Bennett didn’t bite. He kept his strides even as they crossed the lot toward the construction site. “Mac and Cooper already head out?”
“Yep,” Matthew replied. “Straight back to ESI to gear up. Said to check in when we’re done.” He cast him a sidelong glance. “Unless you’d rather go back inside and ask Laurel for another round of trivia first?”
“Let it go, Walker,” he said without breaking his stride.
The guy chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, man.”
Right. He knew instinctively this wasn’t the last he’d hear about it, but kept his mouth shut and concentrated on the property they approached.
At this angle, it looked like your average renovation project—messy, slow-moving, and full of potential.
But up close, Bennett saw the details that didn’t belong.
A section of fencing was bent outward, just enough for someone to squeeze through. A few electrical wires had been yanked loose, leaving exposed ends hanging uselessly from a busted board, now only half covering a back window.
And the kicker? Someone had dislodged part of the back door’s lock.
Bennett exchanged a look with Matthew, who crouched to examine the door. “Definitely the entry point.”
Matthew grunted. “Yep. And they’re not even trying that hard to cover it up.”
Bennett rolled his shoulders, scanning the area. “What about the cameras back here?”
“Good question,” Matthew said, rising to his feet before stepping back. “Carter just started installing some yesterday. According to Brandi, the vandalism’s been happening at night, so hopefully, if the culprits show up tonight, we’ll capture it on video and then them.”
He nodded but knew from experience that things rarely went as planned.
Just then, the door to the building opened, and Carter stepped out, wiping his hands on his jeans.
“Gentlemen,” he greeted, grinning. “Did you bring me some breakfast?”
Matthew shook his head. “Sorry, no.”
“Then what brings you to my little slice of construction hell?” Carter asked.
Bennett tipped his chin toward the building and the dangling wire. “Needed to check things out.”
Carter followed his gaze, grimacing. “Yeah, it’s been a real fun time. Whoever’s messing with this place isn’t subtle.”
“Making any headway on the security feeds?” Bennett asked.
“Yes. Slowly,” the guy replied. “But I did have a camera set up back here last night.”
Surprise lifted Bennett’s brow. “Did you catch anything?”
Carter shook his head. “Nothing solid. I’ve got a couple of blurry figures on the night footage, but they’re good at staying in the shadows. It’s like they knew the camera was there.”
Matthew narrowed his eyes. “Probably did.”
“That’s why I’m working on adding more and tweaking the angles, but in the meantime, I’ve got to get the rest of this system fully up and running after I make repairs.” Carter sighed.
“Need our help?” he asked, although tech wasn’t exactly his or Matthew’s specialty.
The guy’s gaze brightened. “Yeah, that’d be great, at least until Tyler shows up. He’s coming in after he makes a delivery run.”
Tyler Bryson was one of Gabe’s brothers and the former Navy pilot now worked for ESI when he wasn’t transporting animals in his plane to and from the local animal rescue. Bennett hadn’t met him yet, but was told the guy was a wiz at tech and gadgets like Carter.
“Yeah.” Matthew nodded. “I heard he was bringing in a mama Great Dane and four of her puppies to Shadow Rock Shelter from a hoarding situation in Dallas.”
