Page 16 of Out of the Shadows
“And he didn’t call back?”
“It’s still early.”
“It’s after nine. Can I call him?”
“Of course. You never have to ask permission to talk to your dad.”
“Okay. Just—well, I’ll clean up first,” she mumbled.
Laura walked over to her daughter and spoke quietly. Jack stepped outside, not wanting to intrude on their conversation. A few minutes later, Laura came out of the house.
“Is she okay?” Jack asked.
Laura nodded. “She’s shaken and scared. I’m not scared, I’m just angry.”
“Is it like your ex not to answer your calls?”
She shrugged. “If he has his phone on him, he’ll always pick up. But whether he remembers to charge his phone or take it when he’s leaving the house is fifty-fifty.”
They walked north to the end of the barn, where a vine-covered awning shaded a brick patio furnished with outdoor seating. The chicken coop extended nearby, offering a clear view of the hens that braved the morning sun, as well as the few that had fluttered up to roost beneath their own sliver of shade. Trees bordered the eastern split-rail fence, creating a natural boundary. From this quiet spot, most of Laura’s property was visible, yet still felt tucked away, both private and peaceful.
“This is nice,” Jack said and sat.
“I come out here a lot, especially in the evening.” She put her coffee mug down on the solid wood table between them. “I’m sure Logan gave you an earful about Charlie.”
“He doesn’t think your ex-husband is responsible for this. He said Charlie loves the kids, and you still have a relationship with him.”
Laura smiled, shook her head. “Not that kind of a relationship, not anymore. Charlie was my high school sweetheart. I loved him. Still do. I’ve known Charlie almost my entire life, and he’s always going to be in my life because of the kids. I don’t hate him.”
“I don’t think Logan does, either.”
“Logan doesn’t hate anyone. If Logan had his way, he would have bailed us out of Charlie’s financial mess and wouldn’t have cared if we stayed together. He wants everyone to be happy. Sometimes, he thinks money fixes everything. It helps, but it doesn’t fix trust.”
Jack understood exactly how she felt.
“Anyway, what do you want to know?” Laura asked, weary. He didn’t blame her. She didn’t know him, and just because Logan trusted him didn’t mean that Laura did.
“With me,” Jack said, “you get my whole family. We own Angelhart Investigations, and we’ll find out what’s going on. Logan told you I used to be with Phoenix PD?”
She nodded.
“So first, I’ll talk to the officers who responded, find out which detective is working each case, get information. I’ll talk to your neighbors, check any security cameras that face the street. Because you’re near an intersection, I’d like to talk to the neighbors across the way, they may have seen or recorded a vehicle leaving your property.”
“Logical,” she said.
“The hit-and-run and the break-in aren’t a coincidence,” Jack said. “Have you thought about anything strange or unexpected that’s happened at home or work over the last month?”
She shook her head. “My life is busy, but predictable. I work five days a week and every other Saturday. Sydney is on her middle school volleyball team in the fall—practices start first week of August—and a rec swim team in the spring. Cody started little league baseball this spring, the season ended two weeks ago. They’re both in a 4-H club that meets biweekly. The animals take most of their free time. The kids go to the Anthem rec twice a week in the summer, a friend brings them home after lunch.”
“Anyone at your clinic who was upset? Angry?”
She shook her head. “Our business is 90 percent dogs, cats, birds. My partner Davy also sees reptiles, and I take farm animals, which is usually a house call. We’ve had the clinic for more than ten years.”
“I’ll want to talk to your partner,” Jack said. “He might have seen or heard something.”
“Sure. He’ll be at the clinic until six today.”
“Any disgruntled employees?”
