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“I’m digging into that now. I was on the phone with the college. The woman I spoke with agreed to send me all the information she has on Janie, including her class schedule.”
“Can’t wait to see what it says.” He settled back into the seat and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t care if Cruz wanted him here or not. His friend would have to physically remove him.
A sharp rap on the door sounded, and the young officer from the front desk stepped inside. “A call just went through to dispatch. They sent Lincoln up to Crossroads Mountain Retreat, but I thought you’d want to know what happened.”
“What’s going on? I was just there,” Chet said, scooting to the edge of the seat.
“Mia Tulley called. Someone slit her tires. All four of them.”
Chet rose as Cruz swore under his breath. The email would have to wait. Even though he hated the nagging urge to check on Mia, he had to follow it. She’d been dealt a tough blow the day before, and now someone had vandalized her car. No way in hell the two weren’t connected. He might not want Mia to depend on him for a damn thing, but he couldn’t leave her stranded. He’d check in on her, see what Lincoln thought of the situation, then find out what Cruz learned about Janie Simpson—forcing Mia back to the corner of his mind.
A place he vowed he’d always keep her.
* * *
Mia watchedas Officer Sawyer turned her old sedan into a crime scene. He’d placed the knife from her front passenger side tire in an evidence bag, dusted for prints, and was now assisting in loading the car onto the back of a tow truck.
Desperation made her stomach ache. She didn’t have money to pay for four new tires, and she had no idea what her insurance would cover. Since she only carried minimum coverage, she assumed they wouldn’t give her enough money to cover the cost of the wheels.
Brooke jogged down the porch steps and stopped at her side. Her pinched expression didn’t bode well for what she’d found. “The camera doesn’t catch anything this far out in the lot. I’m sorry.”
“I guess it would have been too easy if the person responsible was caught on video.” Mia wrapped her arms around her middle in a pathetic attempt to shield herself from some unseen threat. She searched the explosion of colors surrounding her that she’d admired not long ago. Dark shadows wove between thick tree trunks, providing the perfect cover for anyone lingering nearby.
But who? Who would want to slash her tires? And why?
The tow truck pulled out of the lot, and Officer Sawyer offered Brooke a gentle smile before setting his mouth in a grim line. “I’m sorry about this, Mia.”
“Where is he taking my car?” She asked, dipping her head toward the retreating truck as it turned out of sight.
“Down to the station. I did everything I can out here but want the crime scene unit to have a look. With what happened yesterday, I want to make sure to be as thorough as possible with your car. Bringing the vehicle to the station will keep anything—or anyone—else from messing with it until they have a chance to get to it. And with everything they’re trying to get done at the grave sites, it might be a while before they get to the car.” Officer Sawyer stared up at the rumbling sky. “Though with the rain coming, everyone will leave the woods. The water will wash away anything of use.”
“You can use one of the golf carts to get around,” Brooke said.
The retreat kept a fleet of golf carts on hand for the guests to drive to their cabins. The cabins were all nestled along the large, picturesque lake behind the lodge. Gravel trails traveled from different locations around the retreat. None of the trails or pathways were large enough for vehicles to navigate, so the carts were available for guests and staff to use.
Mia envisioned sliding down the rain-soaked, mountain road in a tiny death trap. “Not sure how safe I’d feel driving one of the golf carts home, but thanks for the offer.”
“Then I’ll take you anywhere you need to go until you get your car back.” Brooke flashed a wide smile that didn’t vanquish the worry in her eyes. “We’ll make sure you have a way to get around.”
A big, red truck turned into the parking lot, and Mia cringed. The last thing she wanted was another confrontation with Chet. He’d been crankier than usual while working this morning, the tension between them thicker than the growing clouds overhead.
Chet parked his car beside the cruiser and hopped down, his constant frown firmly in place on his handsome face. He held her gaze at he stormed forward, and it took all her strength not to break eye contact. “You okay?”
The tenderness of his usually gruff voice threw her off, and she nodded.
He dipped his chin then faced his friend. “What the hell happened? When I left earlier her car was fine.”
Officer Sawyer rubbed the back of his neck. “Not sure. Obviously, someone wanted to mess with Mia. I need to figure out who and why.”
“Do you think it’s related to what happened yesterday?” Chet asked.
The question sent a shudder down Mia’s spine. The eerie sensation of being watched had followed her home from the woods yesterday, but she’d assumed she was being paranoid. Could someone really have seen her? Followed her to work then slashed her tires to send some kind of sick message? The thought of it made her stomach churn.
“I don’t know, but I’ll damn sure find out,” Officer Sawyer said.
“Do you want me to drive you home?” Brooke asked.
Mia’s mind spun. Her life hadn’t exactly been rainbows and sunshine the last few months, but how had it spiraled into worst case scenario so fast? Needing a second to think things through, she pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can just hang here. I need to come back to serve lunch anyway, and if I go home I won’t have a way back.”
