“Do you have a warrant?” She held her hand up when Shelby went to answer. “You and I both know you don’t. There’s no warrant to arrest Cain, no warrant to be there, and no warrant that I know of to eavesdrop on any of her communications. I’m not naive enough to think there aren’t blind warrants, but if you want to come near us, then you’re going to have to be satisfied sitting on the highway.”

“Why are you acting like all of a sudden this is a big surprise? Our agents could’ve been seriously injured by those dogs today and would’ve been within their rights to shoot them.” Shelby appeared angry and at the end of her patience. This was the exact reaction Cain loved, and every FBI agent in New Orleans had yet to figure that out.

“If you’d done that, there would’ve been consequences even you couldn’t fathom. And why are you acting like it’s surprising we don’t want you around?” She lost her smile and her own patience. She wanted to finish this and get back to Kristen. “Let me put it as simply as I can. When we’re in New Orleans, you’re not allowed on the grounds unless invited. Think of this as the yard in New Orleans without the neighbors. You’re not allowed in the yard, and if we find any equipment you’ve left behind, Cain will forgo the skeet machine. Do we understand each other?”

“Yes, but you and Cain used to have a much better sense of humor,” Shelby said in a softer voice.

Muriel wasn’t falling for that. “Our sense of humor is fine, but you and your pals have a way of wearing out your welcome. Just to give you a heads-up, Cain is out of town, so don’t bother to come back tonight.”

She walked out and stopped to shake hands with the sheriff. He’d turned out to be a good friend and often drove by the house Cain had built as well as Ross’s place to check on everything himself when they weren’t there. Now, though, she wanted to spend the night with Kristen in the cabin Cain had assigned them.

Her phone rang as she opened the door to one of the farm trucks she’d grabbed to come into town. “Muriel Casey,” she answered.

“Muriel, thank God,” Sanders Riggole said as he let out a long breath. “I called and talked to Lou when I couldn’t get you, and he’s calling Cain.”

“I was in the sheriff’s office, and the signal is shit in there. What’s going on?”

“Someone shot up the pub and hit Josh as well as the contractor he was meeting with. Josh is in bad shape at the hospital, so Cain ordered me over there.”

“Is he awake?”