His own advice echoed in his mind: “It’s not weak to admit the truth to the one you love.”

I’ll call her, he thought. As soon as I get home, I’ll call her.

But his day was interrupted when he reached the church grounds. Tami had regained consciousness, and local news crews had descended on the town, asking not only about Tami, but about the shooting at Faith’s Place. And Oliver saw the press release. They had a name and a picture of the missing gunman. That made him relax. In today’s digital media, that picture would be everywhere, and the man would be caught soon, he was sure of it.

Tess, Oliver learned, was in Shady Cove, where they’d found Blakely’s truck. It was late in the afternoon before Oliver actually entered his home. He hadn’t heard from Tess, and that bothered him. He picked up the phone to call her and then set it down. Better to do this in person. Oliver decided to drive to her house. Once there, he planned to pour his heart out and, hopefully with Tess, figure out their relationship once and for all.

Oliver showered and changed his clothes. When he checked his phone before leaving the house, he saw there was a message from Tess and his heart sang.

“Oh, Lord,” he breathed, “help us to make this right.”

He was just about to listen to the message Tess left when a knock at the door distracted him. Maybe it was her. He pulled the door open, smile dying when he saw a tall man wearing a dark suit standing on his porch.

“Pastor Macpherson?”

“Yes.”

The man held up an ID card. Oliver saw FBI before the man quickly put the ID back in his pocket. “I’m Special Agent Ferguson. Agent Bass sent me to investigate the shooting yesterday. I was told that you helped find a safe place for Roberta.”

–––

Tess arrived back home at dinnertime, still tired from the day before. She planned on making a bite to eat and filing her reports at home. It was frustrating that they now knew who their suspect was, but they couldn’t find him. But his picture was everywhere. Steve had sent out an urgent BOLO, highlighting the fact that this guy was armed and dangerous, so it would just be a matter of time.

Her phone rang as she climbed out of the SUV.

“Steve, tell me you caught him.”

“Well . . .”

Tess stopped at her front door. “You found him?”

“I was called out to assist Medford PD at the airport Marriott. Guy fell down the stairs, looks like he broke his neck. They found an ID in his pocket, California DL, issued to Jim Smith.”

Tess stood stock-still at her front door. “Our gunman died falling down the stairs?”