Page 36 of Spiritwarrior

“How did you find out?”

“I was still in town when I heard you had been robbed. It came over the scanner in my truck. I called Ginny—she was visiting some friends not far from here.”

Jody stepped around them to look inside her apartment. “They had a field day, didn’t they?” Stony-faced, he moved away from the door.

“The deputy said the sheriff is on his way, and a technician. I can’t go inside to put my groceries away.”

Ginny patted her on her arm. “It’s going to take a few hours for them to get the evidence they need. Come home with me and stay the night.”

“I don’t want to impose—”

“You should go with Ginny,” the deputy advised. “There’s no need for you to stay here to watch. When you get up in the morning, we need to do a walkthrough so we can make a list of your missing items.”

“I have a spare bedroom; you won’t be any trouble.” Ginny bent down to pick up the grocery bag. “Let’s go. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“I’m too tired to argue. Besides, I don’t think I would get any sleep if I did stay here tonight.”

Ginny looked at Jody. “Are you coming?”

Jody shook his head. “No, you go ahead. I’m going to wait for Knox.”

Sophie took another glance at Jody, still shocked at how scary he looked. She had taken him for a good-looking guy, only concerned about having a good time. By the way he looked now, she had underestimated him.

The bugler had done her a favor by showing her that Jody could be a force to be reckoned with.

Chapter Fifteen

Jody remained silent until the women were enclosed in the elevator. Then his eyes slid back to the destruction that had taken place.

“You think the person who wanted the money did the break-in?”

“We haven’t had a break-in in two years. I don’t recognize anyone in town fitting the description Sophie gave me. Do you?”

“No.” Greer had given the physical description to Silas, which he had shared with the rest of the family. “He’d be hard to mix up with the way she described him.”

“Makes sense it was him, then. Sophie is new in town; who else would break in to do this type of damage?”

“I can think of someone,” Jodie said grimly, seeing the sheriff and another deputy carrying a case getting off the elevator.

“Jody.”

“Knox,” Jody greeted the sheriff.

“What are you doing here?”

“Sophie is a friend of mine.”

At the explanation, Knox turned to Deputy Bevere. “Fill me in.”

The deputy did, finishing by telling Knox that Jody had an idea of someone else who could have broken in.

“Leland, go ahead and get started taking prints,” Knox told the deputy carrying the case before turning his attention back to Jody.

“Okay, Jody, who do you think is responsible for this?”

“I can’t be sure. I need to talk to her first.”

Knox looked inside the apartment. “A jealous rage?” Knox nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised. I had to issue tickets to two of your side pieces six months ago, coming out of the gym, for disorderly contact.”