Page 17 of Smith

“Why do you think someone was looking for something?” I tried again.

“Because if someone broke in here and was just fucking around they’d swing the sledgehammer over their shoulder and the damage would be higher. And there’d be holes all over the room. Someone swung low at the bottom of the wall, then pulled the sheet rock away from the framing, opening up the wall. The insulation is pulled out.” He pointed to the small pile of mangled pink fiberglass. “The damage is contained to this area only. So, yes, Aria, someone was looking for something.”

Smith stood and turned to face me, before he dropped a bomb. “Now the question is, did they find what they were looking for.”

“Aria!”

I startled at my name being yelled from downstairs.

Smith’s expression went from concerned to uneasy. It reminded me of the way he looked last night over dinner when told me he was meeting with his team first thing in the morning to get started on tracking down who owned the red Tesla. Weird his unease didn’t worry me. The opposite actually. If Smith was uneasy he’d do something to fix that and in the process fix whatever was going on with my house. Knowing that settled the anxiety his declaration had brought.

“Coming!” I called back. Then to Smith, “Be back.”

I went back downstairs, then to the cameras to stop them from recording. After that I stopped in front of Philip and took the receipt for the drywall.

“Thanks—”

“Everything all right?”

My gaze shifted to the staircase.

“Yeah, Smith is a friend of my father’s.”

Seeing as Philip did four years in the Army and had been deployed twice during his enlistment, he knew I was a Navy Brat and my father was still active duty. I’d also confided in him that my dad was a tad bit overprotective.

“Can’t say I blame him. I’d send a friend to check in on my daughter, too, if she had some asshole messing with her.”

I didn’t know Philip had children.

“How old is your daughter?”

He gave me a sheepish smile.

“I don’t have one. Got two boys. But if I had a girl and me or one of my boys couldn’t get to her I’d call in any favor available to me.” He paused and suddenly looked uncomfortable. “This street’s nice. Seems quiet every time I’ve been here. Houses are spaced apart so there’s no one close, but still seems to me people around here pay attention.”

I didn’t know where he was going with this topic but still I answered.

“You’re right. Neighbors on both sides came over and introduced themselves the first day I started work.”

“Right. So nice street, nice neighbors, quiet. This house doesn’t look abandoned and never did. Doesn’t seem to me like it would be a smart pick for some punks to come in and vandalize.”

If Smith hadn’t already given me this same hypothesis, Philip giving it to me would’ve caused mild panic. But since I was already having a mini freakout I simply nodded.

“Smith thinks the same thing.”

Philip nodded. “I see you got a camera for the front door. Do you have one on the back?”

I didn’t but I had a feeling by the end of the day, Smith would be installing one.

“Not yet, but it’ll be done.”

Another nod and he looked more uncomfortable when he said, “I’ve watched your channel. In some of those videos it’s dark outside. I live about twenty minutes from here. If you’re working late, call me.”

That was sweet but unnecessary.

“I couldn’t ask?—”

“You didn’t ask, Aria. I’m offering. It’s no skin off my nose I get my ass off the couch and come over to make sure you’re safe while you’re working or walking out to your car. I looked, you got no flood lights, just the porch light, and that don’t cut through the dark.”

---