Page 84 of Never Fall Again

“Deceased husband.”

Gray quirked an eyebrow. “My apologies. Her deceased husband’s family.”

Cal wasn’t in the mood to joke about the wretch who had made Landry’s life a misery. “He wasn’t a good man, Gray.”

“So I gathered. She give you details?”

“A few. The world’s a better place without him.”

“Good to know. Aside from her deceased husband’s family, everyone else in the known universe loves Landry. Bronwyn says she consistently gets the highest possible scores on her guest surveys. People have even left remarks like ‘If you ever get rid of her, we won’t be back.’”

Cal frowned. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“I think saying you won’t come back like that sounds a bit possessive. I know we considered it when Favors caught on fire. Maybe we need to revisit it, treating this as a new data point.”

“Most of the guests here wouldn’t know how to do this stuff.”

“No, but some of their bodyguards would.”

“Bodyguards?”

“Yeah. Some of these people bring staff. Sometimes they call them their personal assistant. But there was one lady who had a guy with her who was at least thirty years younger than she was, and he was built like a football player.”

“Doesn’t mean he was her bodyguard, Cal.”

“Bronwyn confirmed it. Some of these bodyguard types are former military, former Special Forces even.”

“Or former criminals.” Gray studied the scene. “We’re missing something.”

“Except the part where we’re sure this is about Landry now.”

“Probably.”

“Gray, what do you mean, probably? This person trashed her studio. He didn’t trash the restaurant or the fitness area. He trashed her private space.”

“Maybe someone in the family wants her gone to discredit Bronwyn.”

Cal studied his friend as best as he could through their protective garb. “You don’t believe that.”

“No. But my job is to look at every possible angle. And right now, we have too many angles.” He signed a document that a tech brought over. “With that said, I made a phone call last night.”

Cal had no idea where Gray was going with this. “To whom?”

“To Meredith.”

“About?”

“Letting Landry and Eliza crash at her place for a few weeks. Maybe longer. Until we get this sorted.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not. I don’t have the manpower to put them under guard. And without a more specific threat, I don’t see Landry agreeing to disappear for a while. If they stay at Meredith’s, they have you and Mo on either side. Anyone trying to get to them will have several miles of Quinn land to traverse before they get to the house. And according to Meredith, Mo’s been playing around with added surveillance that will give him a heads-up if anyone comes within three hundred yards of the place. Even if they come up the river or through the woods.”

Cal knew Mo had been up to something but hadn’t wanted to discuss it yet. “Mo gets a little paranoid sometimes.”

“It’s not paranoia when the threat is real.” Gray stepped away and spoke to someone, then returned and picked up like there’d been no pause. “Meredith says this is the excuse she’s been looking for.”

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