Page 47 of Deadly Revenge

He hesitated, and her body tensed, remembering he wasn’t completely in agreement with her that someone had broken in.

“It crossed my mind,” he finally said.

“Surely he wouldn’t risk coming to Pearl Springs and doing something stupid like break into my house, would he? He’d have to know he’d be the first suspect, right?”

“Not to mention strangers around here stick out like a neon sign—believe me, I know.” Max took their cups to the sink. “I think Sebastian would be too smart for that. He didn’t get to be the boss of the Scorpions by making moves like that.”

“Alleged boss,according to the DA.” She blew out a breath. “And I really don’t see him leaving his homies in Chattanooga.”

He hesitated. “That’s the one thing that worries me—someoneelse took over when he went to prison—he may be looking for a place to land. Not that I think it’ll be here. Just stay aware of your surroundings, and when I’m here, I’ll have your back.”

And he would. She’d missed that as well. Not that she didn’t have it with her fellow deputies here in Russell County, but it was different with Max. Always had been. “I know.”

Max checked his watch. “Call Alex, then we’ll get your house dusted for prints.”

She took out her phone. “You’re right, and the sooner, the better.” Before she placed the call, she noticed him eyeing the lock on her back door again. “You keep looking at that lock. Is something wrong with it?”

“No. Did you deadbolt your doors this morning?”

She frowned. “I don’t know. I usually do, but I was groggy after last night. I even left my phone at home.”

“While you talk to Alex, I’m going to check the perimeter of your house—an intruder could come in through a window, and if one did, there might be footprints.”

“Thanks.” Jenna called Alex and relayed the information Max had shared about Sebastian.

“I’m sorry, Jenna,” Alex said. “I’ll call the prison and request his intake photo and then request a mug shot from Chattanooga PD. Tomorrow I’ll distribute copies to all the deputies, and they can show them around town. If he’s here, someone is bound to have seen him.”

“He’s a free man,” Jenna said. “We can’t keep him from showing up here.”

“No,” Alex said, “but we can keep tabs on him.”

“Thanks.”

“Anything else?”

“Yeah. I talked to Eric Darby today—he used to be the janitor at city hall when Nelson and Slater were on the city council.”

“I know who he is, and he was in town? And he talked to you?”

“Yeah, he was at Pete’s Diner,” Jenna said. “He seemed really upset about the Slater deaths, and Paul Nelson’s too.”

“He must have been in shock—that’s more talking than I’ve known him to do with anyone.”

“I was kind of surprised too. What happened to him? He used to be so nice to me at church when I was a kid.”

“Nobody knows why he holed up in the woods in that little house of his,” Alex said. “Maybe if you follow up later at Darby’s house, you can get more out of him.”

She didn’t think so. “Why don’t you send Wayne? He’s been a deputy for years, and Darby would probably relate better to him.”

“No. The old man talked to you—like I said, he hasn’t said five words to anyone in town in twenty years—so he must like you. Follow up on it, today if you can, and then take off—after last night, anything on your to-do list can wait until tomorrow.”

She checked her watch. Four thirty. She looked up as Max came in through the back door. “Max is still here. Maybe he’ll ride with me to Summerlin Ridge.”

24

“What’s on Summerlin Ridge?” Max asked when Jenna ended her call.

“Not a what, a who—Mr. Darby, the old man I talked to at Pete’s Diner today.”

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