Page 47 of Tempest

“Up there,” Ivy said, as she pointed toward an Austin police car. “That must be the detective I spoke with earlier.” She checked her phone. “His name is Josh Lineman. Here’s the code for the gate.” She held up her phone so he could read the series of numbers.

As he input the numbers, he shook his head. “The security company who installed this has a decent reputation,” he said as they pulled into the driveway.

“It’s a smart home,” Ivy added. “Whatever that means. The system is supposed to be top-notch.”

“It’s so good that it allowed an intruder to get on the grounds,” he responded.

Ivy looked through the window of car and shook her head. “I guess for a kid from Dripping Springs, Daddy did okay. This house is worth over seven million dollars.”

Ryan was about to say something, but Ivy’s phone beeped with a text. He wanted to tell Ivy that her daddy failed at the most important job there was. All his money gave him only a life with an exotic dancer. Some might consider that a success, but he sure didn’t. Not by a long shot.

Ivy read the text quickly. “Colin and Phoebe are eating at the market. They said they would bring us something for lunch.” She gathered her purse and jumped out of the car.

He met her at the car door and took her hand. “Honey, I was going to open your door for you.”

“You have such good manners. I love that about you.” Tapping her finger against her chin, she shrugged. “Come to think of it…I like when you don’t have any manners just as much.”

When she trailed her hand down his chest, he felt an echoing shudder in his heart. The detective called out a hello and she turned and waved. As she walked away, Ryan realized she’d flipped a switch in him and he no idea how to turn the thing off.

Ivy called him over. He joined her and the detective as he gave them details about the break-in. Apparently, someone had disabled the security system and shut down the cameras located around the property. “Did they try to enter the house?” Ryan asked.

“We don’t think they had a chance. The security company informed us that if the system goes offline for more than ten minutes, it resets, and a backup generator turns it back on with a loud siren going off. We believe the intruder came up from the lake and entered the property through the back. The fire was set among a grove of trees that sits closest to the lake.”

“So why start a fire?” Ivy asked.

“If someone starts a fire in this area at the end of summer with all of these trees and dry brush, they mean to burn everything down. It was good luck that the fire department was finishing up a call close to here. They arrived quickly, and the fire didn’t make it past the path that separates the house from trail that leads to the dock,” the detective said.

Ryan took Ivy’s hand. “Show me where you were standing when the bullet hit your arm.”

“Grazed my arm,” Ivy corrected him. “Follow me and I’ll show you both.”

Ryan followed her up to a guest house that they’d passed when they drove in. Ivy stood at the highest point on the property and turned toward the lake. Ryan studied her for a moment and then walked past her right shoulder in a line that paralleled the gate. He looked over the top of it and noticed a grove of trees across the street. There was a home under construction, and someone would’ve had a clear shot from the second story. The thought of Ivy being out here and vulnerable made him furious. No one knew better than him what a bullet could do to a human body, and the idea of anything happening to her made him sick.

“What do you see, Ryan?” Ivy called out.

Pulling himself out of his dark thoughts, he turned and walked back to Ivy and the detective. “My guess is that the shooter hid in the house across the street. Either they were a lousy shot or they just meant to warn you. It had to be someone from your daddy’s funeral.”

Detective Lineman checked his tablet. “That’s the same thing the uniformed guys said in their report. I don’t have anything about a recovered bullet.”

“If there was one, it would probably be in the koi pond over there.” Ryan pointed to one across the way. Only possible place.”

“I call a team out and have them drag the pond. It doesn’t say anything about them searching it in the report.”

“Probably worth it. It will tell us what kind of gun was used.”

Ivy took his hand. “I guess it’s a good thing that my boyfriend is a retired sniper.”

“I’m a retired SEAL, honey. Being a sniper was just one of my jobs on the Teams.”

Detective Lineman let out a chuckle. “I guess Ivy’s in good hands, then.”

Ivy turned to the detective and smiled widely. “Very good hands.”

Ryan watched the detective cover a laugh with an exaggerated cough. “Let’s walk down to the boat dock and we can see where the fire happened,” Ryan said.

“Follow me,” the detective said as he made his way around the main house.

Ryan took Ivy’s hand as they walked along the path. “How are you doing, honey?”

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