Page 70 of More Than Anything

All he wanted was Lydia.

He was a little surprised when he heard Jason call up the stairs, “Avery? Come down here. Somebody wants to talk to you.”

When he pulled on his jeans and a tee and almost crawled down the stairs, he was surprised to find the sheriff standing just inside the door. “Mr.Holcomb?”

“Yes, sir. I’m AveryHolcomb. What’s going on?”

“We need to sit down and talk. Mind if I have a seat?” When Avery swept an arm toward the sofa, the big man sat, leaned with his forearms on his thighs, and clasped his hands together. Avery sat and waited, wondering what in the world was going on, but he couldn’t have been prepared for what the lawman was about to say. “I needed to tell you I got a little visit from a guy name AnselGrey. Know him?” Avery shook his head. “Well, he knows you, or at least who you are. He stopped by the station to tell me a very interesting story.”

“Yeah? What’s this got to do with me?” Avery asked, stumped by the whole thing.

“It seems someone approached him and offered him money to kill you.”

Avery’s eyes went wide and in the background he heard Jason whisper, “Shannon.”

The sheriff looked toward Jason. “Would this Shannon happen to be a redhead?”

“That bitch,” Avery muttered. “She tried to get a guy to kill me?”

Jason rushed across the room, sat down, and looked back and forth between them. “Don’t you see? If she kills you, there’s no bigamy charge.”

The sheriff turned to Avery. “You got an insurance policy?”

The very breath caught in Avery’s chest. “Yeah. A million. And if she knows I have my trust fund money, as of right now, it would legally revert to her if I died.”

The sheriff perked up. “So you’ve got money?”

“Yeah. Even with the purchase of the farm and cattle and all the renovations, I’ve got about two and a half million dollars,” Avery said in way of explanation. “She ran through my brother’s money and then the company’s money,” Avery said in a near whisper as he stared at Jason. “She’s come for my money, all right, and as usual she doesn’t give a damn about me.”

“Do you know where she is?” the sheriff asked.

Both men shook their heads. “No,” Avery told him, alarm spreading through his body. Shannon was trying to have him killed. If this guy didn’t deliver, she’d find someone else. Matter of fact, if he had to bet, he’d wager she was looking at that very moment. “Is she not at the bed and breakfast?”

“Nope. Checked out of there. She could be anywhere. What tripped her trigger, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Avery spent fifteen minutes telling the sheriff all about Shannon and the whole mess, with Jason throwing in a detail or two occasionally, until the sheriff’s phone rang. “I’ve got to take this. I’ll be right back.” He stepped out onto the porch and left Avery and Jason sitting there.

“I don’t believe this,” Jason whispered.

“Why? I’ve known for a good while that Shannon’s totally insane, and this just proves me right,” Avery told him without hesitation. “She won’t give up either.”

The sheriff opened the door and stuck his head in. “I’ve got another call, but stay on the lookout. And you,” he said to Avery. “Don’t be alone if you can help it.”

Avery stood and extended a hand to the man. “Thanks, sir. I’ll take that under advisement.” He watched as the sheriff left in his cruiser, then turned back to Jason. “I guess this couldn’t be a bigger mess.”

“No. I don’t think it could,” his friend agreed.

“I’m going to Lydia’s. I’ve got to talk to her.” Avery grabbed his ball cap and stuck it on his head. “I’ll be back in just a little while.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jason offered.

“No! It’s broad daylight. I’m going by myself. I’ll be back in just a bit.” As soon as the words left his lips, he thought,Well, at least I hope I make it back.

Driving into town, he was lost in thought, his truck seeming to know it’s way there. He pulled up to Lydia’s apartment building and found her car sitting right out front. Knocking on the door, he waited, and finally she opened the door a crack. “Hi, Avery.”

“Baby, I really need to talk to you. It’s important.”

Lydia opened the door a little wider, then her eyes went round. “God, you look awful!”

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