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Inching away from him, Kate stepped toward the veterinarian. “Was she really shot?”
Peg bobbed her head. “With a BB gun. Probably kids.”
“That’s what we think.” The voice behind them came from an officer who had quietly entered the clinic. “I just heard from another officer on the scene.”
Kate’s brows buckled with confusion, but Craig was the one to ask, “Who called the police?”
Clearing his throat, the officer sighed. “I have no idea, but whoever it was, they had my sergeant rushing us to investigate. I’m here to see what the doc can tell us; the other officers are on the scene of the crime.”
There was no need to ask for further information. Craig’s quick text to his grandfather to apprise him of Agent Rules-Are-Rules as potential trouble had led to his grandfather calling while they were on the way to the clinic. There had been no time to go into details, but the abridged version had been enough. Clearly, the Governor had not lost his touch.
“According to the update I received, they’ve stumbled across what we believe are the remnants of hollow logs destroyed by explosives.”
“Explosives?” Kate backed up against Craig’s chest and he immediately sensed the tension returning to her body.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s not unusual to find bored kids in the country blowing up hollow logs.”
“Or shooting BB guns,” Craig interjected.
“Exactly.” The tall uniformed man nodded.
“I didn’t know the police got involved in bird shootings,” one of the two students who’d brought in the eggs commented.
“I admit, normally we wouldn’t have gotten on this so quickly, but it’s always a risk that shooting at animals is the springboard to more dangerous issues.” Rubbing at the back of his jaw with one finger, the man sprouted a lazy smile. “Having Governor Baron be the one to alert us didn’t hurt any. Though in this part of the county, we’re more likely to be called out because some teens went toilet paper happy redecorating someone’s front yard or tipping cows.”
“Wait a minute.” Kate held up her hand. “Where do kids get explosives?”
The officer half raised a noncommittal shoulder. “Borrowed from Mom and Dad’s ranch stash, stolen from a construction site; too many possibilities, certainly more than any of us like.”
“So now what?” Kate asked.
The officer turned to Peg. “Don’t suppose you have any information that might confirm it was just kids being stupid.”
“Afraid not.” Arms crossed, the vet shook her head. “BBs aren’t like bullets that can be traced with ballistics, but I do hope somehow you figure it out. I don’t need some stupid kids taking pot shots at more wild birds. Or worse.”
“Amen,” Kate agreed. “How soon before she can return to her nest and family?”
Her lips pressed tightly together, the doc shook her head ever so slightly. “Depends. I don’t have the staff anymore to do the care she’ll need. I’m going to watch her myself overnight. If all goes well, tomorrow we’ll find a volunteer to transport her to Dallas. We’ve checked and they have room to rehab a large bird. They’ll want the mate too. He’s probably frantic.”
“And the eggs?” Craig was just as worried about the baby owls.
The doc looked to her tech who had disappeared with the incubator and just recently returned.
“All eggs still viable.” The tech smiled.
“Good.” The doc turned back to Kate. “We’ll send mama bird and the eggs to the rehab facility. I’m sorry I can’t do more.”
“I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done so far.” Kate inched forward and gave Peg a quick hug. “We’ll take care of finding her mate.”
The only one to remain behind talking with the vet was the police officer. Kate looked down at her phone and scanned the incoming texts. “Seems Alan is getting testy.”
That was no surprise to Craig. He’d almost prefer Ted had returned to the site. Hopefully, whoever else his grandfather had called would be able to step in and keep Alan in line.
“You know what this means?” Kate stood by the passenger door of Craig’s car.
Standing close enough to Kate to smell the lingering scent of vanilla shampoo in her hair, his mind was racing in all different directions. There wasn’t a chance in hell he could currently add two and two, never mind answer her question. “What?”
“With the owls moved, you’ve lost a major obstacle to your construction plans.”
