“Call us if you find anything inside,” Lillie said, motioning to Charlie and heading back to their car. “Also check out all cars reported stolen in the last twenty-four hours.”

“These kids do that, too?” he asked.

“These damn kids do everything,” Lillie said.

*   *   *

Quinn met Maggie at the Fillin’ Station for breakfast after she’d dropped Brandon at school. She was already seated, Halley still in her cozy baby sling, and waved to him from the back booth kept special for him and the Colson family. His Uncle Hamp used to sit in the same spot, coming here for coffee and a biscuit going back before it was a restaurant and one of only two gas stations in town. There were still plenty of pictures of Hamp Beckett on the walls, framed clippings of him shutting down the Colson family moonshine stills and once making the biggest marijuana bust in Mississippi history over at the Pritchard place. He’d been the town hero before he stuck a .44 in his mouth and pulled the trigger out of shame.

“Mornin’ there, Sheriff,” Miss Mary said.

Quinn winked at Mary, taking off his hat and coat, hanging them on the rack by the front door under the deer heads and framed bass and crappie. A Bible verse on an old piece of barnwood said to turn your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding.

Outside the hand-painted windows, Quinn saw Sheriff Bruce Lovemaiden pull up and make a great effort of crawling out of his patrol car and waddling toward the front door. Quinn headed back to Maggie, kissing her on the cheek and whispering in her ear, “How’d you sleep?”

Her green eyes lit up over the rim of the coffee mug.

“Just fine,” she said. “Until her midnight feeding. And again at four. I would’ve woke you, but you were snoring.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be sorry.”

Quinn told her he had a little business about to enter the front door. Maggie didn’t seem pleased but knew that was the course of trying to meet up in a public place on a weekday. One of the many reasons, most of them health-related, she preferred to make their meals at home and stay off the Jericho Square.

Miss Mary handed Quinn a hot cup of coffee before he intercepted Lovemaiden. The bell above jingled as Lovemaiden walked in and scouted the darkened room. The propane units scattered around the restaurant glowed bright orange. The air smelled of bacon and scalded coffee.

“Thought we were meeting up at the sheriff’s office?” Quinn asked.

“Got here early,” Lovemaiden said.

“I was about to have breakfast with my family.”

Lovemaiden again scouted the room and spotted the only woman and baby in the place. He smiled and nodded, turning back to Quinn.

“Pretty little lady,” he said. “Sit down. This can’t wait, Quinn.”