“One of the guests tried to stop the violence between Jon and Annie. Rafter didn’t like the interference and shot the guest—a woman by the name of Colette—with a longbow. When officer Barrett came by, Rafter was afraid Barrett would see the wounded Colette. So he shot and killed Barrett.”

“Those were his words exactly?” Newton Laskey asked, incredulous that Jon Rafter possessed such a murderous bent.

Nixon nodded. “I may be paraphrasing a bit, but that’s pretty much it.”

Lieutenant Brock asked the next question. “How would you assess Jon Rafter’s current mental state?”

“He’s calm, but still dangerous. However, I think I can work with him. Rafter is willing to release two hostages on the condition we all back up to the end of the driveway. He also wants our vehicles and light towers moved back. And he doesn’t want any officers behind the house. When he sees that we’ve all moved back, he’ll release the injured woman and Ned Hoxley, the old man.”

Sheriff Tubbs turned to Lieutenant Brock. “What do you think, Lieutenant? Can we trust Jon Rafter? Should we deal with him?”

“My men are raring to go, but if we can free the hostages without raiding the house, I’m all for that. But before we all move back, I need visual intelligence. I have to get a camera inside the house. I want to get a feel for the interior layout. If we have to go in, I don’t want my men going in blind.”

“But Kyle, if Rafter discovers the camera scope under a door, he most likely will renege on releasing any hostages,” Nixon said gently, still in his negotiating mode.

Newton Laskey stepped forward. He couldn’t hold his frustration in any longer. “Sheriff, my men have discovered evidence you should probably consider,” he said firmly.

Sheriff Tubbs’s eyes rolled under hooded lids. “What have you got, Newton?”

“My men performed some social media research and found something interesting that puts in doubt what may have happened here. Arcadias and Josiah Barrett are Facebook friends. Both Charbonneau brothers attended the same high school as Barrett. And Arcadias and Josiah graduated the same year.”

“A strange coincidence, but probably nothing more than that,” Tubbs drawled.

“I don’t think so, Sheriff. The fact that Officer Barrett knew the Charbonneaus might explain why he turned his back. He trusted the Charbonneaus.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense, Newton. The Charbonneaus are paying guests here. Why would they shoot an old high school buddy?”

Laskey shook his head. “I don’t know, Sheriff. But it makes me think there is some kind of criminal operation going on here. What sort of crime I don’t know.” Laskey paused as he tried to connect the dots. “Maybe Barrett knew about tonight all along. Perhaps he was just supposed to look the other way. But then he got the call about a missing old man that may have wandered up here. And when he answered the call, Barrett got into a heated discussion with one of the Charbonneaus, and that led to his death.”

“You have to admit, that’s quite a stretch, Newton,” Tubbs said.

Laskey nodded. “But it’s also a stretch that Jon Rafter would shoot a cop. He’s the most virtuous man I know.”

“We talked about this before, Newton. Rafter is capable of violence. His recent past is proof.”

“But only when violence is warranted.” Laskey turned his attention away from Sheriff Tubbs and to Roy Nixon. “When you talked to the person inside did you notice any kind of accent?”

Nixon shook his head. “No, I didn’t, but I concentrated more on assessing his emotional state than listening to his inflection and enunciation.”

“Rafter is originally from New York. He has an east coast accent. It’s slight but it’s there. If you’ll allow me to talk to the hostage taker the next time you have him on the phone, I’m confident I can tell whether it’s really Jon Rafter.”

Nixon shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Mr. Laskey. I’ve already established a rapport with him.”

“I understand and agree. But what if I give you a list of questions to ask, questions only the true Jon Rafter could answer. Would you ask them for me?”

“Sure, I don’t see why I couldn’t mix them into the conversation,” Nixon said.

Laskey turned to Lieutenant Brock. “The hostage taker will be distracted when Roy is talking to him. You might want to slip your cameras under the doors then.”

Brock nodded. “I thought the same thing just now. I’ll tell my men.”

“Hold up, Kyle,” Nixon said. “We have to make a show of backing up first. And you don’t want to put your cameras under the door when the hostages are coming out. Let’s allow the release to happen first.”

“Okay, Roy. We’ll give you some more time to do your magic.”

Lester Tubbs put two fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly. Everyone outside the house turned to face him. Tubbs motioned all law enforcement personnel to come in. When they all were within earshot he spoke. “I want every car and light tower moved back near the road. We’re going to operate from there now. This may be only temporary. But for now we’re going to move back. So let’s get this done ASAP.”

Chapter 44

Josiah Barrett and his mother sat in stone chairs on a patio. Unspoiled nature surrounded them on all sides. The greatest national park on planet earth paled in comparison.

Barrett couldn’t stop smiling as he took in his sprawling backyard. Mammoth trees grew straight and true up from verdant, weed-free grass. The trees soared into the sky and provided ample shade. Heavenly light beamed through the leaf canopy and splashed everything in a golden hue.

Barrett’s gaze followed the property lines. The trees eventually opened up into a meadow supporting a small vineyard. He realized then that he possessed incredible vision. The vineyard stood at least two-hundred yards away, yet he could see the vines hung heavy with grapes. A crystalline brook, complete with a waterfall intersected the back edge of his property. Overhead, songbirds whistled happy songs to the Creator. Barrett felt like breaking into song along with the birds.

“How do you like your place, Josiah?”

Barrett turned and looked back at his home, a house hewn from what looked to him like jasper and quartz. The house was an architectural marvel—ingeniously designed and symmetrically perfect. Barrett noticed for the first time the stone walls were inlaid with precious gems, and even veins of gold. Somehow the jasper and quartz and gemstones and gold dust all melded tastefully together to form a beautiful building material.

Flowering vines covered the house on one side and helped the home blend in with the bucolic setting, complimenting it. Barrett shook his head. Arcadias is searching for treasure on earth and will probably never find it, while I’ve found treasure in heaven, even though I wasn’t looking for it. “I love the home, Mama, but I like the grounds even more. I don’t even feel like I’m living in a city. I feel like I’m way out in the country. I even have a vineyard.”

Susan Barrett smiled. “Heaven is a big, big place. There’s plenty of room for everyone,” she said, and grabbed an apple from a bowl sitting on a table. “I see the welcoming committee has been here. You should try these apples, Josiah. They’re not just any apples. They’re from the Garden, from the Tree of Life.”

Barrett took an apple and bit into it. The fruit tasted better than any fruit he’d ever eaten. “It’s luscious, and satisfying.”

Susan Barrett nodded knowingly. She pointed to the brook. “And you can drink from the brook. The water originates from atop the holy mountain. It’s living water.”

Barrett paused from eating the apple. He looked at his mother. “Where is Pop? I haven’t seen him.”