“I did.And they made him put a leash on his dog.And the asshole took it off a block later.”
“So, you followed him?”
Meadows’s eyes flicked left and right as though he was just realizing it was a mistake to admit that.He thrust his chin out again and decided to return to his bullheaded approach.“I did.You know how many people get mauled to death by wild dogs because their owners can’t figure out that you’re supposed to put a damned leash on your animal when they’re not secured within their residence?I was protecting people.”
“Hmm.Would you say the world is better off without a dangerous dog owner like Mark Patterson leaving his dogs off of the leash like that?”
Meadows laughed again, nervously rather than angrily.Faith was getting to him.“I know what you’re trying to do,” he said, shaking his finger through the crack in the door.“And I’m not going to allow it.I reported Iris Caldwell and Mark Patterson for not taking care of their dogs.That’s all.”
Faith nodded.“Do you report a lot of people, Mr.Meadows?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, the binoculars in the window were kind of interesting,” Faith said.“It’s kind of a stereotype that the nosy neighbor looking for trouble looks through his window with a pair of binoculars trying to catch his neighbors committing some sort of infraction.Is that you?”
Meadows’s lower lip trembled briefly.He recovered and lifted his chin.“I’m a concerned citizen,” he said haughtily.“It’s my right to ensure that the neighborhood I live in is free of vandals and criminals.”
“And if the police don’t do their job, someone has to, right?”
“No,” he said, chuckling nervously again.“No, see, you’re doing it again.I didnotkill them.I didn’t kill them.”
“Can you provide an alibi for your whereabouts this morning?”Faith asked.“Say, around six a.m.?”
Meadows blinked.“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“I’ll help you,” Faith replied.“Two innocent people are dead.I think you might have killed them.You have a recent history of confrontation with both of them, and you’ve been very aggressive with me during this contact.I’d like you to assuage my concerns by providing me an alibi that can prove you didn’t kill these victims.Otherwise, I’m going to take this to the next step.”
“What’s the next step?”
“Upgrading you from person of interest to suspect.”
“I thought you said I already was a suspect.”
Faith felt a flash of irritation.She hoped he was rattled enough that he would crack under pressure, but instead his shell was tightening.“Right now we’re just talking, Mr.Meadows.Pretty soon, we’re going to be doing more than that.”
Meadows eyes flicked to Turk, who watched him with a hard-eyed expression but wasn’t growling the way he would if he recognized Meadows’s scent from a crime scene.Considering the killer might have masked his scent that wasn’t proof he wasn’t there, but it left Faith with even less evidence to press the issue.
Meadows swallowed and looked at Faith.“It’s a free country.I don’t have to provide account of my movements to you.”
“A free country,” Faith repeated.“As long as your dog doesn’t bark, right?”
Meadows laughed and shifted his feet.“I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Do you own a gun, Mr.Meadows?”
She expected him to flinch or act nervous again, but instead, he glared at her and shouted, “No!It’s my God-given right to own a firearm, but the Second Amendment is one that I have not exercised.”
“Would you mind if we take a look around?”Faith asked.“Just to satisfy our curiosity.”
“Satisfy this!”Meadows snapped, shoving a finger through the door.
Turk bared his teeth and growled, and Meadows quickly withdrew his finger and slammed the door shut.Through the closed door, he called, “I didn’t kill those two, and I won’t allow you to search my property without a warrant signed by a judge!”
Faith’s lips pressed together hard enough to hurt, but there wasn’t anything she could do.There were occasions where she stepped outside of the boundaries of legal investigative practice when doing so helped her case, but this wasn’t one of those cases.She nodded and called through the door, “We’ll be back with that warrant, Mr.Meadows.”
“Go to Hell!”
She walked off the porch, calling Jessica through her radio.“Come on back to the car.It’s a no-go for now.”
