One Foot in the Grave (Carly Moore #3) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,77
even liked it some.”
“You two are more different than I first thought.”
He gave me a pensive look. “I suppose, but we always had each other’s backs.”
“Until I got between you two when I was looking for Lula.”
“No,” he said, gazing out toward the thin view of the valley. “The crack started when he came home from college. He would never tell me why. Before that he told me everything.”
“When I was leaving, I asked Emily what she told Max to convince him to come home.”
His eyes widened. “She told you?”
“Kind of.” I took a breath. “She said she reminded him of his family obligations.” I leaned closer. “Do you have any idea what those could be?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head.
“Do you think it could have anything to do with Heather?”
He turned to look at me. “Are you suggestin’ that Emily asked him to come home and murder Heather?”
Was I? The thought had occurred to me, but only in a fleeting way, and it refused to stick. Ultimately, I just couldn’t imagine Max doing such a thing. “No, but she requested something he couldn’t refuse.”
“Agreed.”
“Bart gave Jerry a job,” I said, the new worry popping to the surface.
Marco sat up straighter. “He what?”
“It didn’t come directly from Bart—Jerry said a foreman asked him if he’d be interested in a job—but it sure sounds fishy. With all the guys who need work around here, the foreman just happens to ask a seventy-year-old man if he wants a job as a gofer?”
He frowned. “You’re right. It does sound fishy. What did you say when he told you?”
“That I was happy for him, of course. I’ve never seen him so excited and proud, and I hope it’s on the up an up…”
“But?”
“I turned to face him. “What if Bart plans to hurt him to get to me? What if he knows I’m fond of him?”
“How would he know that?” he asked.
“How did Abby Donahey know I gave Jerry a coat?” When he started to say something, I added, “Yeah, she brought it up as evidence that I was a good person.”
He laughed. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It’s not that. It’s just weird to know strangers are gossiping about me. But if Abby knew, you can bet your boots Bart knew.”
He was silent for a moment. “We’ll keep tabs on the situation, okay? We won’t let anything happen to Jerry.” Then he added, “He had our backs with Carson Purdy. We’ll certainly have his.”
“Thanks, Marco.” It took everything in me not to reach out and snag his hand.
After a few seconds, he set his mug on the porch railing and asked, “Do you have anything to look into tomorrow before you go into work?”
I yawned. “I have an appointment with Bingham tomorrow at ten.”
“Bingham?”
“Tiny told me that Heather went out with him before she got back with Wyatt the last time. I doubt he killed her, or he would have moved the body. Same with Bart.”
“So why go talk to him?”
“Because he’s an observer, and I suspect he’s always been hungry for power. Which means he likely watched everything going on in Drum, especially anything that had to do with a Drummond.”
“You think he might have information other people won’t?”
“I know you probably think it’s dangerous…”
“Maybe for someone else, but Lula just asked you to be one of her baby’s godmothers, and she’d be furious if he hurt you. Not to mention Bingham seems to treat you differently since the whole Lula and Greta mess. Make no mistake, he has no loyalty to you, but he has a new respect for you. If anyone can talk to him, it’s you.”
I stifled a yawn. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
He grinned. “Just don’t expect him to tell you much. He might be open to a trade, though.”
“A trade of information?”
“Who knows with him. Just keep it in mind. You can expect a whole lot more game playin’ with him.”
“I suspected.” The people in this town were good at it. “I have two other leads to follow after that. Dick Stinnett. Ruth thinks he was at the going-away party. The second person is May McMurphy.”
“Molly’s sister?”
“She was at the party too, and she dated Dick after Heather left. I’ll approach her after I talk to him.”
“Do you know where to find Dick?”
“Ruth said she thinks he works at a used car lot in Ewing.”
He nodded. “We’ll figure out which one tomorrow.”
“You can’t openly help me with this, Marco,” I said gently. “You yourself