Chapter Five
M iles parked behind Robinson PD and checked the time on the dash. Getting out, he locked his truck and walked inside. Dee sat at the desk in reception and waved to Miles as he walked inside.
Dee’s expression wasn’t her usual easy smile. She tilted her head toward TJ’s office.
“Morning,” Miles said as he passed the desk.
“Morning,” Dee replied, then lowered her voice. “TJ wants you.”
Miles slowed. “What’s up?”
“Report came in.” Dee took a deep breath before continuing, “Old Fernsby place. Someone’s been inside.”
Miles stopped fully then, the words catching his attention. A lot of places in Robinson had history. The history of the Fernsby house was different though. “Who reported it?”
Dee’s mouth tightened. “Mrs. Hemsworth. Or… she started to. She called, got spooked, then called back and said it was a mistake. TJ told her to stay put and not go over there.”
Miles nodded, a small frown developing. “Anything else?”
“No,” Dee answered. “Not yet.”
He glanced toward the main room and TJ’s office door beyond it. The station was quiet at that time. A couple of officers were out already, and Taylor’s desk chair was empty.
Miles walked to TJ’s office and knocked.
“Come in,” TJ called.
TJ sat behind his desk with a folder in front of him. The look on his face made Miles pause. He’d only seen it a couple of times and one of them was when Orsen had been forced to kill Ambrose. This wasn’t routine.
Miles shut the door behind him. “You wanted me?”
TJ nodded at the chair and Miles walked over and sat. TJ tapped the folder once with two fingers. “We got a report about the Fernsby place.”
“Dee said.”
TJ grunted. “Mrs. Hemsworth called it in. Said she noticed the door wasn’t shut right.”
Miles kept his face blank. “Any sign of forced entry?”
“No.” TJ shook his head as he spoke. “That’s part of why I don’t want it turning into a thing. If someone broke in, we handle it. If it’s something else, we handle it differently.”
Miles watched him. “What’s the something else?”
TJ held Miles’ gaze for a second. “That Tanner’s back.”
The words hit hard, mostly because Miles hadn’t expected them to.
He’d heard the name, of course. In a town like Robinson, you couldn’t grow up here or work here without hearing it.
But it wasn’t a name people said often anymore.
It came up now and then, usually when someone drove past the old house and made a comment about it being empty.
Miles leaned back in the chair. “You’re sure?”
TJ opened the folder and slid a sheet across the desk. It was Dee’s call log. Short notes. Time. Mrs. Hemsworth’s name. A line that read: door not shut properly, not locked, things moved . Another line underneath: caller withdrew. said mistake. appeared nervous.
“She recognized him,” TJ said.
Miles read it again. “She actually saw him? We know for certain it’s him?”
“She’s lived across from that house for as long as I’ve been wearing a badge. I think she suspected a break in, investigated and found Tanner. She called later to say it was a mistake.”
Miles put the paper down. “If it is him, then when did he get back?”
“Last night, or early this morning would be my guess. She saw the door…” TJ shrugged.
Miles stared at the folder. “Why would he come back now?”
“That’s what I want to know.”
Miles paused, his eyes going over what Dee had written again. TJ didn’t say anything else, which told Miles he was choosing what to say and what to keep to himself.
Miles asked, “What’s the history, exactly? I know what people have said over the years.”
TJ sat back and blew out his breath. “You know his parents died. You know he left. That’s what people say like that’s the whole story.
” TJ rubbed his jaw as he stared off for a few seconds.
“Tanner was sixteen and Savannah was a baby. His folks died in that car wreck. He had no one. No close family in town. CPS was involved fast because there wasn’t another adult in the house.
People started showing up, asking questions, trying to help in the way people do. ”
Miles nodded. He’d seen that play out more than once. “Yeah.”
TJ nodded. “Tanner didn’t want help. Not the kind that involved foster placement.
He’d been doing alright before that. A quiet kid.
Kept his head down. Worked odd jobs to help his parents.
He was stubborn as hell.” TJ’s eyes narrowed.
“Then one day he and Savannah were just gone. The house was locked up. School tried calling.” TJ shook his head. “Nobody had a clue where they’d gone.”
Miles listened without interrupting. He could hear what TJ wasn’t saying: the town had filled in the blanks like small towns did. The gossip mill running overtime.
“And the house has been empty since?” Miles asked.
“Yeah,” TJ replied. “Utilities were shut off eventually. Taxes got complicated. It’s been sitting for years. That house is basically a story people tell now.”
Miles exhaled. “So, if he’s inside… he had a key?”
“Could have,” TJ said. “Or he forced it but there’s no obvious damage. Either way, I don’t want two patrol cars and half the street watching him get walked out in cuffs. Not if it is him.”
Miles’ gaze narrowed. “You want me to go alone.”
“I do.” TJ nodded, his eyes fixed on Miles’. “And I want you to be smart about it.”
Miles sat forward. “What are we talking about here. Trespass?”
“It’s his house, Miles. Not legally clear-cut anymore, but it’s not the same as someone breaking into a stranger’s place. That’s why I’m not treating it like a burglary call until we know what’s going on.”
Miles nodded. “Any mention of anyone else inside other than Tanner? What about the girl, Savannah?”
TJ opened the folder again and pulled out another sheet. This one had been printed from the system. A short note from Dee, time-stamped after the second call.
“We don’t know,” TJ said. “Right now, We’re assuming it’s Tanner. Savannah’s whereabouts are unknown.”
“He left with Savannah after CPS involvement. You mentioned foster, so maybe he ran because he didn’t want anyone to take her.”
“I think that.” TJ nodded.
“If he’s come back…” Miles licked his lips, stared at the folder then back at TJ. “He left with her to keep her. If he’s back, then my guess would be she is too.”
