Page 61 of Before the Night Falls
But this time, would she survive?
CHAPTERTHIRTY
Tyson,Hobbes, and Mike—his head of security—reviewed all the security footage from the past twenty-four hours.
At approximately three a.m. last night, the footage went black for thirty minutes.
That must have been when someone left that mask.
But how they had gotten inside was still a mystery.
Tyson supposed someone skilled enough could have scaled the fence and gotten to the house without being noticed.
Had someone accidentally left a door unlocked?
With so many people in and out, it was a possibility.
Mike promised to be even more vigilant, but Tyson was liking this less and less all the time.
After their discussion, Tyson went into his office and called Detective Scarborough to give him the update. The detective said he’d send an officer over to check for prints. Tyson doubted they would find anything.
“Any leads as to who left those flowers?” Tyson started.
Normally, he’d inquire about the threats against the school. But now those were practically forgotten—Olivia’s safety was more important.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t found anything yet,” the detective said. “We’ll let you know when we do.”
“Have you talked to the FBI Special Agent up in New York?” Tyson assumed he had, and that was why Special Agent Harris had called Olivia. But he figured he’d ask to confirm.
“We did. We’re both digging deeper into this.”
“Thanks, Detective. I appreciate all you’ve done.”
“I wish we could do more. Make sure you let us know if Ms. Montgomery gets more flowers. This isn’t something she should ignore.”
Tyson shifted in his desk chair. “Have you figured out anything about the flowers?”
“Based on the bloom structure, they appear to be homegrown.”
“Bloom structure?”
“Garden roses tend to have more ruffled, rounded petals.”
“Learn something new every day . . .” Tyson murmured.
“I checked in with all the local shops, just in case. I didn’t find any links.”
Tyson bit back his disappointment. “Of course.”
After agreeing to keep each other informed, they ended the call.
Glancing across his desk he spotted his Bible and opened it. It was time to take everything to God in prayer.
He couldn’t carry this burden alone any longer.
* * *
That evening, Olivia closed her bedroom door, double-checking that it was locked before moving to the window.
