Page 2 of Concrete Evidence
Granddad said Avery shared his insight and discernment. The ability took practice, prayer, and purpose—his favorite threep’s as though he’d outlined a sermon. But Granddad was wrong. She must have made a mistake, and the error warred within her.
Avery rode the path to the family cemetery. Elliotts had owned this property and been buried there before Texas became a state. Irish, English, and Scottish heritage—hard workers and fighters for faith, family, and freedom. Which had a lot to do with Granddad’s name, Dad’s, and hers—Avery Quinn Elliott, respectively Senior, Junior, and whatever that made her. Fortunately, Granddad went by Quinn or Senator, Dad went by Buddy, and she was simply Avery. Proud family and heritage, although Dad and Mom slipped in applying all three traits of being an Elliott.
Not going there today. After spending time with Granddad and finding out the source of her accounting problem, she—
A shot rang out from the direction of the cemetery.
She dug her heels into Darcy’s side and bolted ahead. Had Granddad met up with a wild pig, a rattler, or even a two-legged varmint? The latter caused her to slow the mare and circle a grove of trees. If she needed her Sig, the firearm rested in a saddlebag beside the packed lunch. Granddad wasn’t in sight. Only his stallion.
She dismounted and grabbed her gun. Tying Darcy to a slender oak, Avery moved closer to the iron gate of the cemetery entrance and prayed he hadn’t been hurt. How had he been a mile west of here when she called him?
Hesitant to call out for him and draw the shooter’s attention to her, she hid behind an oak. A riderless motorcycle—a shiny, blue Yamaha Tracer 9GT—had parked in the shadow of more trees outside the far edge of the iron fence, a few yards from a worn path leading to the main road.
On the opposite side of the cemetery, Granddad bent over a man, whose blood stained his chest and pooled on the ground. He felt for a pulse and lifted his head to the cloudless sky. In Granddad’s gloved right hand rested a gun. He shoved the weapon into his front belt and lifted his phone to his ear.
“He’s dead. This has to end.” Granddad scanned the area, no doubt searching for someone. “I want Avery kept out of this, but I’m expecting her in the next twenty minutes.” He kicked the dirt with the toe of his boot. “He parked on the road and walked back. She isn’t to know about any of it. I’ll handle the situation on my end.... Yes, I’ll be careful and not let the authorities know what happened. Look, I need to move his body out of sight. He was a friend, one of the best. I despise where this has gone.” Granddad waved his hand. “I told you Avery won’t be a problem.”
2
AVERY SWALLOWED THE ACIDrising in her throat. Her head spun as though she’d stepped out of reality into a realm of horror, a nightmare of hallucinate proportions. What should she do? Ride in like she hadn’t seen or heard anything? Call Granddad as though she were at a distance? Confront him?
She stole back to Darcy, glanced at the motorcycle, then rode back to the ranch. What had she seen and overheard?
Impossible.
The gunfire. Seeing Granddad bent over the body with his gun in hand. The call to someone...
“She isn’t to know about any of it. I’ll handle the situation on my end.”
Granddad had made enemies in his political career, and while serving two terms as state senator, he’d been threatened. Many of those in the media referred to him as the Texas Peacock, but to thosewho valued his dogged ways to pursue justice, Granddad held the respectable title of Senator Elliott. His lucrative commercial construction business paved the way for enemies too. No one could make millions and not expect others to want him destroyed.
But the questions continued to plague her. A man lay dead, a man whom Granddad referred to as a friend.
Her phone alerted her to Granddad’s call, the beat of a marching drum signaling he awaited her. He’d tried to reach her twice in the past ten minutes. No point avoiding him any longer.
“Hey, Granddad.”
“Are you all right?”
“Not really. I was about to call. My stomach’s upset, and I can’t tell if the heat’s getting to me or if I’m coming down with something. Hot and cold at the same time.”
“You need to be inside with air-conditioning. I heard gunfire earlier, and when you didn’t ride in, I tried to contact you. Scared silly, then I realized you might be in the no-tower zone.”
“I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to worry you. I heard gunfire too and thought you were target practicing.” Avery despised liars, and she’d dropped into the same cowardice hole.
“Not me. I’ll talk to the ranch hands when I get back.”
“I’ll put your lunch in the office fridge. That’ll keep Mia from finding it.”
“Thanks, sweet girl. You always have my back.”
She loved the way his nickname for her rolled off his tongue, but today his deep voice sounded menacing. “We always have each other’s back. Drink lots of water. This heat is the worst, so be careful.”
“True. Are you going to lie down? I can take you to see the doc. I planned to be back in about two hours, but I can ride in now.”
“Let me nap first. Note, I’m a grown woman.”
“Even grown women need extra care. Love you to the moon and back.”
