallowed down his fear.

“Excuse me.” After plopping down, he nodded to the deputy. “Afternoon.”

He had no idea what her response was as he concentrated on slowing his heart rate. A slight noise at the front of the receiving line drew his attention. Harrison Carter was speaking to Slater’s sister again. Carter hadn’t changed since he left town—he was the only one who counted.

In his mind he heard the explosion his bomb would make andhow everyone’s attention would be pulled toward the lake. Then, with everyone looking the other way, he saw himself pointing his rifle at Carter and pulling the trigger.

Organ music swelled in the church, jerking him out of his fantasy. Except it wasn’t a fantasy because fantasies didn’t come true. And come Founders Day, Harrison Carter would be dead and the reservoir would be drained. The land would be returned to its original purpose.

62

Two caskets sat at the front of the sanctuary, a sad reminder of what had happened Monday. It looked as though the whole town had turned out for the double funeral. Jenna scanned the faces of those who’d come out to pay their respects to Joe Slater and his wife.

Her grandmother sat midway from the front row. Maybe she’d get a chance to speak to her after they finished their interview with Carter. A few women dabbed at their eyes as Harrison Carter expounded about his time with Joe Slater.

Jenna continued to scan the sanctuary, seeking those who’d had their land condemned for the dam and reservoir. Todd Donelson was here, Junior sat with his wife on the left, behind the pallbearers. She hadn’t gotten the impression that either man liked Slater, so she was a little surprised to see them at the funeral ... unless—

No, she couldn’t believe Junior had tampered with Slater’s Hummer. He was a mechanic, though—who better to know how to loosen the nut where the tie-rod would fall off? And Donelson wasn’t one to get his hands dirty ...

Gordon Marsden sat on the row behind Junior. Another person she didn’t think particularly liked Slater. If her dad werehere, he’d probably be sitting with Gordon. Her heart caught. She should be out looking for him. Alex was working hard on the case, but would it be enough?

She itched for the funeral to be over with so they could interview Carter and then check out the three remaining cabin rentals.

A chuckle rippled through the crowd, and Jenna pulled her attention back to the front as Carter made his concluding remarks.

“Time doesn’t permit me to tell all the stories I have of Joe and Katherine, and I’m sure you have plenty to tell yourselves. They both will be missed.” Carter stepped away from the dais and sat on the front row with Joe’s sister.

Jenna should have been paying more attention to what he’d said—she hadn’t known the Slaters, and every bit of information she learned about them helped frame a better picture of their lives.

After the funeral, she spoke to her grandmother, then followed Max to the foyer, where they waited for Carter, her patience getting thinner by the minute. By the time he joined them thirty minutes later, her patience had evaporated, especially when he totally ignored her, other than to give her a patronizing smile before focusing on Max. She understood she was only a deputy and Max was TBI, but Carter should at least acknowledge her.

Memories of difficulties in her former life in Chattanooga bombarded her, and she almost missed Max’s nod for her to start the questioning. Jenna brushed aside the insecurity that had crawled into her mind. She was good at her job, and Max knew it, and Mr. Senate Candidate was about to find out.

“Thank you for joining us,” she said.

Carter’s smile slipped. Jenna acknowledged the four bodyguards who had followed them into the room, and then she turned back to Carter. “I don’t think you’ll be attacked in here, so do we really need your security team? Besides, you may want some of our discussion to remain private.”

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