“Who are you?” she demanded in a raspy, two-pack-a-day voice.
“Ma’am, my name’s Reese Tavoularis. I’m with Sniper 1 Security.” He held his credentials up to the security hole in the door. “I would just like to ask you a couple of questions.”
“Does your dog bite?” she shouted back.
“No, ma’am.” Reese glanced down at Tesha. “Her name’s Tesha.”
“How do I know you’re who you say you are?”
He understood her reluctance, despite the fact they could’ve been done by now.
“Ma’am, my team’s workin’ with Sheriff Starr. If you’d like to call him, I’ll be more than happy to wait.”
As though that was the trigger, he heard the deadbolt release, then the door slowly opened.
“I’ve got a shotgun,” she said wearily, keeping the door mostly closed.
“I mean you no harm, ma’am.” He held up the credentials again so she could see them more clearly, then held up his phone to show her a picture of Ava March. “Have you seen this woman?”
Gloria leaned closer to the screen, squinting. “No. Who is she?”
“Her name’s Ava March. She’s been missing for a few days. We believe she was in this area.”
“And why d’ya think she’d be here?”
“I don’t, ma’am. I’m askin’ if you’ve seen her. We believe someone was tryin’ to hurt her, might’ve left her out near County Road 126.”
“Haven’t seen her,” she stated, her tone a bit cooler than before. “Then again, I don’t get out much these days. Haven’t even been to town in…” She glanced up as though thinking. “Well, it ain’t been for ’bout a month, I guess. Gonna have to get out there, stock up on some food if this cold snap is comin’ in.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He pulled a card from his pocket. “Well, thank you for your time. If you happen to hear anything or see anything, would you mind givin’ me a call?”
Reese tucked the card in the edge of the wood so she could get it when he left.
When she didn’t say anything more, Reese turned and headed back to his truck. He paused when Tesha nosed around one of the scraggly bushes that had probably been part of a nice landscape design once upon a time.
“Come on, girl,” he told her, hoping she wasn’t about to do her business while Gloria watched.
Tesha sat, stared up at him expectantly.
Frowning, Reese nodded toward the truck. “Come on. Let’s check in with Brantley. See if he’s fared better than we have.”
That perked her right up, had her bounding toward the truck.
“What d’ya say we stop by one more before we head back to town?” Reese asked, feeling guilty that he’d promised her they’d meet up with Brantley.
Tesha’s response was a single bark, her tongue lolling out of her mouth as she stared over at him.
Reese chuckled, rubbed her head affectionately. “I missed you, girl.”
The next house they came to was owned by Rafael Sanchez. According to the notes he’d been given, Rafael was a father to four grown children and two grandchildren and spent his days farming the fifteen acres of land he’d bought forty-something years ago.
Reese pulled up to the big white farmhouse that reminded him of Curtis and Lorrie’s spread in Coyote Ridge. It looked as though the house had received a fresh coat of paint in recent years, the shutters on the front painted deep hunter green, the floorboards of the porch were the same dark red as the front door. And the plants in the front had been replaced recently, the flowers beginning to bloom as spring grew near.
He took the steps up to the house, knocked on the door, then moved back.
No one answered, but he could’ve sworn he saw the curtains move in the big window overlooking the front porch.
“Mr. Sanchez? My name’s Reese Tavoularis; I’m with Sniper 1 Security.”
