Page 12 of Barry

“No, I’ll walk. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Take your time.” Ryan’s words were almost covered by the bell on the door. Honey barked at him when he left the diner. “Stay, girl,” he told her before heading down the small street toward the new building constructed for the sheriff and his deputies.

He opened the door and walked in to find JD, one of the deputies, was pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Where’s the sheriff?”

JD pointed with his cup. “His office.”

Barry went to the door, opened it, and stepped in, closing the door behind him. Ken looked up from the phone call he was on. “I’ll call you back.” As soon as he hung up, he said, “I was going to fuss at you for not knocking, but … You look like you saw a ghost.”

“Maybe. Edna’s purse spilled in the diner. I helped her pick it up. She had a picture inside her purse. It was a man in a ghillie suit. He was carrying a rifle.”

Ken’s eyes narrowed. “A faraway picture showing a lot of land and flowers?”

Barry shook his head. “No. This was a close-up photo. There’s grassland in the front and not much background at all. Blurry, but there’s no doubt in my mind it was a person in a ghillie suit.”

Ken got up and reached for his hat. “Is she flashing it around?”

“No, she said no one believed her last time and that she had evidence, and she was getting more. I have no idea what that means, but, Sheriff, this guy could be our shooter and the one causing all the damage.”

Ken nodded. “Let’s go talk to Edna.”

“She left the diner. I don’t know where she headed.” Barry followed him out of his office.

“JD, I’m heading out. Handle things until I get back.”

“You got it,” the deputy said as they walked out of the building.

“She’s going to be so pissed. She told me not to tell asoul.” After Barry got into the passenger side seat of the sheriff’s car, they took off down the main street.

“What time is it?”

Barry looked at his watch. “Just going on eight thirty.”

“She’ll be headed to the church.” Ken turned on his blinker and took a right. “There they are.”

He chirped his siren, and the women jumped. Ken pulled up beside them. “Edna, I’m going to need you to get into the vehicle with us.”

“Ken Zorn, I haven’t done anything wrong, and I will not get into the vehicle with you. I know my rights.”

Ken put the SUV into Park. He sucked his teeth and then shook his head. “Is that so?”

“It most certainly is.” Edna huffed and started walking again. Ken got out of the SUV and said, “Edna Michaelson, do you want me to arrest you for impeding a murder investigation? Do you know I can put you in jail for that?”

“You wouldn’t, and I don’t know a thing about that murder.”

Ken tipped his cowboy hat back on his head and crossed his arms. “Would you like to test my authority, my determination, or my desire to find that killer?”

“I don’t have any information about the murder.”

Ken tossed his head in his direction. “Barry says you do.”

Edna flashed him a look that could wither cement. He wasn’t sure what caused him to do it, but he smiled andwaved at her. Her eyes narrowed, and she pointed at him. “And to think I used to like you.”

Ken opened the door. “Get in, Edna. We’re going to have a little talk.”

“This is illegal, I tell you.” Edna tossed her purse in and looked back at her little minions. “Girls, if I’m not back in an hour, you call the state police.”

“We’ll do it,” the more vocal of the two assured Edna. He had no idea what the ladies’ names were. They seemed to blend into Edna’s persona most of the time.

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