AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I know. You told me, Dad.”
“It’s always going to be us and them, Jess. We won’t ever be safe; our children won’t ever be safe here till every last one of them is dead.”
“I agree with you, Dad. And once we’ve warmed up, we’re going to drive into town and report this. A vampyr broke into your house and stole from you. That’s a crime.”
“No!” He glared at her. “We don’t report it, not while that new detective is here. She’ll just want to take the rest of my trophies. We can’t count on the law. We need to take care of this ourselves. Just like we did before.”
Jess sighed. Dad was probably right. That new detective didn’t care about Deadhart. All she cared about was ticking her little boxes. Asking her stupid questions. She wasn’t on their side.
“Okay, Dad. Leave it with me.” She turned. “I’ll make that coffee.”
She walked into the kitchen and filled the kettle, setting it to boil. Then she got out her phone. We can’t count on the law, Jess. No. Dealing with vampyrs shouldn’t be a matter for the law. It was a matter for God and His disciples.
She pulled up a number and waited while it rang.
“Hello?”
“Reverend? It’s Jess Garrett.”
29
Barbara raised her hands slowly. “Sir, we’re police. I’m Detective Atkins.”
“Police?” Nathan squinted at her. Tucker stood a little further back in the shadows.
“Yes, sir.”
“How did you get in?”
“Your door was open, sir.” Barbara offered a friendly smile even as her heart hammered. “We were concerned.”
Nathan’s eyes fell on Tucker. “What about him?”
Tucker took a step forward. “It’s Jensen Tucker.”
“Tucker?”
Tucker nodded. “Former Chief Tucker. Been a long time, I know.”
Nathan blinked rapidly and licked his lips. He looked like he was trying to work out a difficult sum in his head or drag back a memory obscured by time and alcohol. Then, slowly, he lowered the gun. “Chief Tucker. I’m sorry. I…I didn’t recognize you.”
“Well, I’m sure we’ve both changed.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Barbara offered another sympathetic smile, heart beginning to resume a more normal beat. “I’m really sorry about intruding like this, sir.”
Nathan nodded again. “You should be. Most people here shoot first and ask questions later.”
“I appreciate your restraint, sir.”
He regarded her suspiciously from beneath his lank hair. “You’re not here because of an open door.”
“No, sir. We wanted to talk to you.”
“ ’Bout Jacob?”
“And other things.”
