He nodded.That habit had just protected the most important evidence in their investigation.If the journals and notebook had been sitting on the desk in her room, they would be gone.
Barrett pulled out his phone."I'll call hotel security."
He placed the call and gave a brief, clear account of the situation.Within five minutes, two members of the hotel security team arrived.Barrett walked them through the room and pointed out the signs of forced entry at the door.The lock had been manipulated, not broken.Someone had used a tool to bypass the electronic lock, which meant they had come prepared.
"This wasn't a random break-in," Barrett told the security manager, a heavyset man in a dark suit who'd introduced himself as Ray Dalton."Nothing was taken.The room was searched."
Dalton examined the door and the lock mechanism."We'll pull the camera footage from this floor and the stairwells.If someone came up here during the night, we should have them on video."
"How difficult would it be to bypass one of these locks?"Barrett asked.
Dalton hesitated."For someone who knows what they're doing, it wouldn't take long.These are standard hotel locks, not high security."
Barrett filed that away.The lock bypass suggested someone with experience or resources.It wasn't the work of a random opportunist.Someone had sent a professional to search Cadie's room while she was away for the night.
The timing was precise.Whoever did this knew that Cadie had not returned to her room.That meant she was being watched, or someone had been monitoring her movements through the hotel.
Barrett turned to Dalton."Ms.Ladd will be staying in my room for the duration of her visit.I'd like her room kept locked and undisturbed until the police can inspect it."
Dalton nodded and made a note."I'll flag the room in our system to indicate no housekeeping and no access."
"Thank you," Barrett said.
Cadie had been standing near the window while Barrett handled the security team.She had not said much, but the color was returning to her face.She seemed to be dealing with the shock.
After Dalton and his partner left, Barrett closed the door and turned to Cadie.
"Let's gather what you need from here," he said."Clothes, toiletries, anything you want for the next few days.Just be careful not to move anything else."
Cadie moved through the room and collected her things.She packed her suitcase with clothes and gathered her toiletries from the bathroom counter.Barrett carried the suitcase, and Cadie kept her bag over her shoulder.
They walked back to his room together.Barrett held the door for her, and she put her things on the chair near the window.Then Barrett watched Cadie arrange her toiletries in the bathroom.She moved with purpose, placing each item in a specific spot, creating order in a way that he understood.When the world felt out of control, you organized what you could.
"Take your time getting ready," he said."The meeting isn't for a couple of hours.I thought we could go for a walk first."
Cadie looked at him from the bathroom doorway.
"I think we could both use fresh air and a change of scenery."
*****
Cadie sat on the sofa to compose herself as Barrett quickly showered and dressed.
Then, while Cadie got ready in the bathroom, Barrett used the time to send a text to Detective Sullivan.He informed him of the break-in and asked him to get the security footage.
Sullivan replied:Noted.Will coordinate with hotel.Keep her close.
Barrett didn't need that reminder.
When Cadie emerged from the bathroom, she looked composed and steady, though Barrett could sense lingering tension.
He escorted her out of the hotel through the front entrance.The air carried the scent of jasmine from a garden nearby.Sunlight fell across the brick sidewalk, and the street was quiet.A few pedestrians moved along the opposite side, and a couple walked arm in arm near the corner.
Barrett fell into step beside Cadie and carried her bag for her.Out of habit, he stayed alert to the environment.It was the kind of vigilance that had been drilled into him years ago and had never left.
He embraced the simple pleasure of Cadie's company.As she walked, her arm brushed against his.He reached for her hand, and she accepted the gesture.
The historic district felt familiar, with its iron gates, garden walls, and the soft colors of old plaster.A church steeple rose above the roofline ahead, and a bird sang from the branch of a magnolia tree.
