As they were talking, the other officers were emerging from their hiding places. The atmosphere was despondent. This had been their best chance of flushing out the shooter and he’d eluded them.
Although he told himself that they’d done their best and it had always been a long shot, disappointment gnawed at Spencer’s gut. He didn’t subscribe to that whole “it’s okay to lose” philosophy. He believed if you didn’t get it right the first time, you’d failed. And he didn’t like feeling useless... Even so, he wasn’t going to pass those emotions on to his team.
“We did our best, but right now, there’s nothing more we can do here, guys. You may as well head back to the station while I report to the Colton family.”
Spencer reached into his pocket for his cell phone. There were a number of missed calls from Katrina and a message from the MVPD dispatcher, saying that she’d called into the station looking for him. A frown pulled his eyebrows together. What now? He knew he was being unfair to her with the thought. It was only natural that she should be worried about her sister. And it wasn’t her fault that trouble seemed to follow her...
As he made his way up the stairs toward Payne Colton’s new third-floor room, he tried Katrina’s number. The call went straight to voice mail. He left a short message, letting her know that he’d tried to return her calls.
He’d catch up with her later. Even Katrina Perry couldn’t get herself into much trouble in the next hour or so.
* * *
Despite their sorrowful expressions, Katrina decided to leave the dogs at home when she went in search of Helen Jackson’s studio. As she drove along the winding drive that approached the property, Katrina saw a variety of life-size wooden animal sculptures. No wonder Helen had chosen to locate her home in this rural location. Her artwork was on a large scale and she clearly needed plenty of space.
At the end of the drive, a long, low building was split into three distinct units with signs over the door of each. They were a workshop, a sales area and a house. A woman was seated on the front porch and, with a feeling of intense relief, Katrina recognized her as the person who had confronted the AAG members on Mustang Boulevard.
As Katrina got out of her car, the other woman rose from her chair and came down the steps to greet her.
“Hi there.” Helen—because surely it must be Helen—gave her a friendly smile. “I’m actually closed for sales at this time of day. But if you’ve seen something on the website that you’re interested in, I’ll be happy to give you a viewing.”
“I’d love to look at your sculptures.” Although Katrina felt it would be the easiest way to create a bond with Helen, she seriously doubted she would be able to afford one of the giant structures. Even if she could, she’d have to dismantle her canine-training equipment if she wanted to fit one in her yard. “But I came to talk to you about something else.”
Helen’s smile faded a little as she scanned her face. “I don’t think we’ve met before.”
“We haven’t. But I was close by when you spoke to some members of the Affirmation Alliance Group on Mustang Boulevard the other day.”
Helen’s gaze shifted away from Katrina’s face toward the nearby Mustang Valley Mountains. After a few moments of silence, she looked back again. “That was a misunderstanding.”
“You seemed very certain of your facts. And you were unhappy with the way the AAG had treated your son,” Katrina said.
“I don’t want to talk about this.”
The difference between the confident woman who had confronted the group two days ago and this uncomfortable, nervous figure before her now was striking. What could have caused this change in Helen? Although she was bemused, Katrina plowed on.
“I’m asking about this for a reason. Two months ago, my sister got involved with the AAG—”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it.” The words came out fast and sharp. Helen drew a breath before continuing in a calmer tone. “I was wrong to approach the AAG members the way I did. I made a mistake and I want to forget it.”
“Please, let me just—”
With a determined shake of her head, Helen turned back toward the house. Defeated, Katrina walked back to her car. What else could she do? Something had caused Helen to change her mind. The anger she’d felt the other day had dissipated and there was this new... She searched for the right word. Resignation? Acceptance? It certainly looked like Helen had turned her back on her previous indignation.
As she drove away, she could see the other woman watching her. Helen was standing on the top step with her arms wrapped around herself, as if fending off a chill.
There is something very wrong here.
For the first time in her life, she was faced with a problem that she couldn’t deal with. In the past, her biggest concern had been supporting Eliza through her addiction. Although she’d dealt with that by herself, it had never felt like an impossi
ble task, or one that she couldn’t deal with alone.
When she got home, she would try Spencer again. Even if he dismissed what she told him about Helen, he would be obliged to check it out. And that would at least get him asking questions.
As she headed home, she realized she was low on just about every household essential. She’d been putting off grocery shopping, but it had reached the point where starvation was looming. Drastic times called for a shopping trip.
As she pulled into the parking lot outside the convenience store, her phone buzzed. Checking the display, she saw it was an unknown number. She was halfway to declining the call when she paused. Helen Jackson didn’t have her number, but what if she’d somehow gotten hold of it? What if she’d changed her mind and wanted to talk after all?
“Yes?”