Page 37 of In Her Shadow

Her skin prickled with heat and anticipation as she stepped out of her cruiser and scanned the scene: county and state police officers were already dispersing in strategic lines across the property, their movements efficient and charged with resolution.

The sprawling farmhouse loomed before them, its cream facade setting it off from the deep blues and greens that surrounded it.Jenna led the way to the front door, her hand resting instinctively near her holstered weapon, a gesture mirrored by Jake.Spelling followed as they stepped up on the porch, but before Jenna could raise her hand to knock, the front door swung inward.

“Sheriff Graves, Deputy Hawkins,” Holbrook greeted them, his voice betraying nothing but a hint of curiosity.“To what do I owe this rather dramatic visit?”His gaze moved momentarily over their shoulders, “And I see that Colonel Spelling is here too.”His gaze took in more of the scene behind them before settling back on Jenna with an air of polite expectancy.

Jenna took a step forward.“Ethan Holbrook, you’re under arrest for conspiracy, bribery, and suspicion of murder.”

Her hand rested lightly on the grip of her service weapon as Jake stepped up beside her, the Miranda card in his hand.“Mr.Holbrook,” Jake began, his voice clear and steady, “you have the right to remain silent.”As he recited the familiar words, Jenna watched Holbrook’s eyebrows lift ever so slightly.It was an almost imperceptible reaction.

“Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law,” Jake finished.

Holbrook’s only response was, “I assume you have a warrant?”His question, though asked with a veneer of politeness, carried an underlying challenge.

Jake held out the warrant they had obtained.“We do, Mr.Holbrook.For your arrest.And we’ll also be conducting a thorough search of your property.”

Holbrook’s cool gaze swept again across the officers encircling his home, a silent appraisal of their movements.Then with a shrug, his offered his wrists to the handcuffs without protest.

As Jake put the cuffs on the rancher, Colonel Spelling spoke to Jenna, acknowledging the importance of the situation.“While you take him in, I’ll stay with the men doing a search of the premises.I’ll let you know if we find anything that might be incriminating.”

As Jake led Holbrook towards their patrol car, the rancher’s steps were measured and unhurried, as if he were merely a guest being escorted from a gathering rather than a suspect in custody.In moments, they had settled him into the back seat for the trip back to Trentville.

As she drove, Jenna kept her focus on the road ahead while Jake remained silent beside her, both acutely conscious of the man in their rearview mirror.Holbrook sat in the back seat, his cuffed hands resting casually on his lap, and Jenna couldn’t shake the niggling sense that he seemed more at ease than any man should be under these circumstances.

When they reached the Genesius County Jail, Jenna watched as Ethan Holbrook walked on ahead of them, greeting the officer at the front desk cordially.

“Book him,” Jenna instructed tersely, “then bring him into the interrogation room.”The officer nodded and went about fingerprinting and photographing Holbrook with methodical precision.

As they proceeded along the narrow hallway, Jake leaned close to Jenna.“He’s way too calm,” he muttered.

She nodded, feeling the same unease.“Let’s see how he reacts to the evidence,” she said, more to steel herself than anything else.Together, they pushed through the door and took their seats at the small metal table.

Holbrook was soon brought in and seated across from them.There was still an elegance to his posture that seemed out of place in this environment.

“Before we begin,” Holbrook said smoothly, his voice betraying no hint of worry, “I should inform you that I’ve contacted my lawyer in Kansas City.I called as soon as I saw your ridiculous cavalcade pull into my drive.He’ll be here shortly.”

Jenna’s gaze remained steady on him.She was used to reading people, a skill honed not just by her years in law enforcement but also by the enigmatic guidance she received in her dreams.Yet Holbrook was a closed book, his pages unyielding to her scrutiny.

“Is that supposed to intimidate us, Mr.Holbrook?”she asked.

“Intimidate?No, Sheriff Graves,” Holbrook replied, his tone almost amused.“Letting you know is merely a courtesy.We all have roles to play, don’t we?”

“That’s fine, Mr.Holbrook,” she said firmly.“We’ll speak with your lawyer.But in the meantime, are you willing to answer some questions?”

“Oh, by all means, Sheriff,” Holbrook said, leaning back in his chair, the ghost of a smirk touching his lips.“I have nothing to hide.I know my rights, and I know I’m innocent of these charges.So ask away.We’ll pass over any questions that I feel to be … well, constitutionally inappropriate.”

“Maybe you’d like to explain this recording to us,” Jake said.

He placed Garth Fields’s cellphone on the table, and its digital recorder crackled to life, its tiny speakers straining to project Holbrook’s voice across the interrogation room.

“Garth, you better not be getting cold feet.We’re too far in now,” Holbrook’s voice said.

Then, the alarm of Garth’s response filled the air, an echo of a conversation meant to stay private.

Finally came Holbrook’s climatic pronouncement: “If you turn on me, Garth, I promise it will be the last thing you ever do.I’ll make sure of it personally.”

As the damning words played out, accusing and raw, all Jenna saw in Holbrook was an almost imperceptible narrowing of his eyes—the only betrayal of tension.

The recording sputtered to an end, and there was a brief silence.Then, like a clap of thunder breaking the calm, Holbrook’s laughter erupted—a short, scornful sound that bounced off the bare walls.“That’s your evidence?A clearly doctored recording?”

---