Payne glares at Glock. “She assaulted me! She can’t do that! I’m a fuckin’ law-abiding citizen!”

At the door, Tomasetti stops dragging me. But he doesn’t release me. His fingers slide down to my biceps and he gives me a shake. “Pull yourself together,” he growls.

I can hear myself breathing hard. In the back of my mind, I know I screwed up. I acted like some hotheaded rookie. I broke one of the cardinal rules of police work and hit a suspect without cause. The anger pulsing inside me doesn’t give a damn.

Payne jams a finger at me. “You fuckin’ cops are all the same. A bunch of fascist pigs. I ought to sue you.”

Tomasetti sighs. “I didn’t see her do anything wrong.” He looks at Glock. “Did you?”

Glock shakes his head. “I saw Payne go after her.”

Payne’s face turns deep red. “I’m glad those Amish freaks are dead! Serves them right for being a bunch of hypocritical, incestuous bastards! How’s that, bitch?”

My vision tunnels on Payne’s face. I can almost feel my hands closing around his throat. My heart knocks so hard against my ribcage my chest hurts. I think of those dead kids, and I want to strangle him with my bare hands.

“Kate.” Tomasetti’s fingers squeeze my biceps. “Let it go.”

I thrust a finger at Payne. “Don’t leave town.”

“Or what? What are you going to do about it? Hit me? Your days as a cop are numbered, bitch.”

John pushes me toward the door. I dig in my heels, but he muscles me across the threshold and onto the sidewalk. “Cut it out,” he snaps.

“Get your hands off me.” I try to sound calm, but my voice shakes. “I mean it.”

Glock pauses in the doorway, looks at Payne, and points at the painting. “That shit you call art sucks, man.”

From inside, I hear Payne break into wild laughter.

No one speaks as John, Glock and I traverse the neighbor’s yard. We reach the Explorer, and I yank my keys from my pocket.

“Can’t take you anywhere, can we?” Tomasetti mutters.

“Can the lecture,” I say tightly.

“What the hell were you thinking?”

I say nothing as I slide behind the wheel. The truth of the matter is I can’t defend what I did. Payne baited me, and I hit on it like a bass on a lure.

Tomasetti glares at me. “You know better than to—”

“You didn’t see those dead kids.” I crank the key. “You didn’t see those girls.”

He slides into the passenger seat and slams the door. “You let him provoke you.”

“That’s hypocritical as hell coming from you.”

“You played right into his hands. If he wants to push the issue, he can cause problems.”