“Can I ask what this is about?” he asked as he looked from Tara to Warren. “I don’t quite see why you need to come in. Anything you ask me inside, you can certainly ask here.”

Tara’s suspicion heightened. “Well, I suppose so,” she acknowledged, as she tried to sneakily peek in between the doorframe and where he stood holding the door ajar.

She could see his living room, dimly lit, and given the lack of furniture, it looked larger than she knew it actually was. All she could immediately see was a couch and side table. She assumed the TV and air conditioner, both emanating sound, were on the other side of the wall, blocked by his presence.

“Excuse me!” he snarled as he caught Tara’s gaze into his home.

He stepped closer to the doorframe, pulling the door with him and closing the gap. She immediately shot her eyes back toward him.

“My apologies, sir,” she replied. “We were informed that you used to volunteer for the Mid-Atlantic trail crew, is that correct?”

His face turned a shade of red as he nodded his head.

“And is there a reason why you stopped volunteering?” she asked, already partially knowing the answer.

He was quiet and opened his mouth to speak but hesitated before closing it again.

Tara continued. “We already know you’ve been caught hunting illegally, and of the altercation on the trail. We are just wondering why you stopped volunteering.”

His eyes widened at the mention as if surprised by the forwardness.

“We heard that the group was going to give you another chance, but you declined to volunteer again?”

He stepped a bit away from the door frame again and leaned onto the door, too preoccupied with his own worry and thoughts to notice his guard being let down.

“I…uh…I just didn’t want to go back,” he answered as he looked down to his feet.

Tara gazed into the home as he spoke, careful not to raise his suspicion and checked back once or twice while he was speaking to make sure he didn’t notice.

“I guess I was a bit embarrassed,” he added.

Tara could see deeper into the mobile home and just through the dimly lit living room. The kitchen was flooded with fluorescent lighting. On the white floor, she spotted splashes of a darker substance. Her heart picked up speed and she glanced back at him again. He picked up his head just at the turn of her eyes and she threw another question at him just to distract him once more.

“Have you been caught hunting illegally before?”

He grew even more anxious at her question and she saw the door vibrate slightly as his hand began to show his nerves. He placed it down beside him and let the door rest on his shoulder, opening it just a millimeter more.

“I…uh…” he began as he looked back down toward his feet once more.

Tara took the opportunity and peered into the kitchen behind him. She stared at the dark dried spots on the white floor that under the fluorescent light showed hints of dark red. She was then immediately aware of what it was—blood.