Tess considered Harp and the crime scene the deputies would handle. The woman was amped up again. It was obvious she’d fired her weapon to protect herself and everyone else in the house. But while everything pointed to self-defense, Tess knew the need for a thorough investigation had not lessened at all. She’d collected Harp’s shotgun, reminiscent of the shotguns Tess had been issued in Long Beach, with a folding stock. And the woman had turned over the hunting rifle and a handgun that she’d also brought to the shelter. It was clear she’d been expecting trouble at Faith’s Place. What else had she hacked? As for all the ammunition, she said that she’d just wanted to be prepared.

Steve went on to ask Harp to describe what happened, to walk him through how many times Harp had fired her weapon and how the dead guy became dead.

According to Harp, she’d fired a total of eight shotgun rounds, three into the dead guy and five at the guy who fled.

“I’m sure I hit him close to dead-on, from about thirty-five feet away. And then again with a couple of pellets. He might not be hurt bad, but he’s hurt.”

“Did you get a good look at him?”

“Not his face, no. He’s tall, taller than me for sure, and he was wearing jeans and a brown leather jacket. He had a handgun and I think he fired at us at least three times, maybe four.”

Tess wished Harp had gotten a better look at the man, but a clothing description was helpful. Her attention was drawn outside as more personnel arrived, including a search and rescue dog and Victor Camus.

“Everyone is here for the search,” she told Steve. “We’ll get going ASAP. I’m switching radio channels.”

He nodded and switched his radio to the channel she selected. This would allow them to communicate without disrupting or being disrupted by routine radio traffic.

“Good hunting,” Steve said. “Be careful.”

“Thank you, will do.” Tess nodded to Steve.

Livie Harp started for the door as well, but Steve stopped her. “Hang on. Where do you think you’re going?”

“Joining the search.”

“No,” Tess and Steve spoke simultaneously.

Tess nodded sheepishly and let Steve handle it while she continued outside to get the search going. She heard him explain to Harp that the search was a law enforcement issue. Besides the fact that she’d just shot and killed a man and needed to give a recorded statement, her place was not on the search team.

Harp’s answer was lost to her hearing as Gabe Bender approached.

“I filled everyone in,” Gabe told her. He pointed to the side of the house. “We’re over here, discussing the terrain. And we found some blood, so the guy is hit. No way to know how badly he’s hurt.”