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accept that it had happened again — in their town, near their children, and in the midst of their lives.
    She refused to believe it.
    Until she saw Callie walk away from Melinda and Aaron and point toward the parking area of the shop, after which she crumpled onto the front sidewalk. Until she saw Max try to nuzzle Callie’s face. Then Deborah knew that death had once more found its way into their protected circle.
    She dropped the bolt of fabric she’d been holding, pushed through the crowd in the store, and ran outside to kneel beside Callie.
    “Was iss letz?”
    “I’ve lived here almost a year and a half, and sometimes I still can’t understand a word you say.” Callie’s voice was muffled, since her head remained between her knees. Her knees were propped up, making a tent of the new dark green dress they’d sewn together.
    “She’ll be all right, Deborah. It’s only the shock.” Gavin touched their shoulders as he walked by, then turned toward the crowd of people who were spilling out of the shop.
    “I’m going to need everyone to remain calm and go back inside.”
    “What’s happened?” one of the customers called out.
    “Why do we have to go back inside?” another asked. “I’m done shopping.”
    “I need to go home to my family.” Deborah thought that sounded like Mrs. Drisban, one of their regular customers.
    “I understand, but we’re going to have to ask you a few questions first.” Gavin turned to catch instructions from Taylor, then relayed them to the small crowd gathering at the door of the shop. “The Captain has asked everyone not to leave until we can have you fill out some forms.”
    “Forms? Why do we have to fill out forms?”
    “Because it’s a requirement in these situations. Now please move back into the building.” Gavin crossed his arms and took up a military stance outside the door.
    Deborah had seen a few soldiers in uniform when she and Callie had gone to the museum in Chicago. The soldiers had stopped at a diner where they were eating lunch. Callie had explained to her then that Gavin still acted exactly like them. They’d had a laugh over it, because they’d both been able to picture him in the middle of the group of men, in uniform. He wouldn’t even have needed a new haircut.
    But looking at him now, watching him take up that protective stance outside Callie’s door, she realized that what he hadn’t lost when he’d left the military was more than physical bearing or hairstyle. What he hadn’t lost was the inclination to watch over those in his care.
    But who was he protecting now?
    One thing was certain. No one would leave unless they thought they could go through Andrew Gavin, which they couldn’t. The grumbling continued at the entrance of the shop, but there wasn’t a single person who attempted to move to the parking area.
    “We’ll pass out the forms once you’re back inside,” Captain Taylor explained, pocketing his cell phone and walking in front of Gavin. “They ask you to provide your contact information and answer a few simple questions. Officer Gavin will remain here to ensure no one leaves. I have another officer posted at the backdoor. This is going to take us an hour or more, so I suggest you all move away from the door and settle down. The more cooperative you are, the faster we can proceed.”
    “Proceed with what?”
    “Has there been a burglary?”
    The questions flew at him rapidly.
    “My daughter texted me that you’ve found a dead body.”
    Deborah and Callie both glanced up at the same time. The first officers to arrive had quickly cordoned off the sidewalk and parking lot adjacent to the shop. Yellow crime-scene tape now stretched from where Melinda and her boys waited to the end of Callie’s garden area. They’d marked off her entire section of the block. But that didn’t stop a growing crowd of onlookers from gathering outside the crime-scene tape. Quite a few of them had cell phones out. Some were texting, others