Page 106 of Concrete Evidence
“What about your mother and me? The FBI referred to us as persons of interest in the dam’s poor structure.”
“I care about you both, which brings me to my second point. I’ve held a grudge against you for too long. No point in going over any of it, but I forgive you.”
Dad huffed. “Big of you. Did the senator send you on this mission trip?”
“No.”
“You’ve said your piece, so get going. I have things to do.” He walked out and pointed to her car. “What happened to your Mercedes?”
“Someone tried to kill me.”
Dad startled. “Are you all right? Is that why your arm’s bandaged?”
“Yes. A few stitches.”
“Is the person under arrest?”
“I think so.”
His gaze held a spark of what? Remorse? “What have you and the senator done to upset the wrong people?”
“I wish I had the answers. My last question, then I’ll leave you alone. If you have the name of who’s behind the crimes, I’m asking—no, I’m begging—for your help.”
He shook his head. “Not a clue. Got my own concerns without getting involved.”
“Okay.” She walked to her car. Thunder rumbled.
“Avery.”
She faced her dad, hoping like a child for a sign of any affection.
“Get him to change the will in my favor, and I might be able to help.”
60
MARC RUBBED THE BACKof his neck and stared out an upstairs wall of windows. The rain beat the ground like a jackhammer boring through concrete. He’d hit the same concrete trying to obtain information from the circle members.
Shipley kept information locked inside his head. Marc suspected he deep-sixed evidence critical to the case.
Congressman Jeannine Blackford maintained that Craig Holcombe had the resources to blackmail the senator and sabotage the dam. “He’s missing because he’s hiding out,” she said.
Congressman Frank Benton had been friends with the senator longer than Marc’s father or Liam Zachary. “I haven’t any developments that you aren’t already aware of,” Benton said. “But I’ll tell you this. The kingpin has either installed a bug in the senator’s office or phone. How else would the person have inside info to every facet of his life?”
The railroad commissioner had conducted the most research.“When I learned about a separate crew pouring the dam’s foundation, I ran a background check. The crew Craig used doesn’t exist. Where did he find them, and where does that put him? Good luck telling Senator Elliott. He has a blind spot when it comes to his granddaughter and foreman.”
“You suspect Avery played a role in this?”
“Wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Look, I’m no fool, Agent Wilkins. Senator Elliott harbors a lot of guilt for the way his son and daughter-in-law mistreated her. But Avery has bad blood flowing through her veins.”
Avery entered the room just as he ended the call and stood beside him, staring at the same rain, her arms folded across her chest. He could smell the light scent of her, like citrus and spring. Or maybe she reminded him of spring because of the fresh beauty she’d brought into his life.
“You look like life has kicked you in the gut,” she said. “Guess it has.”
“Phone conversations have me in analyzation mode.”
“Here I thought you were mad because of my trip to see my parents.”
He hadn’t forgotten. “Very dangerous, Avery.”
