Page 24 of Smokescreen

“Who could have done this?” Reid continued to stare at the doll.

“Someone who has access to the house.”

“And it wasn’t like this before you left for dinner?”

“No, I would have definitely noticed and told you about it.”

“So while we were eating someone snuck into your room and left this here to scare you.” He shook his head and began to pace. “I don’t like this.”

“Do you have security footage?”

His eyes brightened. “I have cameras outside. Let’s go look at the footage.”

With one last glance at the doll, Olive followed him downstairs and into his office. He pulled a seat around to the other side of the desk for her. They sat beside each other and looked at his computer.

It took several minutes to find what Reid was looking for, but then he hit Play.

Two different videos were displayed on his screen. One featured the front door and the other the back.

He fast-forwarded to before dinnertime and slowed the footage.

They watched carefully. But only five minutes into the video, the footage went blank.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Reid muttered.

Part of Olive wasn’t surprised. “Someone knew you had cameras up and also knew how to manipulate this footage. Any idea who might have been able to do that?”

Reid clucked his tongue before shaking his head. “I don’t. Most of the guys who do manual labor for me don’t strike me as the type to know their way around a security system like this.”

Olive agreed. This wasn’t most likely done by hired laborers. This was done by someone tech savvy. She thought about who else could have access to the property.

“Who does the books for you?” she asked.

“I have a bookkeeper who only comes in twice a week. He likes things neat and tidy. Takes his shoes off at the door. Leaves his workspace spotless. I don’t see him as the type to do this. Besides, if he’d come up to the ranch, I would have seen him pulling up. It’s obvious when people come to visit since they have to drive down that long lane to get here.”

“What about Hannah?” Olive lowered her voice as she asked that question.

“Hannah?” Reid’s voice rose slightly.

Olive watched him, curious about his reaction. Did he trust her? Did he see her as anything other than a house manager?

“Why would you think it could be Hannah?” He squinted.

Olive shrugged. “She has access to the house. And whoever sent me that message somehow had a porcelain doll on hand. I’m going to venture to say most of the guys working for you don’t have dolls in their possession.”

He tilted his head toward his shoulder. “Point taken.”

“You don’t recognize the doll, do you? I mean, where did it come from? I find it hard to believe someone bought one just to bring it here and scare me.”

He remained silent with thought for a moment. “Now that you mention it . . . my mom had a few dolls she kept in a display cabinet for years. There were five of them—I only remember that because she called them The Jackson Five. Apparently, she ordered them from a man who lived in Jackson Hole, thus the name. Anyway, they’re all in the attic now.”

“Could you check sometime and see if one is missing?”

“That sounds like a wise idea.”

Olive shifted before carefully broaching the next question. “Listen, has Hannah ever done anything suspicious before?”

Reid thought about it before shaking his head. “No, she’s very trustworthy. Had a clean background check. I’ve never once questioned her loyalty.”

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