you think he’s going to say about that? Neither of you move, you hear me?” He called out to the two deputies still standing at attention some twenty feet behind him, “Brewster, Jewel, keep an eye on these two, don’t shoot them if you don’t have to. I’m going to speak to Rafer.” Then he walked straight at Carson. She instinctively moved to let him pass and watched him walk into the house.
Carson hugged herself. She said, her voice bewildered, “I don’t get it. You’re a fake FBI agent? I’m a make-believe doctor? Griffin, what’s wrong with him? I mean, he’s the frigging sheriff. I know he’s Rafer Bodine’s uncle, and this has to be a big shock to him, but he’s still the sheriff, he’s the law here. He has to act, doesn’t he?”
Griffin looked after him. “I’ve learned a psychopath can hide in plain sight and no one ever suspects him. But you know what? His family always knows. Always. And his uncle? Maybe Sheriff Bodine doesn’t realize what Rafer is. Sorry, Carson, but we’re not going to be able to count on the sheriff. Let me make a call before he comes out again.” Griffin slipped his cell out of his pocket, pressed in Savich’s number.
Carson whispered, “What is this, an alternate universe? Do you think he’s going to toss us in Gaffer’s Ridge hoosegow?”
That’s exactly what Griffin thought.
“Savich.”
“Griffin. I’m in Gaffer’s Ridge. I’ve got a big problem here with the local sheriff. He’s not accepting my credentials and I’m with a civilian, a woman, I can’t protect. It’s not looking good. I need your help. Can you come?”
“On a scale of one to ten, how bad?”
“Might be inching up to a ten.”
A pause. “I’ll try to be there tomorrow, if I can.” Another slight pause, then, “Sherlock’s been in a car accident. She’ll be fine, but I can’t leave her yet. Tell me what happened, Griffin.”
Griffin saw the sheriff coming out of the house, staring toward them. He talked fast until the sheriff roared, “You give me that cell phone!”
“Is that the sheriff? Okay, do as he says, hang up. I’ll make some calls, see if I can throw my weight around. I hope you didn’t do anything to make me regret it?”
“Nope, I was a Good Samaritan.”
“Enough, boy!” The sheriff grabbed the cell and both Carson and Griffin could see he was weighing whether or not to smash it. He didn’t. He slipped it in his shirt pocket.
Marv and Haddy came out of the house, the larger Haddy with Rafer Bodine slung over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, his head and wrist bandaged. Weren’t they worried about other injuries? Weren’t they trained? They watched Marv lean into the ambulance and slide out a gurney. Rafer was quiet, maybe from drugs—or maybe because of a warning from the sheriff, his uncle?
16
* * *
The ambulance careened backward out of the driveway, tires screeching, and took off down the street with its sirens blaring, even though Griffin hadn’t seen a car pass by in the neighborhood.
Sheriff Bodine motioned to his deputies. Both men stepped close, flanking. They were watchful, obviously on edge. The sheriff said, “Time for you two to come to the station and take another stab at talking your way out of attacking my nephew. I’m going to take your statements and Rafer’s, too, once he’s able. If I were you I’d call a lawyer. We have two in town, but one of them is a female and she only does wills and such. Not a real lawyer, like missy here isn’t a real doctor. The other’s a man and he knows what’s what. My dispatcher and 911 operator, Fayreen, can give you their numbers.
“Rafer was in a lot of pain from the blows you gave him, but the gist is he said this was a home invasion, pure and simple.” He eyed Carson. “Rafer’s young, appreciates a pretty young woman, especially a looker like you. He lets you into his house without a qualm. Maybe you intended to scam him, but he realizes you’re not for real and so you called your pretty boyfriend here to pound him? More believable than that tale you tried to sell me. Spiteful, I’d call it.
“As for you, Agent Hammersmith, I’ll be checking out those credentials of yours when we get to the station. I suspect they’re forged and I’ll have the pleasure of sending you to jail. Are the two of you going to come willingly or