“Another good question. See, we had no evidence that you’d killed your stepfather when we brought you in for questioning on Saturday, but we don’t have any evidence that he did, either, except for your eyewitness account. Now, we believe you, but we can’t prove this guy has actually done anything. Nobody else has seen his face, and it’s not a crime to sit outside on a street.”

Michael stared at the man. “You’re going to let him go free?”

Deacon looked offended. “Of course not. But right now he’d be stupid to break into this house. There are too many of us here. So we’re sending a few of the people away. Stone will be going to the hospital, so Delores, Jeremy, and Keith have gone to be with him.”

“Who are Jeremy and Keith?”

“Oh, they may have arrived after you went to sleep. Jeremy is Marcus and Stone’s dad. Keith is his husband.” Deacon’s brow lifted, almost like he was challenging Michael to say something bad about that. But Michael wouldn’t. He was cool with it. One of his favorite male teachers at school had a husband.

“Okay,” Michael said. “That leaves the cops. And Marcus, Faith, and Greg.”

Deacon nodded. “Marcus is Stone’s brother. He needs to be at the hospital, too. Scarlett will go with him. I’m telling her it’s because Marcus needs her, but it turns out that she’s pregnant and Marcus won’t leave if she stays.”

That made sense. Michael had seen the protective way Marcus had hovered over his wife. “What about Faith and Greg?”

“Greg’s going with Marcus and Scarlett. Faith will stay here so that she can communicate with you if I’m busy. Outside of me, Dani, and Adam, Faith is the best signer of our group.”

“Busy,” Michael repeated. “That doesn’t mean ‘shot,’ does it?”

Deacon laughed. “No. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. And the scars. Plus, I’ve been out working on a case. I’m wearing a Kevlar vest.”

Working my case, Michael thought, but didn’t ask. Mentally he counted all the people who’d been in the house. “What about Kate and Decker?”

“Ah. This is where our plan comes in. We want him to think I’m the only one here with you guys, so Kate and Decker are going to pretend to leave. They’re going to drive away and park on the next street, then come back here. We want to catch him trying to come in.”

Fuck no. No way in hell. Michael lifted his chin. “And if he manages to?”

“We’ll take him down. But he won’t get in. Dani’s house is as secure as my own. I designed the security system myself.”

“And if he continues to just sit out there and be a creeper?”