He met her gaze. “Yes, ma’am. If you could get him, please.”
She swallowed hard and stepped back. “I’ll—I’ll be right back.” The door closed decisively behind her.
Deke turned to the men. Killian’s gaze was pinned on the barns across the yard. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she comes back and says he’s not here,” he muttered.
Deke shrugged. “Then I’ll show her the warrant, and we’ll move on to those barns.” He nodded toward the three looming wooden structuresacross the yard.
Rawley checked the chamber of his sidearm before answering, “We’ll find him.”
Minutes ticked by. The silence grew heavy. Deke pounded on the door this time and raised his voice. “Montana Department of Livestock,” he called, “Open up!”
At last, the door opened. The woman stood framed by dim light. Her shoulders drooped. “I’m sorry, but he’s not here,” she whispered.
“Did you give him time to leave? Is that why it took you so long to come back?” Killian asked with a shake of his head.
Deke leaned forward, his tone firm but respectful. “Ma’am, you are his wife, correct?”
She bit her lip. “Yes, but—”
“Here’s a copy of the warrant.” He handed her the papers. “We’re starting in the barns. We’ll circle back to search the house. You’ll get a receipt for any items we confiscate.”
Her hand hovered over the forms. “What kind of items?”
“Phones, laptops, desktop computers, anything we think will have evidence on it,” he said simply. “We’ll be back in a few minutes. Are Winchester’s kids here?”
She hesitated. “Only Derrick and Tommy are home. Teddy and Johnny are out.”
Rawley exhaled softly. “Probably hiding.”
“We’ll find them.” Deke touched the brim of his hat. “Ma’am, we’ll be right back.”
Together, he, Rawley, and Killian strode across the yard, pulling on latex gloves, heading toward the barns, then each entered one.
At the first barn, Deke pushed open a door.Dust motes danced in the slanting light. In the wide central aisle three livestock haulers sat in a neat row, their rubber tires muddy. Deke withdrew his phone from his pocket and snapped close-ups of each tread pattern, careful to capture serial numbers scrawled on the sidewalls.
His phone buzzed. He swiped it open to read Rawley’s text.
There are two pickup trucks in the middle barn. I’ll get photos of the tires.
Great. I’ve got three haulers here. Check with Killian after you’re done.Deke sent back.
A few tense minutes later another buzz.
Killian said there are three pickups in the barn where he is, so he’s taking photos. We’ll meet you out front.
Deke stepped back, scanning the rafters for hidden compartments. He climbed a ladder that led to the hayloft. He looked around but saw nothing suspicious. After climbing down, he pushed through the barn doors into the bright afternoon, he found Rawley emerging from the middle building. Killian rounded the corner of the third barn, phone in hand.
“Let’s head back to the house,” Deke said. “We’ll seize all computers, devices, and phones when we get there.”
“Will do,” Killian replied with a brisk nod.
“I’ll get some evidence bags from your truck, Deke,” Rawley said.
The three men crossed the wide front yard together, the sun setting high in the blue sky. Their boots clicking on the asphalt, each step echoing faintly in the still afternoon. Long, dark shadows stretched behind them like reachingfingers as they neared the door.
Deke paused at the threshold and rapped sharply on the oak door. It swung open almost instantly, revealing Mrs. Winchester’s startled face. He didn’t wait for an invitation. With Killian and Rawley close behind, he pushed past her into the foyer.
“Holy shit,” Rawley murmured, looking around the inside of the house.
