Free Truth and Consequences by Linda Winfree Page A

their little compartment in her mind and shut the door.
    “According to their parents, both boys were right-handed.”
    “So they shot themselves with the wrong hand with a nonexistent weapon.” Kathleen rested her chin on her hands. “I wonder if he’s realized yet how badly he screwed up.”
    “Oh, he’s probably scrambling for a way to cover it up. You know what we need to do? Listen to those dispatch tapes.”
    Kathleen leaned down to pick up a box from the floor by her desk. “One step ahead of you.”
    They settled in, the tape player on the desk between them, and listened to Chandler County’s recording first. Kathleen frowned, tapping a pen against her lips as the dispatch record played out. A shiver of foreboding traveled down her spine.
    “Wait. Play that back.”
    “The whole thing?”
    “From where they contact Haynes dispatch.”
    Altee hit the play button again. Troy Lee’s voice held excitement blended with a trace of fear. “Chandler, we’re westbound on County Line Road, approximately three miles from Haynes County. Notify Haynes of status.”
    “Chief Deputy Reese has been monitoring chase on radio, is standing by at county line, C-8.”
    “What have we got?” Jim Ed’s distinctive drawl cut across the static.
    “Two armed robbery suspects coming into your county.”
    “What do we need to do to stop them?”
    “He’s caused a city unit to 10-50, has tried to ram a unit and is shooting at patrol cars,” Troy Lee retorted. “Does that answer your question?”
    “10-4.”
    “This is where his car runs hot,” Altee said, fast-forwarding the tape. “Calvert picks him up and…”
    “Chandler, we’ve got C-8. Back in the chase.” Tick’s calm voice. “Suspect vehicle is back in sight, now in Haynes County. Vehicle is approximately a mile ahead of us.”
    Kathleen studied the map. “There’s a really steep hill at that point. He’d have lost sight of him.”
    Ten. Fifteen seconds of silence.
    “Chandler, suspect vehicle 10-50. Two Haynes units on site.”
    More silence, then Tick’s voice again, the tension higher than before.
    “Chandler, notify GBI. We’ll be needing the coroner.”
    Two Haynes units on site . Two. Fifteen seconds. What could happen in fifteen seconds?
    Fifteen seconds was long enough to empty a clip from a semi-automatic handgun. Long enough to see who fired two fatal shots. Long enough to tell a lie. Long enough for Jason Harding to have made her forget all of her training.
    With a groan, she buried her head in her hands. Disappointment and self-disgust rolled through her. She’d let him blind her to the truth, forget her duty. To Altee’s credit, she didn’t say, “I told you so.”
    After a moment, Kathleen lifted her head. “Play the Haynes County one.”
    The second tape began with Reese’s interaction with Troy Lee. The tape crackled, obliterating Reese’s voice for a moment. “H-13, what’s your twenty?”
    The croaking of frogs accompanied Jason’s voice. “Highway 112, just north of the Bridgeboro crossroads.”
    Altee frowned and hit the pause button. “Frogs?”
    Kathleen nodded, already figuring the mileage. “There’s a pull-off there where the Haynes boys like to run radar. It’s right next to the dairy’s drainage pond. More frogs than Egypt saw during the plagues.”
    “So he’s how far from where the chase ended?” Altee started the tape again. Jason confirmed he was en route to serve as Jim Ed’s backup.
    “Three to four miles. He’s coming from the opposite direction as Tick.” A blend of relief and frustration rolled through her. With the distance involved, Jason would have arrived scant seconds before Tick, but he still could have had time to see what happened. Not enough time to commit the murders himself, but enough time to see them take place. She was no closer now to knowing the truth than she’d been before, but she was closer to losing her heart.
    The remainder of the tape confirmed her calculations. His