Page 27 of Marked For Revenge

Ava stayed at the window so she’d be able to cover the yard and woods from a different angle. She tried to pick through the trees and underbrush, but it was thick, and indeed possible that someone was out there watching and waiting.

There were the sounds of more vehicles arriving, and Ava soon spotted Deputy Jesse Ryland join Theo to observe the scene. Like Theo, Jesse was a good cop, and she was hoping they’d spot something they could use to crack this investigation and ID the killer.

Two more deputies arrived, Nelline Rucker and Cruz Molina, and Theo sent them to search the woods. Ava watched. Watched, too, as Jesse took some pictures of the fake head and then leaned in for a closer examination.

“There’s a piece of paper sticking out from beneath the side of the trash bag,” Jesse called out, and he looked through the kitchen window to meet her gaze. “It’s a note, and it just says Soon.”

So, another taunt. Once again, Ava was glad she hadn’t fallen apart, because she needed her anger right now. That would keep her going.

She heard yet another vehicle approach the house and figured it was the CSIs. But Ava rethought that when she saw Theo peer around the side of the house and curse.

“It’s Duran,” Theo relayed to her. “Any idea what he wants?”

“No,” Ava said, going closer to the open door so Theo would be able to hear him. “He’s never been to my house, and he didn’t call ahead. My father probably sent him.” Why Edgar would do that, Ava didn’t know.

“You want me to get rid of him?” Theo asked her.

“No, I’ll talk to him. Are there any signs of a shooter out there?”

“Not so far.” Theo glanced at the two deputies who were looking through the wooded area before he pinned his gaze to Ava’s. “Just remember that Duran is a suspect. Frisk him before you let him in the house. He probably won’t like that, but I’d rather have you in the ‘better safe than sorry’ mode.”

So would she, and that’s why Ava gave Theo a quick nod—just as there was a knock at the front door. Harley was right by her side, of course, when she answered it, and he didn’t allow Duran to get out a single word before he pulled the man inside and checked him for weapons.

Duran was clearly surprised because he made a strangled sound of protest. “Really? Is this necessary?”

“It is,” Harley assured him without missing a beat. He extracted a snub-nosed .38 from a concealed holster inside Duran’s jacket and held it up. “You’d better have a license to carry concealed,” he informed him.

“I do.” There was plenty of indignation and anger in Duran’s body language, but he didn’t reach out to try to snatch back the gun. “What’s going on? Why are those police cars here, and why would you have to disarm me when I just came here to talk to you?” He aimed those questions at Ava.

She debated how much to tell him but decided to go with full disclosure so she could observe his reaction. “Someone—a coward, no doubt—left a dummy’s head on my porch. A coward because he wasn’t man enough to confront me head-on.”

Harley shot her a warning glance, obviously reminding her that he didn’t want her to make herself bait. She was sort of doing that by trying to goad Duran, but the man didn’t react with temper.

“You mean like a sick prank?” Duran asked.

“Exactly like a sick prank,” she verified. “He was probably hoping it’d send me into an emotional tailspin so I’d do something foolish.”

Ava wouldn’t mention that the emotional tailspin likely would have happened had Harley not been there to anchor her.

Duran muttered something under his breath she didn’t catch and shook his head as if disgusted. She reminded herself that his reaction could be faked. After all, Duran probably had to conceal a lot of what he was thinking when he was on the campaign trail with her father.

Duran glanced out the window as the CSI van arrived and he shook his head again. “What can I do to help?” he asked.

She was betting he’d had to offer that a lot, too, but Ava figured he wasn’t going to like how she was about to take him up on that offer.

“You can help by truthfully answering some questions,” she spelled out for him.

Duran didn’t look especially offended. “Questions about what?”

“Everything,” she supplied, and since this could take a while, and Ava didn’t especially want to be standing in front of any windows, she motioned for them to have a seat in the living area. “Start with anything and everything you haven’t told me about Aaron and Caleb, and then move on to any knowledge whatsoever you have about the murders or the shooting today in Austin.”

Duran dragged in a long breath and she could see the calculation in his eyes. Oh, what to say and what to keep to himself.

“I’ll arrest you for obstruction of justice if you withhold anything about this investigation,” Harley threatened. “And, FYI, this is a broad investigation, and it includes anything that’s happened to Ava or Aaron for the past twenty years. If you’ve been keeping secrets, spill them now.”

Ava couldn’t have said it better herself, and she matched Harley’s hard stare with one of her own.

Duran volleyed glances at both of them before he sighed.

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