Page 41 of Justice for Samara

Nothing in the house except possibly the medications and the gun case really had much value as evidence, at least on the surface, but she wouldn’t know for sure for a little while. One of the things she’d be looking for was a slug, if that was what had killed whoever it was. She was wondering when Michael would get back with the yogurt when she heard a commotion outside and glanced out the window.

A light-colored pickup truck had pulled up, and there was a man yelling at the top of his lungs. It only took her a second to recognize him.

It was AlexStadler.

She really didn’t want to see him. Of course, she knew if they discovered the body was Glenna, she’d love seeing him squirming at the defense table as she testified in a trial. Maybe he’d be smart and plead guilty. But at the moment, what she wanted most was to let him know that there was a great chance his fate would rest in her hands. “Bring it,” she muttered under her breath.

Gathering her courage, she stepped out of the house through the back door and rounded the corner of the garage. Instead of going farther, she stopped and folded her arms across her chest, her feet shoulder-width apart. She halfway expected him to attack her. “Who’s in charge here?” he screamed at a random firefighter. “Who’s in charge? What’s going on? What happened to my house?” he bellowed.

“Sir, calm down. If you want to speak to the detective in charge?”

“I do! I’m a fucking Kentucky State Police trooper! I want to see the detective in chargeright now!” he screamed.

Then the firefighter talking to him turned and pointed toward her.

She wished she’d taken a picture or a video of the expression on his face when he saw her. It was beyond priceless, somewhere between disbelief and knowing he was screwed. It started to look like he might run back to his truck, but that moment passed and he straightened his spine, squared his shoulders, puffed out his chest, and strode right up to her, then leaned in to direct a threatening stare straight into her eyes. “You’rethe detective?”

“Yes, sir. Trigg County Sheriff’s Department Detective Samara?”

“I know what your fucking name is, bitch,” he hissed through gritted teeth. “You’d better play this by the book or I’ll end your career.”

Her hand instinctively went to her service weapon, and she wrapped her fingers around the retaining strap on its holster. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to go back behind the crime scene tape and?”

“This ismyhouse and I’m law enforcement. I can be here if I want to be.”

“No, sir, this isourcrime scene.”

“Crime scene? Who said anything about a crime?” There was a smugness in his voice that made her stomach pitch. “What makes you think a crime has been committed?”

“The body we found inside the house. And before you say anything that could incriminate you, just know that I made note of what you said when you got out of your truck. You asked who was in charge, what was going on, and what happened to your house. At no time did you ask about your wife. Not once. So if I were you, I’d tread carefully. Very carefully.”

“Do I need an attorney?” he asked, his words full of venom, and he moved just a little closer.

Samara stood her ground. “I don’t know. Do you?”

Deep and low, almost in a growl, he said, “Watch out, bitch. I’ll bury you.”

“Oh, really? Do I look scared of you? Because I’m?”

“Hey, I didn’t know what flavor so I got… What the hell is going on here?”

“Oh, Mr.Stadler and I were just talking about the fire.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Michael rest his hand on top of his service weapon and unsnap the retainer strap. “You need to move away from my detective immediately.” Alex glared at Michael, but in that moment she was so proud to know the chief deputy. “Now. Do not make me arrest you for threatening a peace officer, because I will.”

“I’m a fucking state trooper,” Alex hissed.

“I don’t give a god damn if you’re the fucking Pope, you move away from my detectivenow. Iwillnottell you a third time.” He’d lifted his weapon about halfway out of its holster and his trigger finger lay along the side of the trigger guard.

“Your detective and I have a history, and I don’t think she can be fair and impartial toward me.”

“I’m sorry, but I disagree. I’ve seen her demonstrate more professionalism in the last three weeks than a lot of officers do in a career that lasts, oh, maybe twelve or thirteen years.”

Alex had been staring at Michael. “Hey, don’t I know you?”

“Oh, yeah. I used to be engaged to GlennaThomas.”

The man’s face paled. “You assholes had better pass this off or I’ll get you both fired.”

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