Emmett
Understandable. Is Dani taking London?
Grayson
Yeah, and my parents are helping too, in case I’m out there for longer than a weekend.
Holt
Keep us updated.
CHAPTER 40
Knox
Iwatch Farrah and Finn walk into the school together with a weird tightness in my chest. It’s the first day for both of them, and with Farrah’s ex on the loose, I couldn’t stand the thought of her driving alone. What if Alex tried to run her off the road or attempted to hurt her as she walked into the building? I would hate myself if something like that happened when I have plenty of people to take care of the farm while I do the school run.
As I’m pulling into my driveway, I see an ATV cresting the hill, heading toward the house. The company logo on the side indicates it’s most likely Alicia coming over to chat with me about something. Why she’d be coming over to do it in person is what makes my stomach knot.
I wait for her on the porch until she stops the vehicle right in front of me.
“We’ve got a problem.” Her terse tone only seems to double my anxiety. “Ricky went out to check on the old cabins and found one of them completely trashed.”
I’m moving before the thought even registers, getting intothe passenger side of the ATV. “The ones we were going to renovate this winter?”
Alicia pulls out and heads toward the cabins. She has to raise her voice to be heard over the whine of the engine. “Yeah, Ricky was going to measure and start putting together a supply list when he realized the door to one was cracked open.”
I don’t respond, using the time it takes to get out there to get my anger under control instead. I barely have a handle on it by the time Alicia stops the ATV. My contractor, Ricky, stands outside the cabins. He pulls his hat off and runs his hand over his hair before settling his hat back where it was.
The four buildings were the first units we built when I started Waters’ Camping. They look like log cabins and sit in a semicircle around a large fire pit. We originally marketed the property to businesses hosting team-building retreats until we had enough capital to build more cabins to cater to the glamping crowd. Now we offer services for a multitude of people looking to get away for a few days, and these cabins are due for an upgrade to fit into our current business plan.
Alicia and I follow Ricky to the vandalized cabin. I can tell just by looking at the door that I’m not going to like what I find.
My stomach sinks when I take in the damage done. It’s a fucking mess in here, as if someone took a baseball bat to every surface in a prolonged rage. “Well, I suppose it’s good we were already planning on gutting these places.”
Alicia snorts. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I’ve notified the police and asked Ty to escort them out here when they arrive.”
“When did we last have someone check on them?”
She scrolls through her phone. “Last month. I’d have had someone out here last week, but since Ricky was coming to get started on the reno, I figured it could wait. I’m sorry, Knox.”
I wave my hand. “I’d have said to do the same thing.” Ascarefully as I can, I walk through the destruction. There wasn’t much in the way of furniture out here. Most of it was outdated stuff we hadn’t gotten around to having hauled off yet. The kitchen is dirty, but I can’t tell if it’s because it was used or because of the destruction. The bedroom gives me the answer. There are blankets on the floor and food wrappers scattered everywhere. It’s the only room not destroyed. I have a feeling I already know who did this. The idiot got lucky that we don’t check these cabins very often.
The cops arrive while I’m looking around the bedroom to see if he left any identifying information. I head outside to meet them at the fire pit.
“Knox. I’m sorry we’re seeing each other so often,” Officer Pritchard says.
“Same.” I give her and Officer Mallory the rundown of what we found. Alicia fills in any missing details until the report is finished.
Officer Pritchard puts away her notebook and pen. “We’re going to swab the place to see if we can get any fingerprints or DNA of any kind.”
“There are some broken dishes in the sink. You might be able to get something off those,” I tell her.
She nods. “Thanks. We’ll get you guys out of here as soon as we can.”
It takes an hour and a half before they’re finished, and I notice they carried out a few evidence bags. Hopefully, there’s enough DNA to get a hit. It would help us prove Alex is here and breaking the law.
The officers let me know they’ll be in touch if they get anything from the swabs, and then Alicia and I get a plan in place to clean up the mess and also get some security cameras out here to ensure the other cabins don’t end up with the same fate.
