Free Personal Justice by Rayven T. Hill

anywhere?”
    “We’re looking into that,” Hank said.
    “What about between Rocky Shaft and Maria?” Jake asked. “Could Rocky Shaft have killed his own brother because he’s having an affair with his brother’s wife? He lives with them and has the opportunity.”
    “It’s a possibility,” Hank said. “That’s something we’re looking into, but it might be a hard thing to prove. And right now, King is interviewing Michael Norton’s list of family and friends. His objective is to dig up the whereabouts of Norton, but I’m sure he’ll be asking a lot of pointed questions while he’s at it.”
    Hank continued, “I dropped by Michael Norton’s workplace on the way here. He’s never missed a day in recent history. He was there on Monday and clocked out as usual.”
    “And his co-workers?” Jake asked.
    “None of them could shed any light on this. He never had a run-in with anyone, and nothing seemed suspicious or out of place as far as they could tell.”
    Jake waved the file folder. “You don’t have anything in here on Rocky Shaft.”
    “He wasn’t there when I first went to see Mrs. Shaft. I dropped in again a few minutes ago and Rocky was there this time, but there’s no report yet.”
    “What did you think of Rocky?” Annie asked.
    “He’s a very angry man,” Hank said. “But that’s understandable, given the circumstances.”
    “Did he have anything else to say?”
    “Nothing new to add,” Hank said. “He basically repeated what I’ve heard before. But there was one interesting occurrence.”
    “Regarding Rocky?” Annie asked.
    “Regarding Lisa Krunk,” Hank said. “According to Maria, Lisa dropped by, and she and Rocky ended up succumbing to one of her interviews.”
    Annie frowned. “Lisa’s interviews never go well. She always finds some way to make everyone look bad.”
    “I wish they’d kept away from Lisa,” Hank said. “But Maria has a right to know how we’re proceeding, and she has a right to talk to the news people. There’s nothing we can do about that. And it’s important to get Norton’s picture out there. Right now, our goal is to track him down. There’s not much else we can do until that happens.”
    “If you have no objections, Hank,” Annie said. “I’d like to pay Tammy Norton a visit this afternoon.”
    “I have no objections,” Hank said.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 15
     
     
     
    Tuesday, 1:38 p.m.
     
    JAKE WAITED IN the office while Annie made a call to Tammy Norton. The woman said she would be home all afternoon and was eager to help in the investigation.
    “I’d like to go now if you have nothing else to do,” Annie said to Jake after she hung up the phone.
    “My schedule is open,” Jake said.
    “Do you even have a schedule?”
    “I keep it in my head. That way it never gets misplaced.”
    Annie pushed back her chair and stood. “I’ll meet you outside, then.”
    Jake grabbed his keys and pulled the Firebird from the garage. A minute later, Annie joined him and they roared from the driveway.
    When they pulled up to the curb in front of the Norton residence a few minutes later, Jake glanced at the crumbling house. “What does this guy do for a living?”
    “He’s a production line worker,” Annie said, as she opened her door and stepped out. “Meaning, he works on an assembly line.”
    Jake got out of the car, glanced at the dark-blue Ford Probe in the driveway, and followed Annie up the pathway to the front door. She rang the bell.
    Tammy Norton answered the door, a forced smile on her face. “Are you the Lincolns?”
    “We are,” Annie said, and Tammy led them into the front room and motioned toward the couch while she sat in an armchair.
    They sat down and Annie spoke first. “Mrs. Norton, I want to tell you up front, we’ve been retained by Maria Shaft to find your husband.”
    “Please, call me Tammy, and I’m aware he’s a suspect. I’m sure he’s not guilty, and I’m as eager to find him as the police