He grunts as if it’s business as usual for a seventy-six-year-old to be a cop. “Any word on who took a shot at you?” he asks.

“No.” I hand him the mug shot of a grinning Nick Kester. “We’re looking for this guy, though.”

“Nice teeth,” he mutters, passing it to Glock.

“For a meth head,” Glock puts in.

I bring the briefing to order. “Nick Kester is a person of interest,” I tell my team. “BOLO went out a few hours ago, but so far he’s slipping through the cracks. Sheriff’s office is running the investigation, but SHP as well as Coshocton and Wayne Counties are actively involved, too.”

“Anything on the slug?” T.J. asks.

“It’s a .22 cal,” I reply. “Judging from the distance of the shot, probably from a rifle. Working in conjunction with the SO, we executed a warrant and searched the home of Kester’s father-in-law, but it didn’t produce a rifle or anything else of interest.”

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it with him,” Glock says.

“Holmes County has stepped up patrols,” Skid announces.

I nod, but I’d already known that was the case. When someone takes a shot at a police officer, it’s serious business. Every cop in every jurisdiction in the three-county area is champing at the bit to find him.

I take my place behind the half podium set up at the head of the table. “Until this shooter is apprehended, I want everyone in vests.” I look at Pickles. “That means school crosswalk patrol, too.”

He nods, looking a little too pleased at the prospect of vesting up.

I glance toward the door, where Lois is standing, listening for the phone. “Can you make sure we have inventory for that?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“If we don’t have enough vests for everyone, see if you can get whatever we need on loan from the sheriff’s office, Holmes or Wayne.”

“Gotcha.”

But all of us are well aware that a Kevlar vest won’t protect anyone from a head shot.

“We do not have proof that Kester is our shooter. But he is a suspect. He’s a known meth user and he’s made threats against me personally and the Painters Mill PD.” I pause. “I’m not going to get into the details, but you already know the Kesters have filed a lawsuit against me, the department, and the township of Painters Mill. That’s something to keep in mind.”

“So Kester’s a man on a mission,” Skid says.

“If this is about the kid, he might feel as if he has nothing left to lose,” Glock puts in.

“Wouldn’t be the first bozo wanting to go out in a blaze of glory,” Pickles says.