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Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR JANICE CANTORE
  3. Map of Rogue’s Hollow
  4. Dedication
  5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  6. Epigraph
  7. PROLOGUE
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. EPILOGUE
  62. 1
  63. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  64. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

“Like I said, he had an ID and paperwork that looked like the real deal,” Takano said. “You can see the ID; it fell in front of him.”

Tess walked to where the body lay. It was more outside than in, and it blocked the door completely. She noted the gun beside him—looked like a .45—and there, next to it, was what appeared to be a wallet ID. It had fallen open, and she knelt down to look at it, not wanting to move anything until Steve arrived. She could see a picture and a name, Joseph Turner. She couldn’t tell if the picture matched the face of the dead man. If it did, and it was a real ID, someone in Faith’s Place had killed a federal agent.

“It seemed so off that the marshals would suddenly step in like this,” Takano continued. “I called Bass but got his voice mail. I told the guy I had to wait for a call back. We got into it and then he slapped me, grabbed my arm, and threw me off the porch.”

“Where’s the paperwork?” Tess asked.

“I think it’s under him,” Bronwyn said.

“And the second guy, did he have identification as well?”

“No, he never said anything. He stood by the car. I saw him start forward after I got thrown off the porch—that’s when the big guy kicked the door in.” She winced and repositioned herself. “After I got thrown, I had a hard time drawing my weapon with my off hand.”

Bronwyn picked up the story. “When the door got kicked in, we were ready. I think the first two shotgun blasts hit his chest, but nothing happened. He must have a vest on. But the next one hit him in the face. He went down hard.”

Tess could see some pockmarks around the door that indicated a shotgun blast loaded with double-aught buck, besides the fact that the dead guy’s face was destroyed. The doorframe was also a mess, corroborating Bronwyn’s statement that the door had been kicked in. And the long horns, usually over the door, were now on the porch, next to the body.

“Did you shoot him?”

“No. I was in the kitchen. I had my handgun ready in case the shotgun didn’t stop him.”

Tess turned to Takano.

Takano shook her head. “I was in the yard, trying to get a clear shot on the second guy.”

Tess frowned. “Harp shot him?”

She appeared in the doorway. “Yes, I shot him. It was self-defense. We’d all be dead if he’d gotten in the house.”

32

Ice ran for all he was worth. His chest was burning, and every breath was hard and agonizing, but he had to get to safety. He wasn’t used to being shot at—he’d always done the shooting.