“Jealous little thing, ain’t ya? Hey, I never complimented you on that right hook of yours. Left me feeling dazed a second,” he stated as he caressed his jaw and lip where it had been bleeding. It didn’t look any the worse now, just a little swollen.
“I’m sorry about that. You came up from behind and I was all upset still.”
“Lesson learned, baby,” Eric said then kissed her.
“Don’t you be trying any of those right hooks on me,” Max teased then kissed her.
“Naw, I will save my left hooks for you, deputy. The next time you decide to withhold information, it better not be about me,” she stated then made a fist.
He grabbed her hand then lowered it to his cock. He was hard and ready for round two.
“Get in that shower, ma’am, or we’ll never make it to the damn Fourth of July festivities.”
Chapter 12
Max walked through the crowds of people. There seemed to be so many more visitors to the festival this year than ever before. His head began to ache from staring at every male face he could get a glimpse of. He hoped that he would spot Barry Weiner before he could make it anywhere near Stacy. He had yet to see any sign of the guy, and he wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. Finally he spotted Stacy and Eric walking hand in hand near the pies and homemade jams. Stacy had won first place so far with her apple pie, cherry pie, and peach cobbler. The judging on the chili was taking longer than usual as a few new contestants added their chili last minute. As he watched them, his heart soared. Stacy looked beautiful with her hair hanging down past her shoulders and the sheer floral tea dress she wore. The slight breeze caused the material to lift and dance around her knees and lift to her upper thigh. She was very sexy. He wondered if his brother even noticed the many men that glanced at Stacy and looked her over. He saw it a number of times, and he felt himself clench his fists and get that jealous feeling in his gut. But then he remembered today at Stacy’s place and what they shared. They were in love, and when they were fully inside of her, it was as if they simultaneously realized how in love they were and just how close.
His radio beeped, and he stepped back away from the crowd to answer it.
“Deputy Cantrell.”
“Max, it’s Wyatt. We’ve got ourselves a bit of a situation. Where’s Stacy at?”
“She’s with Eric, why?” He instantly felt that sick feeling in his gut.
“Good. You get to the department as quick as you can. There’s this guy here who says that Barry Weiner was asking questions about you and your brother. The investigator called and said that Barry left town. They’re tracking him as we speak.”
“I’ll be right there. Should I get Stacy and Eric?”
“They should be fine as long as they’re together. This just came in a few minutes ago. Even if Barry were in Texas, he couldn’t have made it to Pearl from any airport. He would have to take a bus or rent a car. The investigators are on it.”
“I’m on my way,” Max stated then looked around to where he last saw Eric and Stacy.
They weren’t there, so he headed back to the department with a little peace of mind knowing that Barry wasn’t in town
and that the investigators were on top of it.
* * * *
Max stood there with his hand on his hips and one leaning on his holster as he, Wyatt, and Deputy Jones all listened to Investigator Pellot as he spoke over the phone speaker.
“So this is what we got so far. Mr. Weiner disappeared a few days ago. He used a private plane to get to Texas. From there he rented a car, so we believe he was en route or should have arrived in your town a day or two ago. There was a hotel booked in Turbank,” Pellot told them.
“Turbank is less than a half hour from here,” Max stated.
Wyatt and Kenny both looked at him with expressions that said they were just as concerned as he was.
“Further investigation has indicated he also chartered a boat. I got men securing that boat and its employees as we speak. It was stocked with food, weapons, and ammunition to last them weeks. We believe he was headed out of the country. He more than likely had the boat stocked as precaution for pirates. Our men are questioning the crew and getting the coordinates for a destination in the Caribbean.”
“Holy shit, he’s planning on coming here and taking Stacy out of the country?” Max asked.
Pellot released an uneasy breath.
“There’s no other way to put this, Deputy Cantrell. I understand that you have a relationship with Miss Porter, so I’m going to give you the common courtesy us law enforcement guys hold true in the brotherhood. He’s obsessed with her. From the materials we gathered in a secured cabinet in his office, it appears he’s been watching her for quite some time. We also were able to gather pictures and other documented evidence to prove he was involved in some of the other cases.”
“By other cases, do you mean the women who were raped and murdered? The ones who couldn’t testify?” Wyatt asked.
“Yes. We have plenty of evidence to prove that Barry Weiner is responsible for six of the eight murders,” Pellot responded.