Deadly Revenge (Pearl River #3)

Chapter 72

72

Max glanced toward the area where Harrison Carter had a table set up with campaign material for the Founders Day picnic. The man himself was flanked by his bodyguards as he “pressed the flesh” with everyone he encountered. Quite different from the man Max usually saw.

After much back-and-forth discussion, Carter had agreed to wear a lightweight body armor vest under his open-collar blue-checkered shirt. Paired with khakis, he looked polished but casual—the man knew how to woo rural voters.

So far there’d been no sign of Todd Donelson. The two times he’d met Donelson, the man hadn’t impressed him as someone who could be dangerous. Max smiled as Jenna approached. Just knowing she was no longer a target lifted his spirits.

He wanted to steal a kiss here and now, but this was neither the time nor place, but once today was over ... Max intended to see where their relationship might go.

“Any sign of Donelson?” he asked when she reached him.

She shook her head. “I’ve known Todd Donelson since I was a kid, and it’s hard to believe he could kill anyone. What if it isn’t even him?”

“He’s our best suspect,” Max said.

“Just because Mr. Darby told him what he’d overheard doesn’t mean Todd Donelson killed the Slaters and Paul Nelson. Junior Bledsoe has a lot of anger directed toward Carter. And he’s here.”

She pointed across the park where Junior stood talking with Mark Lassiter. Russell County’s K-9 dog, Gem, stood at alert beside the deputy. “I haven’t had a chance to congratulate them on their win. I’ll walk over and talk to Junior while I’m there.”

“I’ll go with you.” Max halfway wished it was Junior—they at least had eyes on him.

“Did you get the text from Alex?” Jenna asked.

“Yeah.” Max hadn’t been surprised when the chief deputy texted an hour ago that the warrant she’d requested for Donelson’s house had been denied. Warrants weren’t granted on hunches. But they really needed a piece of his clothing for the K-9 dog to sniff.

“Too bad there wasn’t anything at the bank Mark could use,” Jenna said.

“The man must be a neat freak.”

While the bank’s cleaning crew had just finished with Donelson’s office when Max and Jenna entered, Max had been certain there would be something in the office they could use. But Donelson hadn’t left one article of clothing when he left on Friday.

Junior and Mark turned toward them when they approached.

“Glad you got Randy back,” Junior said. “But ornery as he is, I’m surprised they didn’t turn him loose the first day.”

They all laughed.

“Thanks, and I’m glad that’s over.” Jenna turned to Mark. “Congrats on Gem winning first in the Fastest Find competition.”

He patted Gem on the side. “She was amazing! So focused.”

Max turned to Junior. “I’m a little surprised you’re still here—Carter speaks pretty soon.”

The big man shrugged. “I decided he wasn’t keeping me and my kids from seeing the fireworks after he gets through spinning his version of the truth.”

Junior turned and thumbed toward the treehouse. “Don’t see why you had to close that, though. My boys love climbing in there.”

Max had noticed the treehouse was closed. “Wasn’t us—sign says it’s closed for maintenance.”

“Have either of you seen Todd Donelson?” Jenna asked.

“He’s not here, as far as I can tell,” Mark said.

“I haven’t seen him since we got through blowing up the dams on my property on Thursday. Ain’t never seen anybody as good as he is to blow one up—he knows exactly where to put the charge and how much C-4 to use.”

Jenna’s breath caught. “What are you talking about?”

Junior shot her a puzzled look. “You were there the other night when I asked him to help get rid of a couple of dams those confounded beaver had built.”

Max exchanged glances with Jenna.

“I totally forgot it.” She jerked out her phone. “He served with Sam in the Gulf War.” She punched in numbers, and when Sam answered, Jenna put the phone on speaker. “What was Todd Donelson’s job when you two served together?”

“What are you talking about?”

Jenna repeated her question. “We need to know, right now!”

“Demolition expert, but why?”

“I’ll explain later.” She clicked off the phone. “You heard him.”

Max’s jaw hardened. “He’s going to blow the dam.” He turned to Mark. “Is Gem a bomb dog?”

Mark nodded. “She’s trained in explosive detection.”

“We have to find that bomb,” Max said, his voice tight. “They’re shooting the fireworks from a boat near the dam—they could all die if he blows it up. Come with me.”

Mark gave the command for Gem to come. “We’ll be right behind you.”

“I’m coming too,” Jenna said.

Max shook his head. “I need you to find Donelson. I guarantee he’s here at the park somewhere—he’ll want to see his handiwork, maybe even use the chaos the bomb will cause to take out Carter.”

His heart cinched at the fear in her eyes. Max had felt the same way last night when she entered the cabin. “It’s going to be all right.”

Jenna hesitated and then nodded. “Be safe.”