Deadly Revenge (Pearl River #3)

Chapter 35

35

Max followed Jenna to the park, and they arrived at the same time as Alex and Nathan. Dave Martin, the park director, soon joined them, but his assistant, Derrick Holliday, was missing. Not surprising since he’d made his feelings about Carter known.

At 9:15, Carter hadn’t shown. It wasn’t until almost 9:30 before he arrived with his entourage. That was the only word Max could come up with when he saw security vehicles in front of and behind the senate candidate’s Cadillac.

Carter emerged from the back seat and smoothed his hand over his hundred-dollar haircut. The man had class—Max had to give him that. His suit fit like it was tailor-made and probably was. Max wagered it cost more than most voters in Tennessee made in a month.

“Good to see you again,” Carter said in his radio voice. He shook hands with each of them, and then walked with Martin to the area where he would be speaking.

“He’d probably kiss a baby or two if any were here,” Jenna muttered, and Max nudged her.

“Well, it’s true,” she said.

“Yeah, but you don’t want him to hear you.” From what Max had seen, running for election was a business like anything else, and Carter had it down pat. He also had the good looks and confident air to be successful.

Carter was no worse than a lot of other politicians Max had met—a mile wide and an inch deep. He ducked his head and grinned at his grandfather’s old saying.

A few minutes later, the former mayor approached them. “So, you think you have the security all arranged?”

Nathan and Alex deferred to Max.

“Yes, sir.” Max handed him a copy of what he’d drawn and spent the next fifteen minutes showing Carter and his security team the locations detailed on the map.

“We’ll have people positioned at each of the spots marked with an X,” he said, wrapping it up. “Are you still good with providing four of your own security people?”

“Yes. I realize this is a small county, and security might not be adequate.”

Alex’s lips twitched, but before she could respond, Carter turned to her. “Do you have any suspects in Paul Nelson’s murder?”

She lifted her chin. “Not yet, but I’m sure we’ll have a break in the case soon.”

The look Carter gave her said he believed otherwise. “Are you utilizing the TBI for the Founders Day event to the full extent? I can get a couple more agents assigned if you need them.”

Max was certain the director would love to hear that.

“Thank you for your offer,” Nathan said, “but I think with your people added, we’re good.”

Carter checked his watch and looked up. “Do you know when Joe and Katherine Slater’s funerals are?”

“I heard they’re planning for Friday,” Nathan said.

“I’ll be returning for it,” Carter said.

Nathan nodded. “Sorry to leave you guys, but I have a meeting with our auditor. I’ll see you at the funeral, Senator.”

“And I have a meeting too. Thank you for meeting with us,” Alex said.

Carter turned to Max and Jenna. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.”

“Before you go,” Max said, “Deputy Hart and I would like a word with you.”

Irritation flashed in Carter’s face. “Now?”

“Now. We have three murders to solve, and we need to ask you a few questions.”

“About?”

“The years you served as mayor while Joe Slater and Paul Nelson were on the city council,” Jenna said.

“That will take more than a few minutes, and I don’t have that kind of time—I have an eleven o’clock meeting with the campaign volunteers in Chattanooga.”

“This shouldn’t take long,” Max said. “Would you like to sit at one of the picnic tables?”

Carter glanced at the concrete structures that looked as though they needed a good scrubbing. “I’ll stand.”

Max took out the notepad where he’d jotted a few questions. “First, have you received any more threatening letters?”

“No. I thought someone was tailing me a few days ago, but if they were, that’s all they were doing. They didn’t try to run me off the road again, but that could’ve been because of my security detail.”

“Good.” Max looked down at his notes. “Can you think of any reason Joe Slater would receive the same letter you received?”

Carter blanched. “Good heavens, no!” He paced in front of them. “It’s obvious whoever sent the letters is mentally disturbed. You have to catch him before he has a total breakdown—people like that are the ones who take out their frustrations on innocent people.”

Max scanned his notes again. “Based on the recent murders and your connection to the victims, we’re focusing on the years you were mayor and Joe Slater and Paul Nelson were on the city council. Can you tell me some of the problems you encountered during those years?”

Carter shook his head. “We don’t have enough time to go into all the problems—it’s a way of life for mayors and city council members. Nothing you do suits everyone.”

“Let me put it another way. Were there any problems that resulted in threats or lawsuits?”

“We live in a litigious society. Someone was always suing over some silly thing. Or going ballistic.”

“Like?” Jenna probed.

Carter rubbed his forehead. “Probably the maddest anyone ever got was over a zoning ordinance. Milton Bledsoe threatened to shoot anyone on sight if they tried to stop him from building an auto repair shop on his property.”

“Was that Junior’s dad?” Jenna asked.

“Junior,” Carter muttered. “Who names their son that? But yeah, you have the right family. Milton wanted to build his son a garage so he’d stay in Pearl Springs.”

“Did he? Build the shop?”

“Sure. Neither I nor anyone else on the city council had a problem with it. The problem was with Milton and that son. They got it in their heads that the city was going to pass an ordinance to keep them from building, and the son made a big deal about it.”

Max jotted the name down. “How about the dam—any problems with getting it built?”

Carter tapped his head with his palm. “I can’t believe that wasn’t the first thing that popped into my mind. The people who lived in the valley where the reservoir was built are a bunch of backwoods hillbillies.”

Beside him, Jenna stiffened. Her expression reminded him of a cornered mama bear.