Page 13 of Finding Home

“Not much of one, from where I’m standing.”

Julie moved to the window, looking out at the bare trees and the glimpse of lake beyond. “I’m sorry about what happened, but I’m not the person you need.”

Silence filled the room. She expected Cole to argue, to push harder. Instead, when he spoke again, his voice was quiet.

“I understand why you don’t want to help me. But I’m asking anyway because I don’t have anywhere else to turn.” He paused. “The truth is, I’m worried. Not just about the project, but about what it means if someone in this community hates what I’m doing enough to destroy equipment in the middle of the night. I need to know if this is one angry person or something larger. I need to understand what I’m dealing with.”

Julie turned to face him. The vulnerability in his eyes caught her off guard. This wasn’t a wealthy developer throwing money at a problem. This was a man genuinely frightened by what he’d discovered.

And despite every reasonable objection, she felt something respond to that fear.

“Even if I wanted to help,” she said carefully, “I’m looking for a full-time job. I can’t commit to something that might take weeks or months.”

“Then help until you find a job.” Cole’s response was immediate. “Whatever time you can give me, I’ll take it. I’ll pay you a consulting fee. And if you find work tomorrow, there’s no hard feelings.”

She should refuse. Every logical part of her brain screamed that this was a terrible idea. She knew nothing about the local dynamics, had no official standing, and would be operating completely outside her comfort zone.

But another part of her, the part that had driven her career, whispered something different. This was an opportunity to use skills that felt increasingly worthless. To prove, if only to herself, that she still had value beyond rejection emails and empty days.

“I don’t like starting something I can’t finish,” Julie told Cole.

“If you get another job, I’ll follow on from where you stop.”

Julie crossed her arms, trying to find one more solid reason to say no. But the truth was, she’d already started thinking like an investigator. Who had access to the site? What local groups opposed the development? What did the timeline of the sabotage reveal about the perpetrator’s knowledge and opportunity?

The questions felt natural in a way nothing else had since she’d arrived in Sapphire Bay.

“Okay, I’ll do it. But only until I find another position,” she said finally.

Relief washed over Cole’s face. “That’s all I’m asking.”

“And I need to be clear,” Julie told him. “I might not find anything useful. I might turn up nothing but dead ends and speculation.”

“That’s more than I have right now.”

Julie nodded slowly, already regretting this decision even as a small spark of purpose flickered to life in her chest. “All right. Tell me everything that happened, starting from when you arrived at the site this morning.”

Cole pulled out one of the cottage’s mismatched chairs and sat down. And as he began describing what he’d found in the pre-dawn darkness at Finley Point, Julie reached for the notebook she’d thought she’d never use again.

Chapter 10

An icy wind bit into Julie’s face as she made her way across the resort’s construction site on Finley Point.

Morning sun glinted off Flathead Lake in the distance, turning the water brilliant blue against the surrounding mountains. Three days had passed since Cole’s visit to her cottage, and she’d spent that time reviewing old police reports, studying environmental impact assessments, and relearning how to piece together a story from fragments.

Deputy Marcus Webb walked beside her, his khaki uniform crisp despite the early hour. He’d agreed to meet her here after she’d called the sheriff’s department, using Cole’s name as a reference.

“I appreciate you making time for this,” Julie said.

Marcus shrugged, his hand resting casually on his duty belt. “Sheriff Thompson said to give you whatever cooperation we can. Though I’ll be honest, Ms. Harrison, we’re not going to solve this case by walking around the site one more time.”

“Maybe not.” Julie stopped where yellow caution tape marked off the damaged excavator. “But it never hurts to look with fresh eyes.”

“I suppose.” Marcus pulled a small notebook from his pocket. “The sheriff wanted me to mention something, though. Off the record.”

Julie waited.

“We’ve seen this kind of thing before. Not here, but over in Whitefish and up near Glacier. Environmental groups are getting carried away, thinking they’re protecting the wilderness by destroying equipment.” He met her gaze directly. “I’m not saying that’s what’s happening here. But you should know that people do stupid things when they feel strongly about land use.”