Final Resort by Dana Mentink

Author:Dana Mentink
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin (UK) Ltd
Published: 2012-08-22T04:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

Ava watched the color drain from Goren’s face. This was the man who had killed her uncle? This quiet, unassuming jeweler whom she had felt sorry for a moment before?

Goren sank down into the chair. “This is not happening. It cannot be happening.”

Ava felt Luca’s arm circle her shoulders, the fingers squeezing some reality back into her body. Just listen, the touch seemed to say. We’ll sort it all out. She took comfort in the gesture as all eyes turned to stare at Goren, who was now visibly shaking.

“It’s mine,” he whispered.

Towers adjusted the cuff of his jacket. “The Taser is yours, yes. We have the purchase information. Mr. Goren, did you abduct Miss Stanton’s uncle?”

Goren jerked and looked at Towers. “No. The Taser was stolen from my shop.”

“There’s no police report to that effect.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t realize it was gone until later, but there was a break-in. You’ve got it on your records.”

Towers nodded. “You called in a burglary a few days ago. We sent an officer to take a report. Broken glass on the outside door. No major damage inside. The place was rifled, you said, but none of the jewelry was taken, just some petty cash from the register.”

“And my Taser,” he moaned. “I never should have gotten that thing in the first place, but Paul said...”

“What?” Ava snapped. “What did he say?”

“When he came to me for money to help him buy the storage unit, he said that the contents had to be kept safe, that people would kill for it. He was convinced we were getting our hands on something priceless.” Goren snorted. “Of course, he never trusted me to keep the treasure here anyway. I never even got to lay eyes on the contents. He kept it himself, except for a few pieces that he showed me.”

Ava exchanged a look with Luca. Hidden under the trailer until he or someone else moved it.

The red-spattered jacket came to mind again. Ava was sure if Paul was going to hide something, he would do it right here, at Whisper Mountain. She pulled her attention back to Towers.

“To be clear, Mr. Goren, you believe whoever broke into your store took the Taser and used it to abduct Paul.”

Goren nodded.

“And you didn’t call us later on to tell us your Taser had been taken?”

“I didn’t see the point,” Goren said. “I figured it was gone and got myself an old shotgun for protection instead.”

“Do you know what troubles me?” Towers said. “Why go to the effort of an abduction in broad daylight? With the potential for witnesses? Why the urgency?”

Ava thought for a moment. “Because the abductor found out Uncle Paul was meeting me, and the secret would be out of the bag.” Her stomach twisted. “So whoever it was knew Paul well, knew he was going to meet me at Melody Lake.”

Sue shook her head. “He didn’t say anything while he was here about going to meet you. I didn’t even know you were in town until I heard about what happened to Paul.

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