I headed for the office at the end of the hall.
Mom had claimed the corner desk, and if anybodybelonged in that chair, it was her. She sat ramrod straight, hair up, blouse immaculate after a morning of what should've been "family time." Her phone hovered in both hands, her thumbs moving so fast she probably set some kind of texting record.
I sat in the chair opposite, bracing my elbows on my knees. "There was a SkyArc circus out by the creek."
She frowned, lips pinched. "What happened?"
"They blocked the road. Three trucks, a flatbed, the works. But that's not the real show. They've got cameras up and down the creek bank. Full coverage, right over where Tash does her research."
That got her attention. "All along the water?"
"Every fifteen yards, at least. Trip-wires, too. Solar panels for power. Plus, William Hanlon was waiting for me. Tried to push my buttons, acted like he was dying for a reason to escalate."
She clicked her tongue, disgusted. "I left the house just after nine. There was nothing like that then."
That tracked. "So, what's the story on the landowner? William waved a permit, said it was signed and cleared, but the guy's supposed to be out of the country until February."
Mom's hands flat-lined on the desk.She went absolutely still. Classic "I'm hiding something" if you grew up with her.
"They couldn't have gotten a signature from him," she said. "I've known Cameron Blaine since he was a little boy. He doesn't do business on the fly, and he wouldn't have given SkyArc permission. I knew his father, too. If SkyArc got permission, it wasn't above board."
I nodded. "Yeah, that's exactly how it played. The paperwork looked fake. No notary, nothing. It felt like a stunt. Like they were betting I'd lose my cool."
The phone in her pocket buzzed. Her fingers twitched, but she didn't even glance down. Total poker face.
I tried to give her an out. "If you know anything else, now's the time. We can't let them harass Tash."
She softened. "I'll make some calls. I know a few people in the county office. If that permit isn't legitimate, we'll have a full investigation in twenty-four hours."
"That's not fast enough if they're trying to mess up Tash's work. If they tamper with the stream, even once, her whole study could go in the trash. And they know it."
Mom pursed her lips, calm and considering. "Then we set up our own cameras. Make it clear we're watching,too. I'll call the security company and have them drive out this afternoon."
I barked a laugh. "You think Hanlon's afraid of cameras?"
She arched her brow. "I'll handle Hanlon. You keep the girls safe."
So that was the game. She wanted me to be on "Dad duty," not playing detective. I shrugged, but the urge to go back and rip out every SkyArc sensor with my bare hands was strong.
"Fine. But I'm warning Tash. I'm not letting them blindside her."
Mom stood, all business. "Go home, stay with her and the girls. We'll keep everything on our grounds until we know what's going on."
Her phone chirped again, then buzzed three times. This time, she didn't even budge. Just gave me her patented "dismissed, please go fix it" smile.
I got up, pushing back the chair a little too hard. "If anything else shakes loose, let me know."
"We'll talk tonight," she promised. Something in her eyes, though, said it wasn't going to be the whole story.
I texted Tash.
Headed home soon, tell the girls hi from me.
Then I hit the next pile of orders with a vengeance.
But even while prepping the orders for next week, my mind never left the creek. Hanlon was too slick, the permit was a joke, and the surveillance felt personal.
Whatever it took, I'd keep Tash and the twins safe. No way was I letting SkyArc surveil our property.
