In Silence

CHAPTER 41

Hunter watched Avery go. She had asked Matt to call her later. Why? To make certain he knew about the call on Trudy Pruitt's answering machine? Or because they were sleeping together?

"What was Avery doing here?"

Hunter faced his brother. "Nothing kinky. Unfortunately."

A muscle in his brother's jaw twitched. "Prick."

"So I've been called on more than one occasion." One corner of his mouth lifted. "This seems to be my morning for visitors. Lucky me."

Matt moved his gaze over him, taking in the fact he wore nothing but a pair of shorts, that he had obviously not been out of bed long. "What did she mean, about getting a straight answer out of you?"

Hunter leaned against the door frame, mug cradled between his palms. "I haven't a clue."

"Bullshit."

He lifted the mug to his lips, sipped. "Believe what you will. It's a free country."

"How free?"

"I don't follow."

"Maybe you're one of those Americans who believe your personal freedoms entitle you to trample on the freedoms of others? Maybe even take the law into your own hands? Or take a life?"

Hunter laughed. "I'm a lawyer. I uphold the law."

"Funny, that's what I do, too."

"What can I do for you, Matt?"

"I'm here on official business, Hunter."

"And here I'd thought you might be wanting a brotherly chat. I'm devastated."

Matt ignored his sarcasm. "May I come in?"

Wordlessly, he stepped away from the door. Matt entered the kitchen. He moved his gaze over the room, then brought it back to Hunter. "Where were you night before last? Between nine and ten-thirty?"

The night Trudy Pruitt was murdered.

Hunter folded his arms across his chest. "I was here. Working."

"Alone?"

"With Sarah."

"Sarah?"

Hunter nodded in the direction of the dog. "And her pups."

A look of annoyance passed over his brother's face. "You seem to spend an awful lot of time here, alone."

"I like it that way."

"You hear about Trudy Pruitt?"

"Yeah."

"You know the woman?"

"Nope. Not personally."

"Not personally. What does that mean?"

"I'd heard of her. I knew who she was. Who her kids were."

Hunter waited. This was where Matt would call Hunter a liar, challenge his story, throw up the message on the recorder. If he had checked Pruitt's answering machine.

And if he did, this was where Hunter would lawyer-up.

"Mind if I have a look around?"

Hunter laughed, the sound humorless. His brother and his crew of small-town constables had just flunked crime scene investigation 101. "Yeah, I mind. You want a look around, you get a search warrant."

"Expect it."

"Want to tell me why you're so interested in me?"

"You'll know soon enough."

"Right. You don't have dick. Go fish someplace else."

Matt shook his head. "For a lawyer, you're not very smart."

"And for a cop, you're not very observant."

"I don't have time for this." Matt made a sound of disgust and turned toward the door. "I'll see you when I've got that warrant."

"You'd love to pin this on me, wouldn't you, Matt? For a lot of different reasons, all of which have nothing to do with guilt or innocence."

His brother stopped. But didn't turn. "Name one."

"Avery."

The barb hit his mark, Hunter saw. His brother stiffened. Swung to face him. "Stay away from her. She's too good for you."

"At least we agree on something. A miracle."

"You're such an asshole. I can't believe you're my brother."

"Your twin," Hunter corrected. "Your other half."

Matt laughed, the sound tight. "We're nothing alike. I believe in family and community, hard work, loyalty."

"Just that I'm alive pisses you off, doesn't it?"

"Stay away from Avery."

"Why should I? She doesn't belong to you anymore. You let her go."

Matt flexed his fingers, longing, Hunter knew, to take a swing at him. How many times as kids had they argued, then come to blows, determined to beat the other senseless.

Even so, they had been a team then. Now, they were adversaries.

"What do you have to offer her?" Matt challenged. "Nothing. You're a broken-down drunk who-"

"A former drunk. There's a difference, brother." He took a step toward the other man. "Don't you see it? She and I are the same. We never fit in here. We never will."

Matt trembled with fury. This time it was he who took a step forward. "All these years, is this what it's been about, Hunter? Avery? Jealousy? Over what I am and what I had?"

"Had. You said it, Matt. No longer. You chose Cypress Springs over her."

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!"

Hunter closed the remaining distance between them. They stood nose to nose, his twin's fury, his lust for blood palpable. Hunter recognized it because the same emotion charged through him.

"Make me," Hunter said.

"You'd love that. You'd scream police brutality. Get my badge."

"I'm not built that way. Take a punch. It's on me."

His brother didn't move. Hunter knew exactly where to push, how. They'd grown up together, knew each other's strengths-and weaknesses. Ever so softly, he clucked.

"Afraid?" he taunted. "Chicken? Remember when we were kids? You wouldn't fight unless you knew you could win. Guess the big tough sheriff's not so tou-"

Matt's fist caught the side of Hunter's nose. Blood spurted. Pain ricocheted through his head, momentarily blinding him.

With a sound of fury, Hunter charged his brother. He caught him square in the chest, sending them both flying backward. Matt slammed into the refrigerator. From inside came the sound of items toppling.

"You son of a bitch!" Matt shoved him backward. "You have nothing to offer her! You threw away everything you ever had. Your family and community. Your career. Reputation. You're pathetic!"

"I'm pathetic? That's the difference between us, bro. The way I look at it, you threw away the only thing that really mattered."

Hunter twisted sideways, destabilizing the other man. They went down, taking the assortment of plates and glasses that had been drying on the rack by the sink with them. They crashed to the floor, the crockery raining down on them.

Hunter reared back, smashed his fist into his brother's face. Sarah barked, the sound high, frenzied. Matt grunted in pain; retaliated, catching Hunter in the side of his head.

Sarah's bark changed, deepened. She growled low in her throat.

The sound, what it meant, penetrated; Hunter glanced toward the circling dog. "Sarah!" he ordered. "Heel!"

Matt used the distraction to his advantage, forcing Hunter onto his back. Glass crunched beneath his bare shoulders. A hiss of pain ripped past his lips as the shards pierced his skin. Sarah made her move.

She leaped at Matt, teeth bared. In a quick move, Matt rolled sideways, unsheathed his weapon and aimed at the dog.

"No!" Hunter threw himself at Sarah, plowing into her side, knocking her out of harm's way. They landed in a heap; she whimpered in pain, then scrambled to all fours.

Hunter jumped to his feet, shaking with rage. "You're a maniac."

Matt eased to his feet, holstered his weapon. "It would have been self-defense. The bitch could have torn me apart."

"Get the hell out of here." Hunter wiped his bloody nose with the back of his hand, aware of blood running in rivulets down his back. "You're not worth it, Matt. Not anymore."

Expression impassive, Matt tucked in his shirt, smoothed back his hair. "Two was always too many, wasn't it, Hunter? Two of us, just alike?"

"That's bullshit." He crossed to the sink. Yanked a paper towel off the roll, soaked it in cold water, then looked back at the other man. "You're blind, Matt. You don't have a clue."

"You're the one who's blind. Blinded by jealousy. For me, my relationship with Mom and Dad. Because of Avery."

Hunter's gut tightened at the grain of truth. Matt had always been the leader of the two, the charismatic one, the one everybody gravitated to: girls, the other kids, teachers. Even their parents and Cherry.

"I always loved you," Hunter said softly. "No matter what. I was proud you were my brother."

"Now who's shoveling the shit?"

"You've got to open your eyes, Matt. When it comes to Dad, our family, this town, you don't see anything as it really is."

"Better being a blind man than a dead one."

"Is that a threat, Sheriff Stevens?"

Matt laughed. "I don't have to kill you, Hunter. You're already dead."