Page 102 of Silent Vendetta (Vendetta Duet)

My brother looked out at the expanse of the property. We were leaving the main area and heading into a heavily wooded section that flirted dangerously close to my hidden garage.

“This have something to do with the name Barry gave you?” he asked. “The guy that got the missing five million? Because before Mayor Kepler and Detective Rinaldi showed up, you were on your way to confront him.”

I nodded. “You know how Luna’s father was convicted of murder?”

Grayson waited for me to continue.

“He was convicted of murdering a teenager named Oliver Weiss.”

I scratched the side of my face, my fingernails digging into the bristles of my whiskers.

“The missing payment went to Stanley Weiss.”

Grayson stopped walking as the words probably rumbled through his head like puzzle pieces, trying to find a home.

“He’s related to the teenager that died?”

“He’s the kid’s father,” I said.

Grayson’s neck tightened so much, that his veins popped out. It took a lot for my brother to look bothered, but this definitely succeeded.

“What the hell does it mean?” Grayson asked.

“I don’t know yet,” I admitted. “I’m going to pay Stanley Weiss a visit later today. Problem is, I need to get off the property to do it.”

I looked around my private grounds with disdain.

It was well within my rights to demand the police leave, but I couldn’t do that without raising suspicion. Which would only putmorepolice eyes on me.

“Keep walking with me,” I said. “I need to see where police are positioned so I can avoid them.”

We started strolling again with Grayson lost in his thoughts, just like I was.

“Why would Dad pay the father of that kid five million dollars?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “If it weren’t for the accounting cover-up of the transaction, I’d have assumed it was an act of a Good Samaritan or something, trying to help that family in need after their loss.”

I raked a hand through my hair, clearing my throat. “There’s only one guy that can tell me what the hell happened all those years ago. Stanley Weiss received the money, so he knows something.”

“Take me with you,” Grayson demanded.

“I need you to help Barry track down the shooter at the courthouse.”

“Barry’s perfectly capable of doing that with his own team. Take me with you. There’s a good chance he’s involved in Dad’s death somehow. There’s no telling what he’ll do when you go knocking on his door.”

I clenched my jaw.

“Hell,” Grayson continued, “if this is all connected, he could be the one that hired the hit on Luna’s dad.”

In which case, I’d kill him.

“If that’s true, you don’t want to go with me,” I said.

“Why’s that?”

“Don’t ask me a question that could incriminate you after the fact.”

Grayson stared at me. “Who says I care about being incriminated?”

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