Page 28 of Out of the Shadows
The barn was the first problem because it was only thirty yards from the house, and anyone could approach the property from the east with the barn and trees as cover. The second main problem was that while there was a gate across the driveway, it didn’t lock, and there was no alarm system on the house.
Still, the area was quiet, day or night. A serene rural community with little traffic. Sound would carry and be easy to pinpoint.
Jack returned to the house, which was comfortably cool, and accepted the ice water Laura handed him. “You’re making me nervous,” she said. “You don’t really believe they’re coming back, do you?”
“We need to be cautious. That means securing your house as best we can and not being alone outside. Keep your wits about you. I’m going to talk to the neighbors, but the heat sapped my energy so I’m taking my truck.”
“I don’t blame you,” she said. “I’m used to Texas summers, but even they didn’t prepare me for this heat.” She rested her hand on his arm. “Thank you, Jack. I didn’t sound appreciative for your help this morning, but I am.”
“No thanks necessary,” he said.
She noticed that her hand was on him, and she pulled it back, seemingly embarrassed. It was... well, Jack wasn’t quite sure if he should read anything into it. Laura was Logan’s sister, he was here to watch over her and the kids, and to be honest, his romantic radar was rusty. He’d only been on a few dates since his divorce, and no one had stuck.
He liked her. She was comfortable in her own skin, confident, accepted help, and pretty.
But, like him, she was divorced with kids and, as she’d said, still loved her ex-husband. It would be too complicated. Maybe... later. When they resolved this situation, when he had some perspective and had thought things through, he could ask her for coffee or something.
He said, “I won’t be long. Logan hired someone to fix the back door, they’ll be here within an hour. And I asked that they install a better dead bolt on the front door. Just as a precaution, but it would probably be a good thing to keep it engaged when you’re home, especially at night.”
“Thanks,” she muttered and averted her eyes.
Yep, she was embarrassed because she wasn’t interested, and he’d read too much into a casual touch.
As he walked out, he still felt her hand on his arm.
Laura lived on a half-mile-long road that ended in a small turnabout. There were five houses, including Laura’s, and hers was located on the southeast corner lot. The elaborately remodeled house at the end had been completely landscaped, with a wide swath of lawn that would cost a fortune to keep so green and a swimming pool that could be seen from the gated entrance. They’d also erected a barn that looked too fancy for the rugged community.
No one answered the buzzer on the gate, but there was an option to leave a voice message, which he did with his name and phone number.
The two families across the road were home; both knew Laura and her kids and were concerned about the break-in. Neither had security cameras or heard anything unusual yesterday—though the older retired couple had been gone all day.
The neighbor to the north of Laura, between her property and the remodeled house, wasn’t home. Jack made a note to return later.
The two houses across the main road—if one could call the narrow two-lane road a “main” road—were his best bet for cameras. One property had obvious cameras on the corner of their garage, which was closer to the road than the house. It appeared to look out to the intersection.
He knocked on the door. He heard kids playing inside. A teenage boy opened the door and at the same time got whacked on the side of the head with a bean bag. A mass of laughter erupted from inside the house.
“I’ll get you back, Jared, you fucking brat!”
“Language!” a female voice admonished from behind the teen. She slapped the back of his head in a move that reminded Jack of his Abuela, only she used achancla—basically, a flip-flop—for punishment.
Jack and his cousins had learned real quick to abide by Abuela’s rules.
“How can I help you?” the mother said while motioning for her son to disappear.
“I’m Jack Angelhart, a private investigator helping Laura Barrett with a situation.”
“Is she okay? Did something happen?”
“She’s fine. There was a break-in last night—”
“Someone broke into her house?” the woman repeated.
“Yes. What’s your name?”
“Kerry Smith. I’ve known Laura since the day she moved in. Sydney goes to school with my daughter, and Cody is a year older than my youngest son. Are they okay?”
“They weren’t home. I’m a friend of the family and—”
