“Me and Carter?” Jo grinned widely. “Oh, heavens no. I’ve had one woman chaser in my life, and I learn real fast. He’s a great guy but I’d really like to find someone outside of law enforcement.”
Raven nodded and stared back at the house. The long pathway ended in a small log cabin. Like all the others, it resembled a frosted gingerbread house, but this one didn’t have any Christmas decorations or lights evident. He scanned the windows searching for a twitch of the curtain or any signs of life. No dog barked. “It looks deserted. Just be careful.”
“That’s my middle name.” Jo unzipped her jacket to access her weapon and nodded to him as they stepped onto the porch.
They both slid to either side before Raven knocked hard. “Sheriff’s department.”
Boom.
The front door exploded, sending chunks of wood splinters and glass into the air. The debris scattered over the pristine white snow. Raven threw himself off the porch and onto the ground. He glanced over at Jo crawling carefully around the outside of the house. Rolling onto his stomach, he pulled his weapon and aimed it at the front door. He looked over at Jo. Glass fragments covered her woolen cap and she had a small cut under one eye that bled down over her cheek like a red teardrop. Her gun pointed at the front door and her hands weresteady. He gave her a nod and tapped his com. “This is Raven. Shots fired at number seven Fern.”
“This is Rio. We’re on our way.”
“This is Beth Katz. Give us details. Is anyone injured?”
Raven kept his attention fixed on the front door. “Shotgun blast through the front door. Jo has glass in her face but looks okay. No sign of the shooter.”
Listening intently for footsteps, Raven belly-crawled closer to the front door. “Sheriff’s department and the FBI. We just want to ask you a few questions. There is no need to draw down on us. We are no threat to you.”
“You need to obey the sign, boy.” A man’s gruff voice echoed along the hallway. “We have laws in this state about people invading our property without permission. I have every right to protect my property. It don’t matter if you’re cops or FBI. I know the law.”
“Sometimes a little bit of knowledge is a bad thing.” Jo’s voice came out clear and strong. “At no time could you have perceived that we were a threat to you. It’s clear that we’re law enforcement officers, and we announced ourselves. We didn’t have weapons drawn or pose any threat to you. Using excessive force in this case would put you in the wrong. Adding the fact that you have injured a federal officer could mean that you could face criminal charges. No judge would believe that blasting a hole in your front door after we knocked wasn’t excessive force. I would suggest that you put your weapon down and come to speak to us in a reasonable manner.” She sighed. “We know you were at the school over the time that Ellie McBride was murdered. We want to know if you saw anyone hanging around or noticed any footprints in the snow while you were working. We’re looking for witnesses, is all.”
Sirens and flashing lights announced the arrival of Rio and Beth Katz. Raven moved slowly to the side of the house as Rio and Beth jumped from the vehicle and spread out coming infrom both sides through the trees. “Mr. Jones, put down your weapon and come to the front door and speak to us.”
Footsteps echoed along the hallway, and a burly man wearing a cowboy hat kicked open the door and surveyed the damage. He tipped back his hat and scratched his head, slightly bemused at what he’d done. Raven peered at him from around the edge of the house as Rio came up behind him. “Put your hands where I can see them and step out onto the porch.”
“I don’t have my shotgun.” Jones turned to look at him as Beth bounded round the side of the house, grabbed him by the hands, and cuffed him. “What are you doing that for? I did what you asked me to do.”
“I’m just making sure you haven’t got a weapon tucked into your pants.” Beth patted him down and peered around him to look at Raven. He’s clean. You’re a doctor, aren’t you? Maybe you should take care of your partner?”
“It’s a scratch, I’m fine. Raven can pull out the splinter of glass when we get back to the office.” Jo raised a brow and glared at Beth. “I’d rather get the interview over and get out of the cold.”
“Well, I figure this guy needs a few days in the sheriff’s jail to think over why he tried to kill law enforcement officers.” Beth stood her ground. “Castle law isn’t an excuse in this case.”
“I was protecting my property, is all.” Jones gave Raven a pleading stare. “Get her off me. I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
Raven noticed the flash of amusement in Beth’s eyes as she peered at him over Jones’ shoulder. He holstered his weapon and noticed that Jo had done the same. “Okay.” He indicated toward Jo. “It will be up to Agent Wells if she intends to press charges against you.” He read him his rights. “I will also add here that it is an offense to lie to a federal officer.”
“I understand.” Jones looked from one to the other. “I’llcooperate. Can you remove the cuffs and step inside? It’s freezing out here.”
Rio, being Raven’s superior, turned to look at him. He figured he had the situation under control but Rio was a stickler for the rules. “I want to make sure you have no further surprises for us first and then we’ll interview you inside.”
“We’ll clear the house.” Rio looked at Jones. “It will be in your best interest to tell me if anyone is waiting inside.”
“Nope.” Jones stared at his feet. “I’m all on my lonesome since my wife left me. She took my dog too.”
As Rio and Beth disappeared down the hallway, Raven took in Jones’ unkempt appearance. “Do you have anything you can use to replace the door?”
“I’ll cover it with something and go to the reclamation yard.” Jones kicked away a fragment of wood from the porch. “There’ll be something I can use down there. Doors are pretty standard and I’m good at fixing things.”
Moments later, Rio and Beth came out. Rio shook his head but it was evident that he had something to say. As Beth removed Jones’ cuffs, Rio tilted his head toward Raven.
“Can I have a word?” Rio stepped off the porch and walked into the snow. “The inside of that place should be condemned. I understand the guy has divorced his wife but he’s living in squalor. Maybe it would be healthier for you to interview him out here. You have everything under control. We’ll get back to it.”
Nodding, Raven waited for them to return to their truck. He went to the porch, taking out his notebook. “We’ll talk out here.” He thought through his questions. “We’re looking for information on the recent deaths of Ellie McBride and Laney Prescott. Do you know either of the victims personally?”
“I know the victims by sight. Ms. McBride is one of the teachers at the school and Ms. Prescott is a social worker. I would have seen them frequently during my work. I might haveinteracted with them on occasion and would have been introduced to them when I started working in their buildings. It was the normal thing to do, so they would recognize me as a member of the staff rather than someone who just wandered in.”
