“We’ll figure it out,” Lila said. She pulled out her cell phone and started snapping pictures. She disappeared into the bathroom when a knock sounded on the front door.
Ethan stepped inside. “They’re pulling security footage from a few different cameras, and another officer is going to view it and get back to us. I checked on the key card entry. Housekeeping came in around nine o’clock this morning and said everything was fine. That’s the only swipe on the door aside from yours—and she still had her key card.”
Lila joined them. “You said the guy went out the window. It’s a latch you can’t open from the outside. Did you leave it unlocked?”
“No. I haven’t opened it since being here.”
Gideon frowned. “Could someone have piggybacked on housekeeping’s key card?”
Ethan shrugged. “Sure, it’s possible. Sometimes they flip the latch on the main door so they don’t have to keep swiping the card to get in.”
“If she was vacuuming, it wouldn’t be hard to slip inside without being noticed,” Maya said. She walked to the kitchen and opened the hot water closet. Yep, it would be a tight squeeze for the man she’d seen, but he could fit. “Or in here.”
“Then waited for her to leave and have free access,” Gideon finished.
“Right.”
Ethan scratched his head, then made notes in his little notebook. “I don’t have access to AFIS right now, but I’ll see if I can get some prints off the window for when we’re back online.”
“All right,” Lila said, “let’s get this place cleaned up and we’ll get out of your hair. Then we’ll check a few of the outdoor cameras on the cabins and see if any picked up the guy walking past or whatever. Don’t hold your breath. Each cabin is made to feel isolated for a reason, but we’ll check anyway.”
“Perfect,” Gideon said.
“Yes, thank you for everything,” Maya said, “but I can get this cleaned up by myself. Now that I take a closer look, nothing’s broken, just ... tossed. It’s not as bad as it looked initially.”
Ethan nodded. “I’ll be in touch about the footage from the outdoor camera and the firepit area if there’s anything there.”
“Thanks, man,” Gideon said. “Oh, quick question. Any progress on getting the landline phones working?”
Ethan and Lila shared a look that Gideon couldn’t quite decipher the meaning of. “What?”
“Nothing,” Lila said. “Nothing we can share at the moment anyway. But the answer is no. No real progress, but we have someone working on it, so maybe soon.”
“Right. Okay then. Thanks.”
Gideon and Ethan shook hands once more, and Lila followed her partner out the door.
Gideon returned to the den to find Maya replacing the sofa cushions. He righted the table and chairs and cleaned up the bag of chips that had been knocked off the counter.
Maya raised a brow at him. “Did you catch that look that passed between them when you asked about the phones?”
“I did. You caught it too, huh?”
“Wonder what it meant.”
“No idea.” But he wanted to find out.
Maya moved to the small desk in the corner, replaced the discarded drawer, and pushed the chair in. Then planted her hands on her hips. “That looks good. I’ll put the bed back together in the bedroom and check the bathroom.”
She disappeared and Gideon checked his phone. Still no signal. Couldn’t even get a text out. He sighed. How much longer would this last? He wasn’t complaining but was anxious to let his family know he was all right. Surely they were wondering why he hadn’t called or texted by now. Maybe. It was also possible they weren’t that concerned. It wasn’t like he was a regular visitor. But he did stay in touch. Especially with his grandmother.
And Maya’s family? Her parents were probably calling in the National Guard at this point. At least they would have when he knew her as a teen and college kid. From what she said at breakfast, it sounded as if they were still close.
She came out of the bedroom. “All is well. The bathroom window is locked.” She walked to the French doors and twisted the dead bolt. “Locked. I’m good for a few hours of sleep.”
“Will you really sleep?”
She hesitated, then smiled, but even a blind man could tell it was forced.
