That's the missing piece I didn’t want. I look toward The Sandpiper again. The cottage sits snug behind the dunes, hidden from this angle except for the roofline and the top edge of the screened porch.
“She alone?” I ask.
“As far as we know.”
My jaw tightens. “That’s not smart.”
“I hear you.”
“No, Sloane, I don’t think you do. If someone bypassed a high-end security system and went through her personal things, this isn’t a nervous celebrity needing a beach reset.”
“I know exactly what it sounds like,” he says, and there’s steel under the calm now. “That’s why I’m calling you.”
I drag a hand over the back of my neck, looking down the empty stretch of beach.
“Does she know you’re involved?”
“Sentinel requested local awareness and gave us permission to contact if the situation escalates. She has not requested a personal protection detail. Not yet.”
“Not yet,” I repeat.
“Rafi is pulling property access records and checking whether The Sandpiper has any open maintenance orders. I’m contacting Marianne, the owner, to confirm who had legitimate access before Kara arrived.”
Good. That’s why Sloane is good. He starts where the paper trail lives and works outward until people start lying.
“What do you want from me?” I ask, though I already know.
“For now, eyes open. You’re closer to that stretch than anyone else. I trust you know what wrong looks like before it introduces itself. If Kara calls the sheriff or us, I may ask you to step in.”
I think of the red polish on her fingernails, the way she smiled when she insulted my grilling, the quick scan toward the dunes she tried to hide. Then I think of a missing knife.
“I’m available,” I say.
Sloane hears whatever is in my voice because he doesn’t joke this time.
“Good. And Cole?”
“Yeah?”
“She’s not a client yet.”
My gaze stays on the dune path long after Kara has disappeared from sight. But my body has already shifted into the state it recognizes best … alert, focused, and ready.
Sloane exhales softly, which is as close as he gets to commentary. “Keep me posted.”
The call ends, but I hold the phone for another moment while the water rushes in, curling white around my feet before sliding back.
The sun is higher now, warming my shoulders, lighting the pretty face of Sunbreak Harbor until it looks innocent to anyone who doesn’t know better.
I know better. I reel in my line and start packing my gear. My peaceful downtime from assignments can wait.
Chapter 4
Kara
By the time I make it back through the dunes to The Sandpiper, I have four shells in my palm and one man lodged inconveniently in my thoughts.
Cole.
