Page 30 of Shadow of Fear
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Dev had destroyed Kinsley’s fun. Jada’s and his mother’s, too, if the defeated looks on their faces told him anything. He didn’t want to put an end to their joy, but he also foolishly didn’t like how Kinsley was reacting to the guy on her T-shirt. Dev had hoped he’d been her teenage crush, but clearly not.
Stupid thoughts. Crazy crushes didn’t matter. Not one bit. Especially right now, when he had difficult news to deliver to her. He should just come right out with it. But after everything that had recently happened, he couldn’t bear to hurt her even more.
He leaned against the fireplace and looked at Colin, hoping he would take the hint and share the news of the break-in. But Colin simply shrugged and sat in an easy chair across from the others, looking expectantly up at him.
Dev pushed off the fireplace. Shoved his hands in his pockets. Made eye contact with Kinsley.
“Just say it,” she blurted out. “Waiting is even more difficult.”
“Someone broke into your apartment and trashed the place.” He wanted to look away but kept his focus on her face to gauge her reaction.
She gasped and blinked up at him, a vacant look clouding her eyes. “What exactly do you mean by trashed?”
He didn’t want to share anything about the break-in, but no matter how much he wanted to spare her, she deserved to hear the details and would soon see the mess in his photos. “They emptied all of your kitchen cabinets and threw all of the items from your desk, bookshelf, and nightstand onto the floor. They also slit open your mattress.”
Jada reached for Kinsley’s hand, but she jumped to her feet and paced to the front window. She immediately spun and walked back, her eyes now glossy with tears. She opened her mouth to say something, but rushed back to the window. She rested her forehead on the glass, and her shoulders started to shake.
Jada hurried across the room to her and put her arm around her best friend’s shoulder. Thankfully Dev’s sister acted before he did the same thing and gave away his feelings.
“What do you think they were looking for?” his mother asked.
“We’re not sure,” Colin said. “At first we thought they wanted the records from the binders regarding their investigations, but then it dawned on us that they were looking in smaller places. Places where binders wouldn’t fit. Makes me think they were looking for something else.”
Kinsley spun, freeing herself from Jada’s arm, and marched across the room. She planted her hands on her hips and her feet on the floor. Tears ran down her cheeks, but she looked angry now, not tearful. “Small, large, whatever. What could they have been looking for?”
“That’s what we were hoping you could help us with,” Dev said.
“I should go there to see if anything is missing.”
Dev had expected her to say that, but he hadn’t formulated a solid response. “I’d rather not take you there if we can avoid it. I took pictures of the entire place, and we brought the binders. You can cross-reference the tabs to your computer to see if an investigation is missing. If so, it could give us a lead to whoever is behind this.”
“Then let’s not waste any more time talking about it.” She marched to the dining room table and sat. “Get my things from the car, and I’ll get started.”
Dev let out a long breath at her easy cooperation and looked at his brother. “You heard the lady. Let’s get out there and grab what we need.”
Dev followed his brother out the front door. Colin jogged down the steps to the vehicle, but Dev stopped on the porch to bring Reid and Ryan up to date. “Colin and I’ll be inside tonight, but I’m hoping for a protective detail for the exterior. One man should be fine, if anyone is available.”
“I’m sure the guys will help out.” Reid planted his feet on the worn wood. “I’ll arrange a twenty-four-hour duty schedule for the foreseeable future.”
Dev couldn’t help but be thankful for his boss’s accommodating behavior. “Thanks, man. I’ll owe you big time.”
Reid waved a hand. “You were a big help when Megan was in trouble. I’m the one who owes you.” His wife had been stalked by a man from her past, and it took the entire team to bring him to justice.
“Just doing my job as part of the team,” Dev said.
“And we’re doing the same thing for you,” Ryan said. “One for all and all for one and all of that.” He laughed. He was the team joker, and they could always count on him to lighten the mood when things got tense.
“Well, thanks anyway,” Dev said. “If you could let me know who’s scheduled, that would be great. We’ll grab the things we need from my SUV, and then I’ll be inside.”
Reid gave a sharp nod, and Ryan smiled. Brothers. Not just to each other, but brothers on a team. When Reid opened Shadow Lake Survival, it didn’t take long before the business took off faster than he expected. With Russ, a full-time sheriff, and Ryan, a part-time wilderness counselor, he needed additional help and reached out to the guys.
Dev was blessed to be a part of the team. He knew Colin and Micha, the final team member, both felt the same way. They were all doing something they loved in the great outdoors and working for a terrific boss.
He ran down the steps. Colin met him at the bottom, his arms filled with binders. “Just like you to slack off and leave your big brother to do all the work.”
“Yeah, that’s my plan.” He laughed, but the sight of the binders reminded him of the mess at Kinsley’s apartment, and his laughter dried up like the desert under the scorching sun.
