“You sure you don’t want to call your brothers?” Derek asked. “Arrange some kind of personal protection?”
“I should know more in a day or two. My instincts say there’s something else going on here. If it looks like the threat is real, I’ll take care of it.”
He wouldn’t have brought Kenzie with him if he’d believed he was putting her in danger. But he worked faster and more efficiently with her helping him sort things out and stay on track. “In the meantime, I won’t take any unnecessary risks.”
* * *
Instead of feeling refreshed after a night away from work, Reese felt tired and out of sorts the next morning. He was driving back to Galveston, Kenzie in the passenger seat of the Rover, looking nearly as tired as he felt, but still so beautiful his mouth went dry every time he glanced in her direction.
The attraction he felt for her was growing stronger. He should have slept with Arial last night. The distraction would have at least kept him sane this morning instead of aching for a woman he couldn’t have. He’d make up for it tonight. Take Arial until he was too tired and sated to think of Kenzie even for a moment.
He turned off Broadway Avenue, headed toward his destination. The sheriff’s department on 54th Street off Highway 87 wasn’t far from the Sea Titan heliport on Pelican Island. A white, green-striped sheriff’s pickup sat in front of an unimposing white concrete block structure.
Kenzie got out of the Rover and her soft perfume teased his senses as she walked past. Gritting his teeth against the blood that began to flow south, Reese silently cursed. At the front counter, he spoke to a dark-haired female deputy whose name tag read M. Orlando, introduced himself and Kenzie.
“I called earlier. Sheriff Martinez arranged for me to speak to Deputy Hollenbeck.” Like a lot of people, the sheriff had been impressed by Reese’s position as Garrett Resources CEO. He needed information. He would use whatever leverage he could get.
“I’ll tell Deputy Hollenbeck you’re here.” Threading her way around several men in dark green uniforms, Deputy Orlando headed for the rear of the building, then returned a few minutes later followed by a tall guy with a square jaw and sandy hair combed straight back from a wide forehead.
“You’re Garrett?” he asked.
“That’s right. And this is my assistant, McKenzie Haines.”
“I’m Deputy Hollenbeck. Sheriff Martinez said you wanted to talk to me about the break-in at the heliport.”
“That’s right. Anyplace we can speak in private?”
Hollenbeck’s gaze went to Kenzie, slid over her in a way that made Reese’s jaw go tight. “Follow me.”
The deputy led them into a small, multipurpose room with a TV monitor on the wall and a rectangular walnut conference table that seated six.
Hollenbeck sat down at one end. Reese seated Kenzie, then took a chair between her and the deputy.
“I’d like to know how it went down,” Reese said. “What you found when you answered the call.”
The deputy studied his notes. “It was a little after eight that morning when dispatch got the call. Apparently, one of the mechanics noticed the open window and discovered it had been pried open sometime during the night.”
“So there was evidence of forced entry.”
“That’s right. Probably a crowbar. Window’s big enough for a guy to crawl through without much problem.”
“You check for prints?”
He nodded. “Standard procedure on a possible burglary. Didn’t find anything usable, just a bunch of smudges on the windowsill. Nothing that could help us find the intruder.”
“Any video cameras on the premises?”
“Not in there.”
“So someone broke in, but nothing was stolen.”
“No, not according to the mechanics on duty that morning.”
“Any chance the window could have been jimmied from the inside? Just made to look like a break-in?”
Hollenbeck stiffened, his ego cranked at the idea he might not have done his job as well as he should have.
“No. It was a metal-sashed window, bent inward around the edges then shoved open. No way the break-in was faked.”
“What about other break-ins on Pelican Island?” Kenzie asked. “Something that was reported before or after that morning? Or something that happened in the surrounding area?”
Good question, Reese thought. She’d been quiet since they’d left Houston. Clearly she hadn’t slept, either. He hoped Lee Haines wasn’t giving her more problems.
Hollenbeck cut her a glance that slid like grease over her breasts. “I can check it out for you. Maybe you could give me a call this afternoon.”
Reese clenched his jaw. No way was she calling the bastard. “If nothing was missing, what was the intruder after?”
Hollenbeck’s mouth flattened out. “How the hell should I know?”
Reese controlled his temper. “Since the crash was just upgraded to a homicide, you might want to give it some thought—before the FBI arrives to ask you the same question.”
“Homicide? Someone brought that chopper down on purpose?”
“That’s right.”
Color surfaced in Hollenbeck’s neck and crept into his face. “I hadn’t heard.”
“The helo gears were tampered with,” Reese continued. “The break-in means someone besides the regular crew had access. You got anything that could point us toward who might have broken in that night?”
Hollenbeck shook his head. “Like I said, I can look at other break-ins and burglaries in the area. Maybe that’ll turn up something.”
The tension in Reese’s jaw eased. The deputy’s attitude had definitely improved. Amazing what tossing around the letters FBI could do. “I appreciate your time and any help you can give us.” Reese handed him a card and rose from the chair.
Kenzie rose, as well. She was wearing black slacks and a dove-gray V-neck blouse in a soft fabric that curved over her full breasts. It was modest by any measure, shouldn’t have looked sexy, but did, which Hollenbeck clearly noticed.
Reese tamped down the irritation he had no right to feel. “I’d appreciate a call if you come up with anything.”
The deputy nodded.
They were on their way back to the Range Rover when Reese’s cell phone rang. He pulled it out and checked the screen.
He paused next to Kenzie on the sidewalk and accepted the call. “Hey, Tab, tell me you’ve got something.”