Page 51 of Spock’s Snare

Hawk gives me a slight shrug. “Saw him come out a few times; he checked in with the crews, but then he went right back into the office.”

“What about anyone approaching him?” Spock asks. “Any arguments? Private conversations?”

“He had a visitor.”

The words send a fresh wave of unease through me.

“What visitor?” I ask.

Hawk looks at me. “The guy who came by earlier returned to speak with Blackwood.”

For a second, I don’t understand who he means. Several people have been on and off the property today. Workers, delivery drivers, inspectors—

Then it clicks.

“Paul Scaro?”

“Don’t know his name,” Hawk says. “He drove an expensive car and dressed like he was going to the boardroom.”

“That’s Paul.” My voice sounds distant to my own ears. “He’s the developer.”

Spock turns fully toward Hawk. “When did he come back?”

“Late afternoon. Most of the crew was still here, but they were finishing up. Blackwood met him outside the office and hurried him inside. They shut the door.”

“How long were they in there?” I ask.

“Maybe twenty minutes.”

“And then he left?”

“Yeah. Blackwood stayed in the office another half hour or so. Came out once the crew started clearing the site.”

My gaze drifts toward the broken wall.

Paul was here earlier to check on the project after hearing about Dad’s attack. I walked him through the site, answered his questions, and assured him DC Construction would cover the cost of repairing the vandalism. He was worried about delays and expenses, which wasn’t unusual for a developer. What is unusual is that he returned without contacting me.

Paul hired my company. He would have no reason to have a private meeting with my foreman.

“He didn’t tell me he was coming back,” I say.

Spock’s eyes narrow. “Would he normally?”

“Yes. I’m the owner of the company, and this is his project. If Paul had concerns, he should’ve called me.” I look at Hawk. “Did you hear any of their conversation?”

He shakes his head. “The door was closed. I wasn’t close enough.”

“Did they argue?” Spock asks.

“Couldn’t say. Scaro looked pissed when he arrived, but resolved when he left.”

A knot forms in my stomach. I pull my phone out again, though I’m no longer thinking about the pictures I took. I’m thinking about calling Paul and demanding an explanation.

Spock reaches over and closes his hand around my wrist before I can unlock the screen.

“Hold on.”

I lift my gaze to his. “He went behind my back.”