thick with papers and manila folders. A framed picture of Barnes knee-deep in a clear stream hung on the wall; his eyes were alight with happiness and his arms held a massive king salmon.
“Have a seat, Liam—may I call you Liam?” Barnes said, motioning to a cushioned chair several years past comfortable use.
“Sure,” Liam said, sitting.
Barnes slumped into his own chair, which deflated a few inches beneath his bulk. He rubbed his eyes and then stroked the white hair on his upper lip before glancing at Liam. “I’m sorry about your brother and his wife.”
Liam swallowed and stared at a spot over the sheriff’s left shoulder. “Sir, no offense, but I’ve been told how sorry everyone is from the moment I got here and no one’s answered any of my questions.” When he looked again at Barnes, the older man’s eyes were focused on the piles of paperwork covering his desk.
“You’re justified in being angry. All I’m saying is, Allen was my doctor—he was most everyone’s around here unless they wanted to drive over to Fairview Hospital in Dayton. Suzie was a good woman, helped organize a lot of the community functions. They’ll be missed.”
“Suzie was wonderful.”
“Didn’t get along with your brother?”
“Did he ever mention me?” Barnes didn’t say anything, only nodded. “Let’s just say we weren’t on speaking terms. I hadn’t seen him since my father died two years ago, and the time before that was five years earlier.”
“You two have a row about something?”
Liam settled back in the chair and fixed Barnes coldly, unblinking. “Sheriff, I don’t have the time or patience for your insinuations. I came down here to take care of my brother and sister-in-law’s affairs, and maybe glean some insight as to why they were killed. What I find is a community with two double homicides in less than a week and belligerent law enforcement that’s set on keeping me in the dark. Transparency breeds trust, so if you think I had something to do with my brother’s murder, say it now so I know where you stand.”
To Barnes’s credit, the man didn’t move a muscle. After a beat, he pursed his lips, making his mustache rise in a wave, before exhaling. “I don’t think you’re involved. It’s just been a hell of a week and I’m in no mood to have someone else walk on my toes. They’re sore as hell already.”
“I just want to know what you can tell me, not anything that might jeopardize the case,” Liam said.
Barnes sighed again. “It started last Tuesday night. Jerry and Karen Shevlin were the first victims. Someone broke into their home in the evening, sometime around nine. Killed them, along with their dog. Their son, Eric, locked himself in their bedroom and called 911. Officers got there shortly after he hung up, found him on his parents’ floor bleeding profusely. It was pure luck there was a unit less than a mile away when the call came in, otherwise things might’ve been different. He was rushed to your brother’s practice, and Allen got the bleeding stopped before the boy was airlifted to Fairview. He’s in a coma, hasn’t woken or said a word.”
Liam absorbed the information, calculations overriding emotions, the feeling like slipping into a comfortable pair of shoes. “And my brother’s house? Same forced entry?”
“I can’t say.”
“Did Allen and Suzie know the Shevlins?”
Barnes licked his lips, considering. “Yes, Allen and Jerry were best friends.”
“How were they killed?”
“I can’t say.”
“Doesn’t look like you have any suspects in custody,” Liam said, motioning to the hallway and empty cells.
“No, not yet. My deputies and I are support now for the BCA and their forensic team. This is way over our heads. I hesitated for only a heartbeat last week when I saw the Shevlins’ place before calling BCA for help.”
Liam nodded. He’d worked extensively with several BCA agents during his career, and all had been excellent,
“Have a seat, Liam—may I call you Liam?” Barnes said, motioning to a cushioned chair several years past comfortable use.
“Sure,” Liam said, sitting.
Barnes slumped into his own chair, which deflated a few inches beneath his bulk. He rubbed his eyes and then stroked the white hair on his upper lip before glancing at Liam. “I’m sorry about your brother and his wife.”
Liam swallowed and stared at a spot over the sheriff’s left shoulder. “Sir, no offense, but I’ve been told how sorry everyone is from the moment I got here and no one’s answered any of my questions.” When he looked again at Barnes, the older man’s eyes were focused on the piles of paperwork covering his desk.
“You’re justified in being angry. All I’m saying is, Allen was my doctor—he was most everyone’s around here unless they wanted to drive over to Fairview Hospital in Dayton. Suzie was a good woman, helped organize a lot of the community functions. They’ll be missed.”
“Suzie was wonderful.”
“Didn’t get along with your brother?”
“Did he ever mention me?” Barnes didn’t say anything, only nodded. “Let’s just say we weren’t on speaking terms. I hadn’t seen him since my father died two years ago, and the time before that was five years earlier.”
“You two have a row about something?”
Liam settled back in the chair and fixed Barnes coldly, unblinking. “Sheriff, I don’t have the time or patience for your insinuations. I came down here to take care of my brother and sister-in-law’s affairs, and maybe glean some insight as to why they were killed. What I find is a community with two double homicides in less than a week and belligerent law enforcement that’s set on keeping me in the dark. Transparency breeds trust, so if you think I had something to do with my brother’s murder, say it now so I know where you stand.”
To Barnes’s credit, the man didn’t move a muscle. After a beat, he pursed his lips, making his mustache rise in a wave, before exhaling. “I don’t think you’re involved. It’s just been a hell of a week and I’m in no mood to have someone else walk on my toes. They’re sore as hell already.”
“I just want to know what you can tell me, not anything that might jeopardize the case,” Liam said.
Barnes sighed again. “It started last Tuesday night. Jerry and Karen Shevlin were the first victims. Someone broke into their home in the evening, sometime around nine. Killed them, along with their dog. Their son, Eric, locked himself in their bedroom and called 911. Officers got there shortly after he hung up, found him on his parents’ floor bleeding profusely. It was pure luck there was a unit less than a mile away when the call came in, otherwise things might’ve been different. He was rushed to your brother’s practice, and Allen got the bleeding stopped before the boy was airlifted to Fairview. He’s in a coma, hasn’t woken or said a word.”
Liam absorbed the information, calculations overriding emotions, the feeling like slipping into a comfortable pair of shoes. “And my brother’s house? Same forced entry?”
“I can’t say.”
“Did Allen and Suzie know the Shevlins?”
Barnes licked his lips, considering. “Yes, Allen and Jerry were best friends.”
“How were they killed?”
“I can’t say.”
“Doesn’t look like you have any suspects in custody,” Liam said, motioning to the hallway and empty cells.
“No, not yet. My deputies and I are support now for the BCA and their forensic team. This is way over our heads. I hesitated for only a heartbeat last week when I saw the Shevlins’ place before calling BCA for help.”
Liam nodded. He’d worked extensively with several BCA agents during his career, and all had been excellent,
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