Page 92 of Statler

Eliza was in trouble.

“What do you want me to do, boss?” Jeremy questioned.

Statler could almost see the man’s tongue hanging out, salivating, like a dog going after a rabbit.

“Take care of her.” Flazer’s voice was cold.

What the…?

“The usual?” Jeremy responded with a nasty laugh.

“Yeah. You know what to do. And the coroner is still firmly in my pocket, so he’ll say whatever we need him to. Wait. Maybe…?”

There was a pause, and Statler held his breath.

“Maybe we should make this one look like a suicide, instead of a hunting mishap,” Flazer blatantly put forth. “There have been a few too many of those ‘accidentally shot by a buddy’ scenarios,” he chuckled.

Confirmation positive that not only Holden had been murdered, but others as well.

Son of a bitch.

“You know,” Flazer went on with a calculated whine in his voice. “She has been really depressed and keeping to herself since her husband died,” he prevaricated. “Who knew that she was spiraling so badly that she had to take her own life?”

“Nice. I like it,” Jeremy snickered.

The bastard actually snickered before continuing.

“I, uh, don’t suppose I could…amuse myself with her a little before putting a bullet in her head. I’ve always had a kind of a thing for her,” Jeremy added a bit more tentatively.

He was probably being a little cautious because Eliza was Flazer’s daughter. Not that he should have worried.

It was obvious there was no love lost between William and Eliza if the old prick was so casually planning her demise.

Statler clenched his teeth, waiting.

William wouldn’t let the asshole abuse his only offspring before killing her, would he?

Every muscle in Statler’s body stiffened, waiting for Flazer’s answer.

“Do what you want,” the man said dismissively. “But make it happen today. Break into her house, and when she comes in, grab her quietly.”

His voice showed no emotion, and Statler vowed, with ice saturating his soul, that he’d make the man hurt in the worst way before they brought him into custody.

“Wherever you take her when you’re finished having your…fun,” Flazer sniffed, “it needs to be remote. I don’t want anyone stumbling across her body until it’s time to ‘find her’. Just make sure that your actions don’t have her looking…disheveled. Remember, it needs to be a believable suicide.”

“Got it, Mr. Flazer,” Jeremy said, his excitement palpable.

As Statler silently fumed, he heard the men walking across the floor before the door opened, then closed.

“That’s it,” Sherbert said, shutting his device.

“Fucking bastards,” Blue growled, her face contorted with rage. “I’ll cut off their balls.”

“Not if I get to them, first,” Tonka snarled.

Statler agreed wholeheartedly, but as furious as he was, he still needed to keep a level head.

They needed to protect Eliza.