Page 34 of Barbed Wire and Burglary
Aaron let out a dry chuckle. “Of all the leads you’ve been chasing to confirm my guilt, have you even considered the idea I might be innocent?”
He sounded so tired that A.J. almost dropped the subject in lieu of letting him take a nap, but too much was at stake. “I’d be glad to consider it if you can explain away the uptick of jewel heists every time you apply for a transfer to a new town.”
“What?” Aaron looked genuinely puzzled.
A.J. mentally gave him another point for his acting skills. “Here. I’ve mapped it out.” He pushed away from the bed and strode to his desk to pull out the rolled-up diagram he’d been tinkering with. He unfurled it and walked over to Aaron with it.
“It’s a map of Texas.” Aaron scanned it, still looking puzzled. “I see counties, cities, main highways, lakes, rivers, rest stops… What’s your point?”
“Look closer.” A.J. shook the map at him. “Each of the red dots I’ve marked on it represents a jewelry store break-in. Unfortunately for you, the dates coincide with your transfers to new police departments. After you arrive in town, they start. After you leave, they stop. It’s as simple as that.”
“Are you for real?” Aaron looked more fascinated than offended, which A.J. found noteworthy. “Does this mean you’re blaming me for the pawnshop burglary, too?”
“The jury’s still out on that.”
“I already came clean about the crime scene contamination, and I’m as surprised as you that they let me keep my job after it.” Aaron shook his head ruefully. “Not sure what else you expect to bleed out of me concerning that.”
A.J. watched Aaron’s body language closely and could detect nothing that suggested guilt or remorse. Nor did he detect the apathy that sometimes accompanied criminals who were clinically unable to feel normal emotions like guilt or remorse.
He mostly looked resigned.
And intrigued.
And unexpectedly determined.
It was time to turn up the heat. A.J. reached around the map to tap the cluster of red dots near Pinetop, Arizona. “Tell me about these.”
Aaron grimaced. “Pretty sure we arrested the guys responsible for those dots. I have a permanent souvenir to commemorate the occasion.”
Yeah, there was that. The bullet in Aaron’s shoulder had baffled A.J. for weeks, but the good guys weren’t the only ones that got hurt. “I’ve been involved in more than one case where the perp sustained a self-inflicted injury to throw the police off his scent.”
“A flesh wound, maybe.” Aaron rolled his shoulder, wincing. “This one caused a little more damage.”
“Could’ve been an accident.” As in “friendly fire” from the “unfriendly” side, again to throw the police off their scent.
Aaron snorted. “Just like the snake poisoning and gas leak, eh?”
“Nope. The consensus is that you were the target of those.” It still didn’t prove his innocence. “It’s possible you were double-crossed. Maybe your accomplices objected to the haircut you were taking from the profits. As the old saying goes, there’s no honor among thieves.”
“Ha!” Aaron no longer looked sleepy. “I’ll give you points for persistence, but your theories are starting to looklike a slice of Swiss cheese—smelly and full of holes.” He leaned closer to the map. “Mind if I take a snapshot of this?”
“Go for it.” A.J. wasn’t sure why Aaron wanted a copy, since he’d been present at the time of the heists. It would be interesting to see what he did with the information.
Aaron snapped a few photographs with his cell phone. Then he flopped back against the mattress. “Since you’re so suspicious of me, why share a room with me?”
A.J. rolled up the map. “Ever heard of keeping your enemies close?”
“Aren’t you worried I might gut you in your sleep?” Aaron shot back.
“You could try.” Fortunately, A.J. had years of practice sleeping with one eye open. He was also armed.
“But I won’t.” Aaron yawned again. “I’m going to need a few gallons of coffee just to get through the day. Whatever happens tonight, I can all but guarantee I’m gonna sleep through it.”
Their cell phones started buzzing at the same time. Aaron sat up, frowning. He lifted his phone to his ear. “Deputy Cannon speaking.”
It sounded like it was an official call.
A.J. answered his own phone in a much quieter voice so he could eavesdrop, which turned out to be wholly unnecessary. Both were being alerted by their bosses about the same incident. Apparently, a local bee farm had been burglarized.
