Page 38 of Lethal Danger

As if Jazz and Nev weren’t doing their jobs as well as Sof. Jazz pressed her lips together to avoid saying something that could get her into trouble.

“The culprit is probably coming in after you and the dogs leave.” Bris glanced at the three patrol women.

“Which would mean the greatest need is for the fair to tighten their overnight security.” Cora made the observation that only increased Jazz’s concern. Would Aunt Joan do that? And how was someone getting in overnight anyway? The fair had always gotten by with lighter security overnight because the grounds were locked up tight at that point.

It could be that someone was managing to hide until closing and then only had to get out after they set up their sabotage. Despite Sofia’s boast, no single person and K-9 could cover every inch of the fairgrounds before closing. They were too extensive. PK-9 should probably look at putting two teams on for the last shift. If they had another team, like Phoenix and Dag.

But maybe Sofia was right, and someone was accessing the grounds overnight from the outside. It would be tricky, but probably not impossible. Especially with less security personnel on duty then.

What if Aunt Joan wasn’t taking the security measures she could because she was getting threats? Maybe concerning Jazz. Didn’t seem likely that would faze Aunt Joan, but Jazz needed to find out what was going on. She couldn’t sit by and let her Tri-City Fair be destroyed.

If the PK-9 team wasn’t going to help, even with the possible connection between the sabotage and the attacks on Jazz, then she would have to start her own investigation.

Someone had to end the threat on the fair before it was too late. Before anyone else got hurt.

Twelve

“Who did you say you are?”

Hawthorne’s security badge and uniform apparently weren’t enough to make Jaden Cobb comfortable talking about the morning he’d found a dead body.

“Hawthorne Emerson. I’m security, and I’m also a thriller writer doing research while I’m working here.”

A grin split the ride operator’s mouth, and he shook his head. “I thought you said Hawthorne Emerson. But I thought there might be more than one of you. Wow. So you’re really the guy who writes the Carson Steele books?”

The kid who looked to be about twenty was too young to be in Hawthorne’s typical demographic. But if he was a fan, that could help. “Guilty as charged.”

“Cool. My mom loves you.”

Ah. That explained it.

“She got me started on Carson Steele. I don’t read much, but they’re really good.”

Hawthorne smiled at that. Always great to know his books had turned someone into a reader.

“So you want to know about the kid who died for your books? Are you going to write about that?”

“Possibly.”

“They said it was an accident.”

“That’s what I heard.”

Jaden shifted a lever at the control box for the Logboat Adventure ride.

A boat slid into the loading dock where Jaden and Hawthorne stood outside the ride in the humid morning air.

“I don’t think I can tell you anything you wouldn’t already know.” Jaden bent to look inside the boat, then gripped its edge and tipped it toward one side, then the other.

The boat immediately righted itself. To be expected since it was attached to a stabilizing frame and track under the water.

“Did everything look normal when you came to open the ride that morning?”

Jaden straightened and glanced at Hawthorne. “Sure.” He shifted the lever to bring up another boat. “Just like this morning.”

“Was the staff door unlocked?”

“Nope.” Jaden went through the same motions of checking the next boat.

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