The Empty Chair

door, smelling the musty wood scent laced with the sweet aroma of gasoline and oil that flowed from inside the barn. She listened carefully. She heard a tapping—the noise of the engine of the car or truck Amelia had stolen.
    Five, four, three . . .
    She took a deep breath to calm herself. Another.
    Ready, she told herself.
    Then there was a loud crash from the front of the building as Mason kicked inside. “Sheriff’s office!” he cried. “Nobody move!”
    Go! she thought.
    Lucy kicked the side door. But it moved only a few inches and stopped fast—hitting a large riding lawn mower parked just inside the door. It wouldn’t go any farther. She slammed into it with her shoulder twice but the door held.
    “Shit,” she whispered and ran around to the front of the barn.
    Before she got halfway there she heard Mason call out, “Oh, Jesus.”
    And then she heard a gunshot.
    Followed a moment later by a second one.

    “What’s going on?” Rhyme demanded.
    “Okay,” Bell said uncertainly, holding the phone. There was something about his stance that alarmed Rhyme; the sheriff stood with the phone pressed hard against his ear, his other fist clenched and away from his body. He nodded as he listened. Looked at Rhyme. “There’ve been shots.”
    “Shots?”
    “Mason and Lucy went into the barn. Jesse said there were two shots.” He looked up, shouted into the other room. “Get the ambulance over to the Hallburton place. Badger Hollow Road, off Route 112.”
    Steve Farr called, “It’s on its way.”
    Rhyme pressed his head back into the headrest of the chair. Glanced at Thom, who said nothing.
    Who was shooting? Who’d been hit?
    Oh, Sachs . . .
    An edge in his voice, Bell said, “Well, find out, Jesse! Is anybody down? What the hell’s going on?”
    “Is Amelia all right?” Rhyme shouted.
    “We’ll know in a minute,” Bell said.
    But it felt more like days.
    Finally Bell stiffened again as Jesse Corn or somebody came on the phone. He nodded. “Jesus, he did what?” He listened a moment longer then looked at Rhyme’s alarmed face. “It’s all right. Nobody’s hurt. Mason kicked his way into the barn and saw some overalls hung up on the wall. A rake or shovel or something in front of it. It was real dark. He thought it was Garrett with a gun. He fired a couple times. That’s all.”
    “Amelia’s all right?”
    “They weren’t even there. It was just the truck they stole that was inside. Garrett and Amelia must’ve been in the house but they probably’ve heard the shots and took off into the woods. They can’t get too far. I know the property—it’s all surrounded by bogs.”
    Rhyme said angrily, “I want Mason off the case. That was no mistake—he shot on purpose. I told you he was too hotheaded.”
    Bell obviously agreed. Into the phone he said, “Jesse, put Mason on. . . .” There was a short pause. “Mason, what the hell is this all about? . . . Why’d you fire? . . . Well, what if it’d been Pete Hallburton standing there? Or his wife or one of his kids? . . . I don’t care. You head back here right now. That’s an order. . . . Well, let them search the house. Get in your cruiser and head back. . . . I’m not telling you again. I—”
    “Shit.” Bell hung up. A moment later the phone rang again. “Lucy, what’s going on? . . .” The sheriff listened,frowning, eyes on the floor. He paced. “Oh, Jesus. . . . You’re sure?” He nodded then said, “Okay, stay there. I’ll call you back.” He hung up.
    “What happened?”
    Bell shook his head. “I don’t believe it. We got suckered. She did a number on us, your friend.”
    “What?”
    Bell said, “Pete Hallburton’s there. He’s home—in his house. Lucy and Jesse just talked to him. His wife works the three-to-eleven shift over at Davett’s company and she forgot her supper so he dropped it off a half hour ago and drove home.”
    “ He drove home? Were Amelia and Garrett hiding in the trunk?”
    Bell gave a disgusted sigh. “He’s got a pickup. No place to hide. Not for them anyway. But there was plenty of room for her cell phone. Behind a cooler he had in the back.”
    Rhyme too now barked a cynical laugh. “She called the rental company, got put on hold and hid the phone in the truck.”
    “You got that right,” Bell muttered.
    Thom said, “Remember, Lincoln, she called that rental place this morning. She was mad because she was on hold for so long.”
    “She knew