Page 8 of Meant for Two

“Send over the recordings and video when you can,” Uncle Adam asked.

“You won’t see or hear anything.” Jeff explained that the surveillance footage was blank. “I think the audio system was disconnected. I’m hoping the thieves didn’t mess with the outside cameras.”

“How is it possible the thieves could disconnect everything without notice? Drew said it was state-of-the-art.” Uncle Adam didn’t often lose his temper, but it was clear he wasn’t pleased.

“It is state-of-the-art. That’s what concerns me. Zane and I need to check to see if the equipment malfunctioned, though Charlene said it didn’t appear to have.”

“Go ahead and check, but wear gloves.”

Uncle Adam said that all the time. “I remember the rules.”

It didn’t take long to find the problem. “Why would they cover the cameras?” Jeff could guess, but he needed to speak with the owners.

“Or unplug the audio?” Zane responded.

Jeff's eyes landed on the homeowners, an older couple seated in the living room, their expressions understandably sullen. Deputy Noah Clayton was talking with them.

Once Noah finished his conversation, he stepped out of the room and subtly shook his head at Jeff and Zane. “You won’t believe what they’re going to tell you,” Noah telepathed and then strode out.

That didn’t sound good. He and Zane stepped over to the owners and sat down across from them. The older couple looked weary and distraught.

"I am so sorry for what happened," Jeff began. "I know this must be incredibly distressing."

"Who are you?" Mrs. Hensley's eyes were red-rimmed, and her voice wavered slightly.

Zane spoke up. “We're the ones who installed the security system in your home."

Mr. Hensley huffed. “A lot of good that did. We were gone for one night and were robbed.”

Jeff worked hard to temper his reaction while addressing their concerns. "Sir, I want to assure you that the alarm system worked exactly as it should have. When the alarm went off, it alerted the sheriff immediately."

Mr. Hensley's skepticism was clear. "With all your fancy gadgets, you should have caught the thieves."

Jeff inhaled to gain some patience. “Unfortunately, we don't always catch the intruders in the act. Our goal is to deter them and ensure law enforcement responds quickly."

"But how could you not see who did this? Don't you have cameras?" Mr. Hensley's voice quivered. "Isn't that what we paid for?"

Jeff's jaw tightened as he exchanged a brief glance with Zane.

"I’ll handle this," Zane telepathed to him.

It was times like these that being a werewolf with the ability to communicate mentally was a plus.

"Be my guest."They both were aware that Jeff could be a bit temperamental when anyone criticized their system.

"We do have cameras, sir, but it seems as if someone covered them and disconnected the audio feed.”

“Are you sure?” Mr. Hensley’s jowls sagged.

“Yes, sir.”

Mr. Hensley looked over at his wife. “Darling?”

She sputtered. "Blair said it was okay. She told us if we didn't want to be seen, we had the right to cover them."

Jeff balled his fists, unable to keep quiet any longer. “Didn’t she explain that those cameras would have caught the guilty party on video?”

“Yes, but she said the alarm would sound and scare the person off. We didn’t need to have our privacy violated,” Mrs. Hensley said.

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