Page 41 of Concrete Evidence
“When I was a kid, he talked to me with his belt. Short with the ranch hands. Physical with them too, then paid them off so they wouldn’t go to the law.”
“You witnessed this behavior?”
“Oh yes. One of the reasons I left. Neither my wife nor I can help you find him. He’s most likely beat Avery.”
“Do you have experience with how he deals with Elliott Commercial Construction’s employees?”
Buddy glared. “The same. Makes me fearful about the dams and bridges with his name on the contracts.”
“Why?”
“Shoddy business practices.”
“How’s that when the specs are approved before construction and official inspections are conducted regularly for safety?”
“You should know there are always ways to take shortcuts and make a few extra dollars.”
“Can you point to a specific project for us to investigate?”
Buddy pointed a finger at Roden. “I’m staying out of it. No one would believe me anyway.”
Roden glanced at Marc. “Agent Wilkins, do you have any additional questions?”
“Yes, I do. Is Craig Holcombe a man you respect?”
Buddy crossed his legs. “No dealings with him. He’s the senator’s yes-sir boy.”
The Elliott family definitely had relationship issues. Marc and Roden stood. “Thank you for your time, Mr. and Mrs. Elliott. If you hear from Avery or Senator Elliott, please give us a call.”
Outside, the sun had dropped below the horizon, but the stifling heat held like a thermostat set on high. Marc and Roden drove back to Houston.
“The Elliotts are one dysfunctional bunch,” Roden said. “Averyis afraid her grandfather will be arrested for killing a man, and she might be right. Buddy and Saundra have little respect for anyone. They lied to us about the senator funding them. Did Buddy fabricate his father’s temper? Because my research didn’t show that.”
“Argumentative but not physically or verbally abusive. All of it is info we might need. I’m in this with both feet. I intend to find out the truth behind Senator Elliott’s disappearance and what happened to my father and Liam Zachary. How did the killer get my father’s gun? Make a note to pull phone records on all three men and Avery. And I want everything out there about Buddy and Saundra Elliott.”
The dysfunction between Elliott Junior and Senior hit too close to home. If given the opportunity, would Marc have welcomed reconciliation?
25
AVERY STARED AT THE FOUR WALLSof the hotel room. Sunday morning seemed strange without rising early for church, drinking a pot of coffee with Granddad, and discussing the previous week. They always left early to enjoy chocolate buttermilk doughnuts before greeting those attending the first service. Mia suspected Granddad’s indulgence but so far hadn’t said a word.
Small groups followed church, and the two joined their own classes. Avery loved choir, singing in harmony to those songs important to the rural and cowboy crowd. Granddad managed a lot of talents, but his singing would clear a pew. Over lunch, they debated sermon points. Always challenging and always fun. She trusted the one person who’d given unconditional love and spoken wisdom. And now he faced danger, and she didn’t know how to resolve it.
Granddad, Mia, Craig, and Leanne had always been close by. Loneliness crept over Avery, leaving a painful void.
Today she lingered over a cup of hot coffee and wrote out a prayer for wisdom. Closing her eyes, she longed for answers. If she was the Christian she professed, shouldn’t she have peace about it all?
Was she a sham believer?
Or did her worry mean she shared the fallible traits of every human?
How many times had Granddad said going to church didn’t make one a Christian any more than determination to ride a bronco helped one stay in the saddle?
She dumped the coffee down the drain. She didn’t want to deny her faith but to cover her heart with a quilt called relationship, purpose, meaning—and Granddad’s innocence.
Oh, God, please forgive me for all the times I used Granddad as my savior instead of Your Son, Jesus.
After glancing at the time, she grabbed her purse and room key. The locked church she’d visited the other day had a service in fifteen minutes.
