“Special Agent Livingstone.” Shane introduced himself and eased Yael to the ground as the patrol cop looked him up and down dubiously. He fished out his creds. The guy’s eyes widened in surprise when he realized Shane wasn’t kidding. “This here is the homeowner.”

“You’re unharmed?” the uniform asked in surprise.

Yael nodded and Shane bit down on his desire to argue with her. Her feet were cut up pretty bad and she was shaken and obviously terrified. He didn’t consider that “unharmed.”

But at least she wasn’t dead.

Reality at how close she’d come to dying tonight hit him all over again.

“Good to see you survived. Did you know the shooter?” the cop asked.

Yael flinched and shook her head.

The man they’d assumed was Evi1Geni-us was currently handcuffed to an ICU bed in Charlotte, North Carolina. Who was this attacker? Or did the FBI have it wrong?

“The FBI will be taking over this case, Officer, but we’d appreciate your help securing the perimeter while we work the scene.”

“No problem. Couple of other agents arrived the same time as I did. They already checked inside but the suspect had fled. They went out the back to see if they could track him. Called for a K9 unit. It’s a mess in there. Glass everywhere.” The uniform went to the trunk of his patrol car and handed them all latex gloves and paper booties. Then he eyed Yael’s socked feet. “Want some shoes…? I have some sneakers in the back of the patrol car.”

Yael shook her head, her dark hair fanning her shoulders. She pointed into the garage. “Can I grab the shoes I use for yard work?”

On one of the shelves near Myrtle was a pair of rainbow Crocs.

Shane exchanged a glance with the other men who nodded. There was no reason to believe the suspect had rummaged around in the garage. The patrol officer went and fetched the rubber shoes and Shane bent to help Yael place the paper covers over the top of the ensemble. As he squatted down, he spied Kevin Karvo’s house, the For Sale sign swinging in the wind, every window dark.

When they were all appropriately clothed, Alex led the way inside and Shane held Yael’s hand, trying to infuse support and the feeling of safety into her. Slugs and bullet casings littered the garage floor and her home. They were careful to avoid treading on them, and also on the blood smearing the tile floor near the door.

Shane forced his mind away from so many murder scenes he’d attended as a case agent where bloodstains like these had usually been associated with a corpse.

The idea it could have been Yael, tonight, gutted him.

He should have been here. They’d obviously made a mistake somehow. Either Evi1Geni-us had an accomplice or they’d arrested the wrong guy in Charlotte.