Page 10 of Meant for Two

“They didn’t fly in, so how did they get in?” Blair huffed out a laugh, but it held no humor. “The Development is surrounded by thick forest and mountains. It was one of the pluses of living here.”

“Sheriff Granger will be investigating that very question, but the only explanation we could come up with was that they entered through the woods. On foot. It might be why they didn’t take the television or any other heavy or bulky item. Jewels and money are easy to carry.”

“Could this be an inside job?” she asked. This time she sounded sincere and concerned. “If they only had a few minutes, they had to have known the homeowners weren’t home. We should ask where Mrs. Hensley kept her jewelry. I hope it wasn’t in a jewelry box on top of her dresser. That would be the first place a thief would look.”

“I agree. That would be asking for trouble.”

“I don’t think Mrs. Hensley is all there, if you know what I mean.”

He nodded. “That might be. It's possible Mrs. Hensley unwittingly mentioned that she was going out of town to a hairdresser, a clerk at a store, or some friend.”

“I hate to think we live in a time where we have to watch our every word.”

Jeff sympathized. He had to keep secrets all his life. “I get it.”

“Do you help with the investigation?” she asked. “I thought that was the job of the sheriff’s department.” There was no censure in her tone, only curiosity.

“Normally, no, but since this is my father’s Development, I’m sure he’ll want my help.” If werewolves were involved, it could get tricky. Of course, he couldn’t tell her that either.

“What are you going to tell the other homeowners?” she asked. “They need to be warned.”

“I’ll let Dad decide, but I don’t think we should throw the Hensleys under the bus by saying they turned off their cameras and unhooked their listening devices, though I’d like to.”

“No, but a thief shouldn’t be able to get inside the complex undetected. I never asked whether the security guards cruise the neighborhood at night.”

She was smart to think of that. “I don’t know, but that’s a great idea if they don’t. I’ll pass that suggestion on to my dad. Just so you know, we do have cameras at strategic places along the perimeter, but the property is too large to have every place covered.”

She nodded. “If there is anything I can do to help, let me know.”

“Will do.”

Blair casually ran her hands down her body. “I have to go. I can’t show up to the model home looking like I just rolled out of bed.”

Personally, he liked the way she looked, but he wasn’t going to say that. It was better if she thought he wasn’t interested. “Good idea. Go change.”

Her eyes flashed wide for a moment. It was almost as if she wanted to throw an insult back at him. In a way, Jeff wished she had. He wanted to know for sure that she didn’t like him. If that were the case, he could remind his inner wolf to stop responding to her.

* * *

When Blair left, her mind was buzzing. She understood people had fears about ghosts and others listening in on their conversations, but to cover up all of the cameras and disconnect the listening devices was crazy. In all honesty, it might have been her fault. She should have been more assertive with Mrs. Hensley, but Blair never thought the woman would actually do it.

Blair stopped and looked back at the house. Should she go inside and ask Jeff about the cameras he’d installed on the outside? Surely, that must have picked up something.

No. He knew what he was doing. Neither Jeff nor Zane needed her to interfere. At least she’d spoken to Jeff directly about what happened. As he said, their security equipment had worked. If the Hensleys hadn't covered the cameras, finding the thieves would have been easier.

Once Blair was home, she hopped in the shower to get ready for work. As she ate breakfast, an idea surfaced—one that could possibly help her figure out how anyone could breach the Development’s perimeter.

Energized by her plan, Blair quickly tossed a casual outfit into one of her large purses, one she could wear scrounging around in the woods. After work, if it was still light, she planned to walk the property behind the Hensleys’ home to see if she could find where the thieves entered the complex. If Jeff and Zane could add some security measures in that area, it might help thwart another threat. It was clear the Development needed to squash this threat as quickly as possible.

With a plan in place, she got back in her car and drove straight to the Development. As she entered the complex, she scoped out the area, wondering how someone could enter. Everywhere she looked, the trees were thick and the brush dense.Ugh.

If the Grangers weren’t able to stop this from happening again, Woodland Estates might not succeed. And that would be a tragedy. This place was amazing.

No sooner had she stepped into her office, which was temporarily located in one of the model homes, than her phone rang. It was Avery.

“Hey,” Blair said.

“Did you hear about the break-in?” her assistant asked.

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