Free Spiraled (Callahan & McLane Book 3) by Kendra Elliot

pets. But he sucked at expressing it. Feeling as inadequate as generic toilet paper, he waited. This was Ray’s territory. His partner knew Mason’s shortcomings and how to cover them.
    A door slammed and a tall, angular man strode into the room. “Sally?” Eric Yoder looked dressed for the golf course, not the bank.
    Ray caught Mason’s eye.
    Golf or casual Friday?
    Ray backed off as Sally stood to meet her husband. They embraced, and she hid her face in his neck as he rubbed her back and his dark eyes glared at the investigators over her shoulder. Eric Yoder looked like a stereotypical banker. Tall, silver-haired, and imposing.
    Mason introduced himself and Ray. Sally Yoder pulled herself together and made her husband sit down. He sat heavily and studied the two men. Now that he was sitting, Mason could see he was exhausted. His gaze seemed heavy as he made eye contact. As if he could barely keep his gaze off the floor.
    Or as if he was self-medicating.
    “Mr. Yoder—” Mason began.
    “Eric, please.”
    Mason summarized what Sally Yoder had told them. Eric nodded. “Justin sometimes sleeps over at Paul’s house. I assumed that’s where he was when I left yesterday morning.”
    “Do you know where Justin got the weapon? Do you have guns in the house?”
    Both parents shook their heads. “No guns in the house,” said Eric. “We’ve never owned any. I took him to a range a couple years ago to shoot, but I don’t think he cared for it that much. He never asked me to take him back.”
    “What about his friends? What about his friends’ parents? Where could he have gotten the rifle?” Mason pushed.
    Sally and Eric looked at each other. “I’m honestly not sure if any of his friends have guns,” Sally said. “He’s never mentioned anything. I can’t say I’ve heard a parent mention it.” Her voice cracked. “I probably don’t know his friends as well as I should.”
    “He’s twenty,” said Ray. “He’s an adult. You aren’t expected to watch over every move he makes. Is he in school, too?”
    “He tried,” Eric said. “He went to the community college after he graduated, but after one term he didn’t want to go back. His grades weren’t that great in high school, and he wasn’t interested in any particular field of study except his acting classes. We weren’t about to pay for him to go flunk out of an expensive college somewhere or pay his rent in LA to be an actor or join a band.”
    Sally studied her hands as she picked at the tablecloth. She didn’t look up while Eric discussed school and had flinched almost imperceptibly when he mentioned not paying for college. A sore point between mother and son? Or between mother and stepfather?
    “Do you know why Justin would do this?” Ray asked calmly, finally asking the question that’d been the elephant in the room.
    Sally’s chin went up. “We don’t know. We talked and talked about it on the phone, but we keep coming up with no reasons. He’s had some depression issues for the last five years or so, but nothing has ever indicated that he’d do something like this.”
    “Does he take medication?” Mason asked. Now we’re getting somewhere.
    “Yes. I’ll get it.” Sally left the room. Eric shifted uncomfortably in his chair in the silence.
    “How long have the two of you been married?” Ray asked. “Justin is your stepson, right?”
    “Nineteen years,” said Eric. “I adopted Justin immediately. His biological father has never been a part of his life.”
    “Is he around?”
    “He lives in Texas,” answered Eric. His mouth tightened as he answered. “He’s a useless bum.”
    “You never had more kids?” asked Ray.
    “No.” His mouth went even tighter. “Sally can’t.”
    “Any behavioral issues with Justin that you saw leading up to this?” Mason asked. “A kid with poor grades and depression doesn’t indicate that he’ll go shoot up a mall. Something big happen in his life recently?”
    Sally reappeared and