Kneel

Case 27

  "Misha! Will you leave the horse alone and get over here?"

  "Sorry!" I stopped petting the horse and went back to where Chloe and Ella were with the body. "All right. Got my attention." Nodding, I put my hands on my hips.

  Chloe was staring at me, and when Ella looked up, she laughed.

  "I guess the feelings are mutual." Ella chuckled while lowering her camera.

  "What-" A blast of air hit the back of my head, and I looked back to see the horse had followed me. "Okay, just a few more pets." I smiled while rubbing my hand over the horse's snout.

  "How'd the horse even get past the tape?"

  "Oh, lookie there. The wild child being accepted by the other beasts." Lucifer popped off.

  "Here comes the guy in charge." Ella pointed, and we turned to see a man walking towards us.

  "Hi. Detective Chloe Decker, my partner Detective Misha Sobieski, and he is-"

  "Very skeptical." Lucifer put his hands into his pockets while looking at the man.

  "Jerry Blackcrow, founder of Firehawk Ranch."

  "You wanna explain why the pony is so interested in the ginger? You'd think it'd be scared of the little predator." Lucifer wagged a finger at the horse and I.

  "Oh, sorry about that. He shouldn't be out without a handler." The man stepped over to grab the horse's face harness. "You must have a kind heart. The horses like people with good souls." He explained while running his hand over the horse's neck, and Lucifer burst into laughter.

  "A good soul? In the ginger? Please, about as empty as a demon."

  "Do you know anyone who may have wanted to hurt Ms. Goddard?" Chloe asked while ignoring Lucifer.

  "No. She was one of my best counselors. Everyone adored her."

  "Any idea what happened, then?"

  "Someone must've snuck onto the property and done this." He replied, and Lucifer laughed again.

  "Well, we're surrounded by ne'er-do-wells, and he thinks the culprit came from the outside? Delusional. Killer's obviously here. Probably him. Shifty eyes. Oh, no, sorry. Her, the ginger. She's got that 'I like to watch the life drain out of people' look. Don't let Misha near her, we can't let the gingers band together now."

  "Lucifer." I shot him a look.

  "Yeah, see, there it is. That's the good ol' 'I'm gonna beat you' look."

  "None of my kids would have done this. They all walk the Firehawk path. This is a place of transformation."

  "Uh, no, this is a scam. People can't be changed. Trust me, I know."

  "Perhaps they just need the right kind of motivation. As a former addict and ex-con, I'm living proof that people can change. Our kids graduate to better lives."

  "Sorry to get all interrupt-y, but they just found this tool belt in the victim's office. Looks like an item is missing." Ella said while showing us the belt.

  "Pruning saw is gone."

  "Let me guess, four to five inches, serrated blade? It's our missing murder weapon. Whose tool belt is that?"

  "One of the residents. Only they receive them."

  "Oh, well, game, set, match moi. It appears one of your pupils has just graduated to murder one."