Followed by another seconds later.
She’s nice, but I’d feel weird asking her out. Not even going there.
Relief filled him, with guilt a close second.
But only a little bit of guilt. It was more smug satisfaction.
From there he opted to stop by their house first. He wanted to see what state it was in. Part of the street was roped off and he had to walk from four houses down. There was a small crew in the yard, one rolling what looked like an odd kind of cart back and forth in straight lines while others were surveying the property and putting out marker flags.
The sinkhole was only a little larger than it’d been last night. Maddox spotted part of the truck’s rear bumper stuck up at an odd angle where it was visible under the collapsed roll-up door.
Then he caught sight of a guy standing on the sidewalk. He was wearing a work shirt that matched the people with the cart and survey equipment, and Maddox realized he recognized him.
“Wade?”
The man looked up, his gaze narrowing briefly as he eyed him. “Y-yes?”
That’s right, he was sure he remembered now. From the Suncoast Society munch he’d attended. The guy had a slight stutter, and had been there with his husband and their third.
Maddox walked over and extended his hand. “Maddox Orosco. We met…at dinner with friends a few weeks ago.”
Recognition dawned, and he was apparently relieved that Maddox was being discreet. He shook with Maddox. “Wade Hines.”
“What are you doing here?”
He pointed at the cart. “Ground an…alysis. Mapping.” He smiled and pointed at the embroidered company name on his shirt. “Evil day…job.”
“Ah.”
“What are you…d-doing here?”
“Hank is my best friend. He called me last night when it happened. The man who was renting the house, him and his little girl.”
“Are they…okay?”
“Yeah. He and his daughter got out safely. And a bunch of us, including my bosses, Marcia and Derrick, and Eliza and Rusty, and others, came out to help clear their things out and get them moved to my house.”
Wade slowly nodded, fitting the pieces together. “Ah.” He smiled. “F-friend in…common.”
“Exactly.” Maddox’s attention returned to the house. “Any chance of us being able to clear out the kitchen? We got everything else out.”
Code enforcement had red-tagged the house and put a warning sticker on the front door.
Wade shook his head. “Too…unstable. Still…shifting. That’s what we’re doing. M…apping the ground to see…what else is…there.”
Wade swept his arm, indicating the development. “Built on top of an old…orange grove. Not the…first sinkhole to…happen here. Place is…pockmarked with them. Four in…twenty years. And more voids. Lots of…subsidence all…over. Half the…p-place is on well water. Older section is. And…yard irrigation systems. And golf…c-course irrigation system just…over there.” He pointed, indicating beyond Hank’s house. “Groundwater…subsidence.”
“Oh, shit.” Thank god they’d only been renting and hadn’t bought the place.
Wade nodded. “They’re…lucky. Void extends…past back of house. Could’ve…opened under a b-bedroom.” He consulted his tablet, then let out a piercing whistle to his crew. The guy pushing the cart stopped and waited while the surveyors kept on working.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to work,” Maddox said, shaking with him again. “We can talk later.”
“Yeah. Glad they’re…okay.”
“Me, too.”
Once at the office, he dove into his work. Marcia and Derrick waved him into Derrick’s office not long after his arrival.
