Page 48 of No Love Lost

They slowed down at a gate, where a tall man waved them inside and pointed to the sawmill. The bare trees swayed with the wind, and snow battered against the windshield. He was glad his Atlas had four-wheel drive if it became necessary. He’d bet that Phail got a lot more snow than Boston.

He parked in front of the mill beside Marcus’s police cruiser. The man from the gate jogged up to them and opened Addy’s door. Heath climbed out and tucked Addy into his side as they made their way through the whipping wind into the sawmill. The building was huge. The front half looked like a regular barn, while two large wings spread to the sides at the back of the building.

Once they were inside, the man offered his hand. “Hi. We haven’t met yet. I’m Graham Buchanan. Mechanic, electrician, and whatever else we need here at Midnight Security.”

Heath shook his hand and introduced himself.

Graham waved them over to where Addy’s car sat alongside a prime little red Challenger. A mechanic’s shop with three bays occupied the entire front of the sawmill. Workbenches and toolboxes lined the wall, and there was even a pair of hoists.

Heath nodded, satisfied this guy would know what he was talking about. “Nice place.”

Graham grinned. “Thanks. Aisling uses the back half as a woodworking shop, but this area is all mine. I called Marcus in after I opened Addison’s hood because it was obvious the sabotage was deliberate. He dusted for fingerprints, but it’s been wiped clean.” He pulled out his phone and showed them pictures of the engine and what had been done.

Graham scowled. “It wouldn’t have taken long. Maybe ten seconds total, but it was incredibly ballsy to do that in the parking lot in full view of anyone who walked by.”

Marcus frowned. “It couldn’t have been done earlier?”

Graham shook his head. “No, the car wouldn’t have been drivable. To me, it looks like someone searched how to sabotage a car quickly on the internet. They pulled a few wires that wouldn’t come apart on their own.”

Addy shuddered and leaned into Heath’s side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

Her voice was shaky. “Why would someone sabotage my car? I’m not a threat to anyone. I live an incredibly quiet life that revolves around Nina and my books.”

But she was a gorgeous woman, and Heath figured she’d picked up someone who wanted her attention.

Marcus turned to her. “Have there been any other incidents that have seemed out of place?”

She huffed out a laugh. “A tree fell through my bedroom window a couple of hours ago.”

Marcus frowned. “Anything else.”

Addy shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

Heath squeezed her arm. “Anything that seems out of place might help. Like the fuse the other day.”

The attention of the other two men sharpened. “What happened?”

Addy sighed. “When we came back to the house after spending the afternoon touring Phail, the heat wasn’t working again. The breakers had popped for the heat pumps.”

“Again?” Marcus prompted.

She nodded. “It’s happened a few times. I’ve been saving up to call in someone to check it out.”

Graham blew out a dramatic sigh. “Addison. You know better than that. You call me, and I’ll check it out. It’s what friends do.”

“I didn’t want to bother you. You’re busy.”

Graham rolled his eyes. “Not too busy for a friend. I don’t want to be responsible for a Nina Popsicle. I’ll come back with you and see what I can see.”

“Anything else?” Marcus prompted.

At her hesitation, Heath’s stomach coiled into a knot.

She shrugged. “I misplaced a set of keys a few weeks ago. Haven’t found them yet.”

Heath squeezed her shoulder. “What else?”

“My snowblower wouldn’t start up on that first big snowfall a few weeks back. The hot water heater had a puncture in it and needed to be replaced.”

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