Come on in.” Deacon opened the door wide and waited for the other man to step inside.
Tanner paused in the center of the living room and removed his hat. “You’ve done a lot of work around this old place.”
Deacon closed the door and faced him. “Not so much.” He glanced around. “Paint mostly. Some maintenance that had gone by the wayside.”
“Looks good.”
Most of what Deacon had done around the place had been merely a part of building his cover. A necessary phase in establishing credibility. “I’m sure you didn’t drop by to check out my DIY skills. How can I help you, sheriff?”
“First, I want to reiterate how much Chief Brannigan and I appreciate you stepping in to help Miss Winters today.”
Brannigan had already said as much. Deacon was fairly confident this visit wasn’t just so Tanner could pass along his appreciation in person, as well. “It was the neighborly thing to do.”
Tanner held his white hat in his hands. Like the rest of the men in power around here, he sported a cowboy hat, boots and well-worn jeans. Deacon had chosen the same sort of attire, not because he actually considered himself a cowboy but because he wanted to fit in with the majority of the other “good” guys around the Winchester area. When Cecelia looked at him, he wanted her to see an image that reminded her of the sheriff or the chief. Someone she could trust.
Psychology 101. Play the part.
“Those folks were part of her dead daddy’s church,” Tanner said. “The whole group is up in arms. I don’t know what part of the Bible they think makes it a Christian thing to do—going after a woman like that. I spoke to the leader, Marcus Winters, who is also Cece’s brother. He’s assured me there will be no more trouble but I don’t trust him to follow through with that promise.”
Deacon was well aware of who the people were. He was also thoroughly acquainted, if only secondhand, with the older brother. The man had stepped into his dead daddy’s shoes as if he had planned the event. It was possible he and Cecelia had plotted the old man’s murder together. Then again, the fact that Marcus and the younger sister, Sierra, had basically disowned Cecelia seemed to indicate otherwise.
Then there was the wild card, the younger brother, Levi. He had visited his sister in prison on a regular basis but then he had not picked her up when she was released. Had not dropped by since she arrived home.
“I’ll do what I can to keep an eye out around here,” Deacon said. Though he wasn’t convinced the sheriff had paid him this visit to elicit his help in providing backup where the Winters woman was concerned.
“Do you know Cece’s younger brother, Levi?”
The question surprised Deacon. “I know the name,” he admitted. “I don’t actually know him or any other member of her family.” He shrugged. “I suppose I’ve seen him around.”
“Strange,” Tanner said. “About three weeks ago Levi caught me at home and went on and on about how he thought you might represent some threat to his sister. I asked him for details but he seemed reluctant to provide any.”
Well, well. Levi had been watching him. Deacon had thought he’d spotted the man once but he hadn’t been sure. Now he knew. Deacon shook his head. “I can’t imagine where he got an idea like that, sheriff. I don’t know his sister or him, beyond the rumors I’ve heard.”
Tanner shifted his weight ever so slightly. “I took the liberty of running a background search on you, Ross. I hope you don’t mind.”
Deacon chuckled. “’Course not. I have nothing to hide. I’m new in town. You have an obligation to the citizens of your county to look into potential trouble.”
Tanner didn’t comment on his reaction, apparently wasn’t impressed or relieved. “You’re an FBI agent. From Nashville. Not married. No family. What brought you to Winchester?”
“Real estate prices,” Deacon said without hesitation. “Property in the Nashville area is crazy expensive. I was looking for a place to retire.”
The sheriff was far from convinced. “You’re thirty-five years old. Seems kind of young to be planning your retirement.”
Deacon shook his head. “According to my investment counselor you’re never too young to start preparing.”
Tanner nodded. “Well, I guess there’s some truth to that.” He placed his hat on his head. “I suppose you’ll be returning to Nashville eventually, considering that’s where you’re assigned. You must have had a hell of a lot of vacation days accrued.”
Apparently the sheriff wasn’t going to be happy with Deacon’s glossed-over responses. “I requested a leave of absence. I’m not sure if I’ll be returning to field duty.”
Tanner studied him from beneath the brim of that white hat. “Is that right?”
“I hit a wall, sheriff. I’m certain you can understand how that can happen. I’m just not sure of what I want to do moving forward. Peace and quiet, for sure. Beyond that, I can’t say.” That was as close to the truth as he was going. But the basic story was accurate. Accurate enough to get him through this, he hoped.
“Law enforcement can take a toll. I hope you’ll feel free to look me up if you need anything.” Tanner chuckled. “Keep in mind, we’re always on the lookout for experienced lawmen in the sheriff’s department. If you’re interested in coming on board, drop by and we’ll talk.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, sheriff. Thank you. As for Levi Winters, if he still feels I represent some threat, I’m happy to meet with the two of you and hash out the issue.”
Tanner nodded. “If I find him, I’ll tell him. It’s the strangest thing.”
Deacon braced for whatever the sheriff intended to say next.
“I haven’t been able to find him since that day. According to the warden at the prison no one showed up to give Cece a ride home. I recall that Levi said he would be picking her up. I’m surprised he didn’t. He’s the only one in her family who didn’t turn on her during the trial.”
“Have you spoken to Miss Winters to see if she’s heard from him?”
“I was about to head over there now. A tech from the phone company is coming to turn on the landline. I called in a request as soon as I heard she was being released. I don’t want her out here with no way to call for help. I doubt she has a cell phone yet.”
“The service out here is not that great anyway,” Deacon pointed out.
“All the more reason to go with a landline,” Tanner agreed.
“Hold on, sheriff.” Deacon rounded up a notepad and a pen. He scribbled his cell number on the top sheet, tore it off and passed it to the other man. “This is my cell number—for what it’s worth. If she needs to call someone in the middle of the night, I’m closer than anyone else. I haven’t bothered with a landline. Maybe I should.”
“I’m sure she’ll appreciate that, Ross.” Tanner folded the paper and tucked it into his pocket.
He headed for the door. When he reached for the knob, Deacon added, “I was serious when I said if her brother wants to talk I’m more than willing. Just give me a call.”
“Will do.”
Tanner left and Deacon watched from the window as he loaded into his truck and drove away. The sheriff was friendly enough, but he wasn’t completely satisfied with what he knew or what his instincts were telling him about Deacon. At the moment he had no reason to pursue the issue, but he would be watching and maybe doing a little more digging. Deacon wasn’t concerned. The Bureau would not turn over information regarding an agent to anyone just to satisfy his curiosity. The only aspect of Deacon’s past or present that could in any way be related to his being here was his former partner’s disappearance,