Page 87 of Deadly Revenge

He laughed to himself, the sound muffled. No one would expect him to know how to hack into anything. Just showed how easily people could be fooled.

Even though it was cool in the gallery, sweat formed on his forehead. He wiped his face on his shirt sleeve and then checked his watch. He’d been here thirty minutes. It felt like hours.

He descended the ladder, retracted it, and then backed against the wall and looked up. Someone would have to be searching for the bomb to see it.

His job here was done.

D-day minus 3.

44

Max parked his truck in Jenna’s drive and grabbed his laptop before jogging to her SUV. He was worried about her, especially after she’d thought someone was watching them and then zoned out in Alex’s office. She needed a break. But getting her to take one was another thing. Maybe a mini-break.

“I googled some of the addresses Alex texted,” Max said. He stashed his laptop in the back and climbed into the passenger seat. “And one is not far from the barn where you keep Ace. After we visit Eva, why don’t we check out the address and then drop by the barn?”

Jenna turned right out of her drive. “I’d love that. I was trying to figure out a way to check on him, but we have so much to do.”

A minute later, he swayed as she turned into Eva’s drive. “It’s settled then.”

They climbed out of the SUV. “I wonder if your uncle will show up.”

“I saw his pickup when we passed his house. If he’s watching Granna’s house, he probably will.”

He followed Jenna as she strode to the front door and tapped before opening the door and entering. “We’re here, Granna,” she called.

“About time,” Eva said, coming from the kitchen. “What happened? I was about to give up on you.”

“We got tied up with Alex.” Jenna hugged her grandmother.

“Come on back. I have carrot cake and a good cup of coffee waiting for you.”

“How did you know carrot cake was my favorite cake?” Max asked.

“A little bird probably told me,” she said, winking at Jenna.

They followed her into the kitchen. “By the way, Sam said he’d probably stop by too.”

They needed to get whatever information Eva had before her son arrived. “You were going to tell us why you thought Harrison Carter had something to do with Paul Nelson’s death and maybe Joe’s.”

She looked up from cutting the cake. “I said I’d think about it. Do we have to jump right into that?”

“It’s important,” Max said, making his voice softer. “Three people have died, and we have no one with a motive.”

“Oh, there’s plenty with motive.” She gave him a knowing look then plated each of them a large piece of cake and set the servings on the table. “Jenna, would you pour the coffee?”

Once they were all seated, Eva waited expectantly.

“You were saying,” Max said.

“Try the cake first.”

Was Eva stalling to give Sam time to arrive?

“Granna, you talk while we taste,” Jenna said.

Her grandmother sighed. “It’s just such a hard thing to talk about. We were all so happy in the valley before that company started trying to buy everyone’s property.”

“Was that before the mayor and city council proposed the dam?” Jenna asked.

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