Fifteen minutes later, the four of them, in two cars, arrived at a two-story house at the foot of a small hill. The location was indeed remote, with no proper concrete or asphalt roads, just a dirt road sprinkled with small stones leading to the house.
After parking the cars, Roscoe led the group around the flower bed, onto the path leading to the front door, talking as they walked.
"I'm going to get something to eat. Although I don't have much of an appetite, you two must be hungry."
She wasn't referring to the seasoned Finnley, but to Reacher and Jack, who had acted as if they were paying a normal visit to someone's house at the crime scene earlier.
Jack suddenly stopped, nodded, and spoke, "Roscoe, I don't think your house is as remote as it seems, at least not 'quiet' enough."
The other three were taken aback and looked at the house in front of them. The wooden door was ajar, with signs of forced entry at the lock, but the distance made it difficult for anyone but the keen-sensed Jack to notice this anomaly right away.
Jack squatted down and pulled a Glock from an ankle holster, tossing it to Reacher, who caught it with ease, while he drew his FK 7.5. Roscoe and Finnley instinctively took out their own guns.
As she pulled out her gun, Roscoe glanced at Finnley, seeing that he wasn't surprised at all that Jack was armed, she remained silent and followed him into the house.
"Nobody here!"
"Clear!"
After searching the house, they found it empty, with no signs of being ransacked, except for Roscoe's bedroom dresser, where a few intimate garments were scattered on the floor.
"A simple pervert or a crazy admirer of yours?" Finnley sighed, holstering his gun.
"I don't know. How could someone dare to follow me in this small town?" Roscoe's face was dark with anger.
"No, it's the same group as at the Morrison house." Reacher's eyes were fixed on the carpet at the entrance, where there were distinct muddy footprints.
Jack nodded, "They walked right over the flower bed, tracking in mud. The footprints are consistent with those at the Morrison house, with no tread pattern, just like the rubber shoe covers. I'd bet if we did a micro-trace analysis, we'd find the Morrisons' blood inside."
"Are they planning to kill me too?" Roscoe turned to Jack.
"I'm more inclined to believe that one of them planned to come back and 'relax' after the fact. From the footprints, only one person went into the bedroom, while the others stayed in the living room. Of course, killing you afterward isn't out of the question."
Jack analyzed seriously, almost like Sherlock Holmes with a pipe missing.
Roscoe looked disgusted by the scenario Jack described, turned to close the door, but revealed three letters carved on the back of it—'SEE YOU SOON.'
"It looks like they plan to come back."
She paced restlessly in the living room. Reacher tried to comfort her, "I know you're very scared."
Unexpectedly, she was interrupted.
"Scared?"
The delicate policewoman walked up to him, looking up at him, like an angry kitten baring its teeth at a dog twice its size.
"Do I look scared? I'm furious! Look into my eyes, do you see any fear? You arrogant giant."
"The FBI and CIA have both recruited me. My IQ score is 99%, and my psychological assessment is only 80%. Do you know why? This is why!"
"They broke into my room, did disgusting things, thinking it would scare me? This is my home, renovated with my own savings, in this town founded by my family! They think I won't dare to move against them?"
Reacher stood still, seemingly stunned by her fiery outburst. Finnley widened his eyes, seemingly unable to believe that this usually silent little policewoman under his command had such a fiery temper.
"What are you looking at? If it weren't for you taking my position, I would be the only detective in this town!"
Roscoe's not-so-prominent chest heaved with anger, and no one dared to speak for a moment.
Bang, the sound of the refrigerator closing broke the tense silence. Jack, who had already opened the fridge to find food, shut the door.
"Roscoe, are you on a diet? There's not even a pack of bacon in here."
Seeing the three of them turn their eyes to him, he held a carton of eggs and looked surprised, "Weren't we supposed to get something to eat? I only had a sandwich this morning, I'm starving."
---
"You mean Morrison was in cahoots with the people controlling Paul Herborg?"
Half an hour later, in Roscoe's backyard, the four sat around a small table. Finnley widened his eyes again.
"Otherwise, is this a huge coincidence? The situation at Morrison's death scene matches what Paul Herborg described to us in prison. He said if he got into trouble, those controlling him would torment him this way."
Reacher's analysis was logical.
"Then why didn't you two tell me anything before? And now you are?" Finnley felt hurt.
Jack smiled, "Because you are still alive."
Finnley: "..."
Reacher continued, "I guess the mastermind's goal was to have Morrison frame me for that murder case, but because Roscoe got the long-distance bus company's video, I was acquitted, so they thought Morrison messed up."
"And although you seemed to want to force me to help you solve the case, you also forcibly sent me to jail, so I trusted Roscoe but not you."
"Plus, you hid something. A black cop with twenty years of pension suddenly leaves Boston to work in a remote, racist southern town? Very suspicious."
Finnley was silent for a long time, then smiled bitterly, "When Sharon was sick, I was taking care of her while still busy with work. I promised her she would get better, but she didn't make it. I came here not for other reasons, just to punish myself."
The group fell silent. After a while, Reacher apologized, "I'm sorry, I thought..."
Finnley waved his hand, forgiving him, "At least now we know who to trust, which is a good thing."
Before he finished speaking, his phone rang, followed by Roscoe's, and then Jack's.
Jack held up a finger, signaling everyone to answer their calls.
The calls were brief, and they soon hung up.
"Mayor Tyler has appointed himself as the acting police chief."
"Tyler has called an emergency town council meeting in an hour, at the church." Roscoe and Finnley received the same message.
Jack's call was from Hannah, notifying him that someone had woken up.
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