There was a dark side of +P hollowpoints, Hammer thought. The objective of their design was for the lead projectile to expand and rip through tissue like a Roto-Rooter. Rarely did the bullets exit, and there was no telling how much lead was scattered through Seth’s formidable lower region. Brazil was listening to all this, wondering if the chief would ever get around to calling the police.

“Chief Hammer,” Brazil finally felt compelled to speak. “I don’t guess you’ve called this in?”

“Oh dear.” It hadn’t even occurred to her. “You’re absolutely right. I guess a report has to be taken.” She began pacing as the reality hit. “Oh no, oh no. That’s all I need! So now I get to hear about this on TV, the radio. In your paper. This is awful. Do you realize how many people will enjoy this?” She envisioned Cahoon sitting in his crown, laughing as he read about it.

POLICE CHIEF’S HUSBAND SHOOTS SELF RUSSIAN ROULETTE SUSPECTED

No one would be fooled, not for a minute. A depressed, unemployed, obese husband in bed with his wife’s .38 loaded with only one cartridge? Every cop who worked for Hammer would know that her husband had been flirting with suicide. All would know that there were serious problems in her house. Some would even suspect that she had shot her husband and knew exactly how to get away with it. Maybe it wasn’t his left buttock she had been aiming at, either. Maybe he had turned around just in the nick of time. Hammer went into the kitchen and reached for the phone.

There was simply no way she was dialing 911 and having the call broadcast to every cop, paramedic, reporter, and person who owned a scanner in the region. She got the duty captain on the line. It happened to be Horgess. He was fiercely loyal to his boss, but not especially quick-thinking or known for shrewd judgment.

“Horgess,” she said. “I need an officer over to my house ASAP to take a report. There’s been an accident.”

“Oh no!” Horgess was upset. If anything ever happened to his chief, he’d answer directly to Goode. “Are you all right?”

She paced. “My husband’s at Carolinas Medical. I’m afraid he had an accident with a handgun. He should be fine.”

Horgess immediately grabbed his upright portable radio. He ten-fived David One unit 538, a rookie too scared to do anything other than what she was told. This decision would have been good had Horgess not failed to overlook the reason Hammer had called him, the duty captain, directly.

“Need you over there now to take an accidental shooting report,” Horgess excitedly said into his radio.

“Ten-four,” Unit 538 came back. “Any injuries?”

“Ten-four. Subject en route to Carolinas Medical.”

Every officer on duty, and some who weren’t, and anyone else with a scanner, heard every word of the broadcast. Most assumed Chief Hammer had been accidentally shot, meaning Jeannie Goode this very instant was the acting chief. Nothing could have sent the force into more of a panic. Hammer had a base radio station in her kitchen and it was on.