Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Laura Scott (speed reading book .txt) 📖

Terry looked at Georgia, and his hands went up in surrender. “I never killed or hurt anyone. I admit I heard about your podcast from a loan officer at my bank—Tricia Candor. Ask her. She told me, and I listened to it and told Duncan. I suspected it was about Jared, but Duncan knew it was, and he knew it was you, Georgia. Said you mentioned something about truth rising in an ocean or something. Said you said the exact same thing to him when you were questioning people about Jared’s death in high school. We hoped it wouldn’t amount to anything, and then you got attacked and we figured...”

Figured someone else would take care of it and they could sit pretty. Vultures.

“I said, ‘My mama used to tell me that time will lift the truth to the surface and it’ll bob in the water of lies for all to see.’ Like it is right now.”

But who else knew it was Georgia? Anyone who knew that she used that phrase. Or Duncan had attacked Georgia and kept it from Terry. Or Terry was flat-out lying.

“Did Dandy come around with questions?” Colt asked.

“She did. Came asking Duncan and me questions about Pine Road. We talked about what to do and if bribing her might work, but then she died in a carjacking.”

“Convenient,” Georgia spewed. “It’s all too convenient.”

“What about Harry Benard? Miss Thompson and Miss Burgess both said he came to them about playing for the Cougars. Why is he dead?”

“How would I know? Harry never liked the recruiting. Felt it was unfair. We were glad to see him go, but he knew not to say a word because he’d caved and done the dirty work with the Burgess and Thompson boys. Needed the money.” Harry had taken money. Did the deed. Felt bad and when the Tigers coaching position opened up, he transferred.

“And he conveniently died before we could question him. Again, I’m saying it.” Georgia folded her arms over her chest, fire in her eyes. “Come clean, Terry. This is ridiculous.”

“I am coming clean. I’m going to lose my bank position by admitting the truth about Pine Road.”

“No,” Colt said. “We busted you out on that. Sit tight.” He signaled Georgia to follow him out, and the team rallied. “With the fraud charges, we have enough to get a warrant to search his home for guns and knives.”

“On it,” Poppy said and disappeared.

“We also have enough to bring in Duncan Flanigan.”

Rhett nodded. “Already took the liberty of asking him to come in and answer a few questions about Harry Benard—whom we suspect of recruiting athletes. He was more than happy to throw Benard under the bus.”

Little did he know. “Good. We need to see what’s on this SD card, figure out why Alice had her prints on Jared’s watch and if she’s involved. Mae, can you find a camera or a computer to fit this brand of SD card?” He showed it to her, and she took a picture of it.

“On it.”

Poppy rounded the corner. “Coach Duncan Flanigan is here.”

Inside the interview room, Coach met Colt’s eyes with smugness. This guy actually believed he was getting off scot-free and Harry Benard was going to go down for it all. “Whatever I can do to help you in regards to Harry, let me know.”

“We’ll get to Harry. Let’s start with your attack on Georgia after Terry Helms informed you of her podcast. You recognized her truth-and-lies phrase. Told Terry you knew it was her.”

“All true, except I didn’t attack her.”

“No? Okay.” He was going to stick to his guns. For now. “We know about Pine Road. We had parents confirm. Former athletes.”

Coach’s bravado faltered, but he held his resolve.

“See, Terry is in a room across the hall, and he’s already given it up.” He laid it all out, letting it sink in. Coach balled a fist, and a vein bulged in his neck. “It won’t be long before those boys have to go back to their right district.” Time to hit him where it would hurt most. “And your career as a cheater—it’s over.”

“I didn’t cheat.” He leaned forward, obviously hating that label. “I recruited good players. I gave them an education and a shot at the NFL. I put this town on the map. It’d be nothing without me.” His pride was almost tangible.

“You are a cheater and liar, and you don’t deserve a single title. You didn’t grow boys into the best—you stole the best to make yourself look good.”

A vein popped in Coach’s forehead as his face turned murderous. His pride wouldn’t let him keep silent. Colt had seen it one too many times.

Georgia intervened. “What will the town think when they find out that their state championships were built on everything false—that some of the best players had to be brought in under the table?”

“You shut your mouth, girlie!” Coach slammed his hands on the table. “I’ll tell you what I told Dandy Martin. If you’d keep your mouth shut, things would keep going well. You and she are going to wreck these boys’ dreams. But she wouldn’t listen, either.”

Colt jumped in. “And you had to shut Dandy up like you tried to shut up Georgia.”

“You’re right I did!” He blurted his admission of guilt without even realizing it, like a play right out of Jack Nicholson’s book in A Few Good Men. But Colt wasn’t shocked at his admission. He’d been expecting it.

Coach went on ranting. “People like you jump in and stick your noses where they don’t belong. No one was hurting you.”

“Until you hurt me!”

Suddenly, the fact he’d admitted guilt hit him and he sank in his chair. Defeated. Outed.

“You killed Dandy for poking around. Thought it was all over. But then Georgia got her notes and started connecting dots and went live on her podcast. She was going to find you, and you attacked her, hoping to shut her up permanently, but I showed up.