Miles’ stomach tightened. “If it’s Savannah and she’s been with him this whole time—”
“Then we keep it calm,” TJ cut in. “We don’t roll up like it’s a raid and spook him. Because if he bolts with Savannah, then we’re chasing him, and something could go wrong.”
Miles didn’t argue because he understood TJ’s point. “Quiet and without causing a scene,” he murmured, his eyes still on the sheet of paper.
TJ pointed at the paper. “I want you to go out there. Confirm it’s him. Confirm if Savannah is there. Check the conditions. Is the house safe? Is there food? Heat? Power?”
“It won’t have power,” Miles said automatically. “Utilities would have been cut years ago.”
TJ nodded. “So, if Savannah is there and it’s cold in there, that matters. If there’s no food or heat, that matters as well.”
Miles kept his voice even. “And if he refuses to talk?”
“Then you keep it calm. You don’t push him into a corner. And you call me from your truck, not the cruiser.”
Miles tapped the edge of the paper. “What do you want me to do if Savannah is there and there are no papers?”
TJ’s jaw hardened. “You don’t use that word in front of him. You don’t say CPS unless you have to. You don’t set him off where he grabs Savannah and runs again.”
Miles nodded slowly. “Got it.”
“If this turns into a safety issue, you do what you have to, but I want the first contact to be as smooth as possible.”
Miles folded the paper and put it back on the desk. “Any weapons history?”
TJ snorted. “Not that we know. Tanner was a kid and he wasn’t in trouble. But someone living rough can pick up anything.”
Miles stood. “Alright.”
TJ stood too. “Miles.”
Miles paused at the door and looked back.
TJ’s voice lowered. “Don’t spook him. Make this about Savannah.” TJ fidgeted, which was unusual for him. “Look, I’ve been through something like this when Cody went missing then came back. Take it slow.”
Miles held his gaze. “I will.”
“Call me when you’re on scene. Park down the street if you can.”
Miles opened the door. “Got it.”
Grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair, he headed out. As he stepped into the reception area, Dee asked, “You going out there?”
“Yeah,” Miles replied.
Dee nodded. “Be careful.”
***
The drive out to the Fernsby place took less than ten minutes.
He didn’t use the main road once he got close.
He cut through a side street and slowed as he turned the corner.
The Fernsby house sat back from the road with a narrow yard.
The grass was patchy in some places and overgrown in others, the porch steps sagged slightly, and the windows were dark.
Miles didn’t pull into the driveway but parked two houses down, behind a pickup, and shut the engine off. He sat for a second and watched the house.
Nothing moved in the Fernsby windows, but that didn’t mean anything. Miles picked up his phone and called TJ.
TJ answered on the second ring. “You there?”
“Yeah,” Miles said. “Parked down the street. House looks quiet. No signs of forced entry from here.”
“Copy,” TJ replied. “Take your time.”
Miles ended the call and clipped his radio. He didn’t want it blaring if he didn’t have to, but he wanted it within reach.
He got out, shut the door quietly and noticed how cold it was. If the house was unheated then it wouldn’t be pleasant inside, especially with a child.
Walking toward the Fernsby place at a steady pace, Miles kept his hands visible. He didn’t touch his weapon. He wanted his body language to show he was relaxed and that he wasn’t there to cause any trouble.
As he reached the edge of the yard, he glanced toward the house across the street. Mrs. Hemsworth’s curtains were drawn, but a narrow gap showed movement behind them. She was watching and Miles didn’t blame her.
Walking up the path, Miles noticed the Fernsby front door was shut, but it didn’t sit quite right in the frame. Miles stepped onto the porch, hearing the boards creak under his boots.
Ignoring the sound, Miles stopped and looked at the door. There were no obvious signs of damage. No splintered wood or fresh scrape marks around the lock. Just old paint and worn edges.
He leaned slightly, listening. At first there was nothing, then he heard a floorboard shift inside. His eyes went to the window beside the door, seeing it was too dusty to see through properly, but he could make out shapes inside.
Miles didn’t knock yet. He lifted his head and called through the door, voice clear but not loud. “Sheriff’s department. Anyone inside?”
There was nothing but silence at first, but then there was another small movement. Closer to the door this time.
Miles kept his tone calm and even. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I just need to speak to you.”
He waited and when there was no response, he exhaled slowly.
If it was Tanner, he might be standing behind that door deciding whether to run or fight or hide.
If Savannah was with him, that made the decision harder.
Miles moved one step to the side. He didn’t want to be directly in front of the door if someone yanked it open and came at him.
He glanced down and searched the immediate area. On the porch, near the wall, there was a faint smear in the dust where something had been dragged. A bag, maybe? A footprint, too. That was enough to confirm someone had used this porch recently.
Miles looked back at the door. Inside, something shifted again, and a small sound followed it. Miles furrowed his brow trying to place it. It wasn’t a TV. It wasn’t the creak of the house.
It sounded like a child.
Miles’ jaw tightened. “Okay,” he said, in a calm voice. “Listen. I’m Deputy Miles Owens. I work with Sheriff Redding. I just need to make sure everyone’s alright.”
He waited again, giving whoever was inside time to decide.
The porch creaked behind him, and Miles turned his head slightly to see Mrs. Hemsworth standing at the edge of her yard across the street, cardigan pulled tight. She didn’t come closer but stood there like she couldn’t help coming out to see what was happening.
Miles held her gaze for half a second, then shook his head once, but she didn’t move. Miles turned back to the door and decided to ignore her.
Lifting his hand, Miles paused before knocking. He heard a sound close to the door and made his decision. He knocked and stood back, waiting to see what would happen next.
Inside the house, movement immediately followed his knocks. Miles held his posture steady, ready for the door to open.