Excerpt of Included!

JOHN HART“I’m asking,” Grantham said.“It’s personal.”“You lied to me.” Angry now. “I want to know what you said.”I spoke slowly, so that he would not miss a single word. “No fucking way.”Grantham rose from his seat. “Ms. Shepherd was assaulted a half mile fromthat spot, and you misinformed us about your actions at the time. Since you’vebeen back, you’ve also put two men in the hospital and been implicated, atleast peripherally, in arson, a methamphetamine lab, and the discharge of afirearm. We just retrieved a corpse from your father’s farm, a body that you,coincidentally, discovered. Things like this happen infrequently in RowanCounty. To say that I am intrigued by you would be a massive understatement,Mr. Chase. A massive understatement.”“You said that I’m not in custody. Is that right?”“That is correct.”“Then here is my answer.” I held up one hand, middle finger extended.Grantham sat back down. “What do you do in New York, Mr. Chase?”“That is none of your business,” I said.“If I contact the authorities in New York, what will they tell me about you?”I looked away.“What brings you back to Rowan County?”“None of your business,” I said. “The answer to every question you ask, exceptmay we call you a cab, is ‘none of your business.’ ”“You’re not helping yourself, Mr. Chase.”“You should be investigating the people that want my father to sell, theones making threats. That’s what Grace’s assault is really about. Why, in thename of God, are you wasting your time with me?”Grantham flicked a glance at Robin. His lips drew down. “I was not awarethat you knew about that,” he said.Robin spoke quickly. “It was my call,” she said. “They had a right to know.”Grantham pinned Robin with those washed-out eyes, and his anger was unmistakable.She’d stepped over a line, but refused to waver. Her head was up,eyes unblinking. He returned his attention to me, but I knew that the matterwas not closed. “Can I assume that everyone has this information now?” heasked.116