Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Laura Scott (free e reader .TXT) 📕

take to the police, they can find evidence against him. He’s not smart enough to have covered all his tracks.”

“I don’t want to leave Jonah here with only a babysitter,” Liam said, a frown inching across his brow.

“I’ll call Shelley,” Paige offered. “I’m sure she’ll be glad to have him.”

Five minutes later, she ended the call to her friend who said she’d be happy to have Jonah stay with her family.

The following morning, the specially equipped pin attached to her jacket lapel, Paige called Jerry and arranged a meeting. He sounded surprised, but not alarmed, to hear from her.

When she showed up a half hour later, he greeted her genially. “Ms. Walker. Good to see you again. How can I help you?”

“It’s more how we can help each other. I suppose you heard about Reva Thomas,” Paige said with no preliminaries.

Jerry gave a cautious nod. “Who’d have thought it? Her being mayor and all and killing those people.”

“She told Liam and me that she was being blackmailed.”

“No kidding?”

“No kidding,” she mimicked, her tone openly mocking. “I know what you’ve been doing, Jerry. Blackmailing Reva. It’s too bad that the well has dried up. But I’m sure you’ll find another angle to play.”

He raised a brow and regarded her quizzically. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you? Reva told us all about the blackmail. She just didn’t know who was behind it. It didn’t take much to figure out that it was you. Don’t worry. I didn’t tell Liam. Or the police. Yet.” She paused, letting that sink in. “We’ll keep it just between the two of us. I can see a bright future for us.

“It’s time you shared some of the wealth, Jerry. Consider this payment for the blackmail. Give me half of what you got from Reva and I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“You’re imagining things, lady.”

“No. I’m smart. When Reva told us what she was being blackmailed for, I knew it had to be you.”

“Still don’t know what you’re talking about.” Though he hadn’t made a move, his voice had taken on a sinister note and the corners of his mouth turned down ever so slightly.

“Okay. Try this. Sam was different after the accident. You said so yourself. Liam said he was real quiet on the way home from the game. It was easy enough to deduce that he had seen what Reva had done and had put it together. Only Sam was a good guy. He’d never consider blackmail. In the end, he told you. Maybe he didn’t want the secret to die with him.”

Jerry’s expression smoothed out into its ordinary blandness. “Is that what you think happened? You don’t have any proof.”

“I think I can make a good case if I go to the police. Once they know where to look, they’ll find the proof. You’re sneaky, Jerry, but you’re not all that smart.”

“You’re really good at putting things together.” He pulled a gun from behind his back and aimed it at her. “Too bad it’s gonna cost you.” He gestured with the gun. “Toss your phone and the weapon under your jacket over here.”

She did as he instructed. He kicked the gun away, then stepped on the phone, smashing it into pieces.

“When you called this morning, I had a feeling you might have put things together. It doesn’t surprise me, you being super smart and all.”

“What are you planning to do?”

He looked surprised. “Kill you, of course.”

“Just like that? Of course, you’ve already caused the deaths of three people. What’s another one?”

Jerry looked affronted. “Hey, I didn’t kill those people. That’s on Reva.”

“You started it when you sent the first blackmail demand. Didn’t you care what would happen?”

“That’s a lie. She started it when she drugged Old Goat Pope’s water fifteen years ago. I just made it work for me. Too bad Sam didn’t tell me what she’d done way back then. I could have milked this thing for years. Come to think of it, though, she wouldn’t have had any dough back then, so I guess it worked out okay.” Anger twisted his features into an ugly scowl. “I had a good thing going, and then you and that boyfriend of yours put an end to it.”

“Do you expect us to apologize for stopping a murderer?”

“You could have minded your own business. You didn’t have to get involved.”

“You’re as bad as she is.” Keep him talking. Give Liam time to get in position.

“I don’t remember blackmail being part of the Big Ten.” At her blank look, he said, “You know, the commandments that they’re always preaching about in church.”

“You went to church?”

“Only because my ma made me. Like I said, blackmail’s not one of them.”

She stared at him incredulously. “That’s your excuse? That blackmail isn’t listed in the Ten Commandments? Your blackmail caused three deaths. I think that makes the Big Ten, as you call them.”

“I know what you’re doing. You’re stalling, waiting for McKenzie to show up. Guess you and me have the same thought. I can hardly wait.” Glee lit his eyes.

The sly expression on his face had her tensing.

“Now we got us some things to do. Want to have you all nice and ready for when that white knight of yours shows up.” Using his weapon, he pointed to a chair. “Sit down.” He produced a roll of duct tape and started wrapping her wrists to the arms of the chair, then bound her ankles together. “We’ll just wait for McKenzie to come and then we’ll have ourselves a nice little going-away party. Get it? You and your boyfriend are going away. Forever.”

She got it. “I thought you didn’t hold with killing.”

“I never said that. I just said that I didn’t kill the folks who already died.”

“Your distinction is a fine one.” Her sarcasm appeared wasted on him, for he grinned.

“You don’t want to kill Liam. He was Sam’s friend.”

“You think that matters to me?”

“It should.”

“Why should I care about Sam’s friend when I could barely tolerate my brother? He was