“You didn’t see anyone?” Zander asked Isaac.
Isaac ran a hand through his long hair, and concern shone in his eyes. “No. I was taking a bag to the dumpster. I didn’t notice until I was walking back. I looked around then, but no one was here.”
“Is this where it happened before?” Zander asked her. He turned in a circle, scanning the small employee parking area behind the restaurant. “No cameras?”
“No cameras, and yes. Last time it was all four tires.” Emily swore under her breath. Buying four new tires had hurt. Now she had to find the money for two more. “I should have put up cameras. Would be cheaper than new tires.”
“You’d still have to buy new tires,” Isaac pointed out. “But at least we’d know who did it.”
She noticed Zander’s gaze lingering on Isaac. She understood. Isaac didn’t present the best first impression. His stringy hair was always in his eyes. He slouched. And his jeans always looked a half second away from falling to the ground. But he was a good kid. Emily trusted him.
“Did you report the last incident to the police?” Zander asked.
“No.” Emily felt her face flush. “I didn’t consider it worth their time.”
Zander’s silence felt judgmental.
“Do it this time,” he said quietly. He pointed at the back wall of the restaurant. “For decent coverage, you need a camera there, there, and over there. A couple out front would be a good idea too.”
Five cameras?
“I need to pay for new tires first.” And pay off the other four. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered. “I didn’t need this today.”
“Can I give you a ride somewhere?” Zander offered.
“I hate to take up your time.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll still be working during that time. We weren’t done.”
He grinned, and she blinked at the transformation of his face. The solemn, serious agent looked ten years younger when he smiled.
“In that case, you can drive me home. I’ll borrow one of my aunts’ cars.”
“Barton Mansion?”
Her head jerked toward him in surprise.
“I was there earlier today, looking for you. I met one of your aunts. Vina.”
“Just one? You’re lucky.” Emily crossed her fingers that Vina hadn’t talked his ear off. She looked at Isaac. “Will you tell Madison I’m headed home?”
Isaac gave her a casual salute and strolled toward the back door, hiking up his pants with one hand and stepping over a giant puddle.
“He’s a good kid,” she told Zander, who was watching Isaac with a frown on his face. “I gave him a chance when no one else would, and he’s paid me back tenfold.”
She tensed, waiting for him to contradict her. Instead he pointed at an SUV on the street. “I’m parked over there. Ready?”
Her tension evaporated, but now she was off-balance. She’d automatically expected pushback on her comment about helping Isaac, and it had never come. Her ex would have asserted that Isaac was a useless teen and not worth her time. She shook her head at herself as she followed Zander, suddenly exhausted.
The tires were nothing compared to her discovery that morning, but the incident had weakened the walls that were keeping her emotions in check.
I refuse to fall apart in front of him.
Zander followed the same route to the mansion from earlier that day. Emily sat silently, but he swore he could hear the gears grinding in her head as she thought about everything that had happened. His own train of thought was going full speed.
“Emily, I know you haven’t reported the damage to the police, but have you told your aunts?”
“No, I don’t want to worry them with extra expenses.”
“How many harassment incidents have you had at the mansion?”
“What?” Her shoulders twitched at his question. “What are you talking about?”
Uh-oh. “I cleaned up a slaughtered raccoon that had been left at your home today. Vina said it wasn’t the first time.”
He glanced at her. Her face was white, her dark-blue eyes locked on him.
“You have to consider that the damage to your car and the dead animals left at the mansion are related. They’re both harassment. Chickenshit harassment. Who has it in for you or your family?”
Another glance showed him she was staring straight ahead now, her lips pressed together. He’d either surprised her or stated out loud what she was already thinking. He parked in front of the mansion, turned off his vehicle, and waited for her answer.
She finally met his gaze, her eyes uncertain. “I don’t know.” Her voice was low but not nervous.
“My statement didn’t surprise you.”
“No. It’s crossed my mind.”
“You haven’t discussed it with your aunts?”
“No, like I said, I didn’t want to worry them.”
“I think they should know about these other incidents. Maybe they’ve seen things they didn’t share with you.” He raised a brow. “You might be surprised at what communication can reveal.”
She tipped back against the headrest and briefly closed her eyes. “I know you’re right.”
He checked the time. “I’d like to talk with you and your aunts some more, but first I need to check in with my partner. I’ll make a phone call and then knock, okay?”
“Sounds good.” She got out of the SUV and marched up the stairs without looking back.
He watched her leave as he listened to Ava’s phone ring.
“Hey, Zander,” she answered.
“Anything out of the deputies?” he asked.
She sighed. “I know these kids went to the police academy, but I swear they forgot half of what they learned. I don’t think there is much around here to keep them on their toes. Sounds like they deal with a lot of DUIs, drugs, and domestics.”
“Doesn’t surprise me. How many did you make cry?”
“Only one. The first responder. Nate Copeland. And honestly I’d barely started asking questions when he fell apart.”
“Losing your touch?”
“Some of these guys are young. I feel I should hand them a video game controller and make them a sandwich.”
Zander grinned.
“Anyway, Copeland was all apologetic about cutting Sean down. He lives in Bartonville, so he knew the victim. They’d had beers together. He said he’d panicked when he saw Sean, and he was overwhelmed with a need to quickly get him down so he could breathe—even though his brain knew it was too late.”
“If he knew Sean, did he have an idea of who would do this?”
“Well, that’s where it gets a little odd. He also said Sean and Lindsay were having marital problems.”
“No shit.” Zander was surprised. This was a different picture from the rosy one Emily had presented. Who was right?
“When I pressed the issue, he said he wasn’t aware of anyone who would hurt the couple.”
“What about the other deputies?”
“They didn’t know Sean. They live east of Astoria. What did you get from the first witness—Emily Mills?”
“I got a slightly different picture of the Fitch couple. She says it was heavenly bliss in their home and can’t think of anyone who would hurt the couple.”