“It sure is. It’s a police-issue nine-millimeter Smith and Wesson,” he answered, drawing the revolver from its holster. Lucy eyed the gun distrustfully. “Don’t worry, Lucy. I made sure the safety’s on.”

Culpepper held the gun out in the flat of his hand for the boys to admire, then twirled it around his finger a few times before replacing it at his side.

“What else have I got in my belt? This here’s my walkie-talkie. We use this when we’re working in a team—say, for the Fourth of July parade or a search. A situation like that.” He held up the instrument for the boys to see and then stowed it in his belt.

“I tell you, this belt gets heavy. At the end of the day I’m sure glad to take it off. Now these,” he said, “these are handcuffs. Who’ll volunteer?”

All the boys stuck out their hands, but Culpepper picked his son, Eddie, and clapped the cuffs on him. “Now, see if you can get loose,” he challenged. The boys gave Eddie all sorts of advice, but no matter how he twisted and turned the cuffs held fast.

“Okay, I’ll unlock him. I’ve got the key right here.”

A sudden burst of sound from the radio in the cruiser caught Culpepper’s attention as he unlocked the cuffs. “I have to answer that. Want to see how the radio works?”

The boys all followed him over to the black-and-white vehicle. Lucy remained leaning against Indian Rock, overwhelmed by a sudden sense of recognition. She’d heard that sound before. But when? Not in the course of daily life; she’d heard it in connection with something major. How else could she explain the uneasy feeling that threatened to overwhelm her? She followed the boys over to the cruiser and tried to remember if she’d seen a police cruiser at her father’s funeral. Death. She knew the sound meant death.

This is ridiculous, she thought to herself, and then she remembered. She’d been standing in the doorway at Country Cousins watching the snow fall. She’d stepped inside and closed the door. Then, she’d heard a sound. Because of the sound she’d gone out and found Sam Miller. And it wasn’t a dog barking, she now realized with horror. It had been the crackle of a police radio. She was sure. That meant a police cruiser had been in the Country Cousins lot when Sam Miller was dying. Had it been Culpepper’s?