Page 76 of Deadly Revenge

They spent the next thirty minutes talking about families, with Max sharing stories about his parents and Granna telling on Jenna and the troubles she got into as a child. Some of the stories even Jenna had forgotten. Stories that made her grandfather and her mother come alive.

“You have a good memory, Eva,” he said.

“Too good,” Jenna added dryly. “And you could’ve kept the story about catching me skinny dipping in the pond to yourself—I was only five.”

Granna laughed. “Your mother was so upset, thinking you could’ve drowned.”

“I knew how to swim.” She sighed. “I have so few memories of her ... or my grandfather. We need to do this again.”

Granna nodded solemnly. “It’s hard for me to talk about them.” She smiled at Max. “But he’s such a good listener that it loosens my tongue.”

“It’s because you tell good stories.” Max stood and gathered the cups and empty plate. “We need to be going.”

She took the tray and walked to the kitchen. She’d hoped her grandmother would bring up the wreck that killed Jenna’s grandfather, but she hadn’t. Maybe they could find details of the accident in old newspapers.

Ten minutes later, they said their goodbyes and reminded her grandmother they would return soon.

“Thanks for listening to her,” Jenna said.

“I enjoyed it, but I thought the time was a good bridge builder—she’ll be more likely to discuss the past if she considers me a friend.”

They hadn’t driven a mile before her stomach growled.

Max cocked his head. “It’s almost noon. Why don’t we grab lunch at Pete’s?”

“Sounds good.”

After Jenna picked up her SUV, she followed Max to their small downtown area and got lucky when a car backed out of a space right in front of Pete’s Diner. Max had to park a block away.

“They’re busy,” she said when he joined her.

Busy was an understatement, but the diner fell silent and everyone turned toward them when they entered.Odd.She questioned Max with her eyes, and he gave her a barely visible shrug.

Jenna scanned the room for a table and found one near the back. Once they were seated, she picked up the menu. “What day is it today?”

“Wednesday.”

“Meat loaf and three vegetables day—you’ll like it.” She tilted her head. “It’s been a long week. Does it seem like it ought to be Saturday already?”

“Now that you mention it ...”

She scanned the menu for which of Pete’s homemade vegetables she wanted. They both looked up when Ethel set their water glasses on the table.

“Any word on who killed Paul Nelson?” she asked, her voice rising above the din in the room.

Once again the restaurant got quiet, and before Jenna could answer, someone at the front of the diner said, “And I heard the Slaters’ accident was no accident.”

39

Jenna’s heart sank. Diners started talking at once, and she heard “serial killer” mentioned. Junior Bledsoe stood—she hadn’t seen him when they arrived but now noticed that he shared a table with the banker, Todd Donelson.

“What I want to know,” Junior said, pointing a finger at her, “is who’s going to be next? And what you’re doing about it.”

Max stood as well. The two men were about the same height, but Junior probably had fifty pounds on Max’s lean frame, not that Jenna thought Junior would start anything.

Max held up his hand. “There’s no serial killer running around Russell County—”

“You don’t know that.” Junior’s hands fisted at his sides. “You come in here with your big-city ways, acting the big shot. Well—”

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