“YOU LOOK PENSIVE,” I say.
We’re in Helen’s car outside the Riddles’ property, Officer Nina Hallstead in a marked Myerton Police patrol car parked behind us. Helen had told me she wanted back-up when she made the arrest, “just in case.”
“I wish you hadn’t come with me,” she says, looking at the front gate.
“Sick of me already?” I say with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.
I realize I failed when Helen says, “This could go sideways really quickly, Tom. The Riddles are a disgruntled family who believe the world is out to get them, and they have a distinct distrust of the government. They also have a good number of registered firearms in that house and probably more that are unregistered and of dubious legality.”
“Then why didn’t you contact the State Police?” I say, now alarmed. “They
