She pulled the door open to the building and walked down the short hallway. Her office was the second door on the right overlooking the project.
She came to a stop.
Something was odd.
Lainey’s pulse started racing.
Her door, which was usually—always—locked, was slightly ajar. Why?
A shiver ran down her spine. She was the only one who had a key, and she knew she had locked it.
Her hand trembled as she pushed it open and stepped inside. At first glance, everything looked the same. Her desk was undisturbed. There were no files on her desk. The filing cabinets were still locked.
Weird.
She set her purse and clipboard down and moved toward the desk, trying to shake off the creeping unease. Pencils were in the cup holder. Her desk calendar was open to the right week. Blueprints rolled and stacked just as she left them.
Then she saw it.
Her breath caught.
The picture Luke drew of the two of them, once proudly displayed in a simple wooden frame beside her monitor, was defaced. A thick black slash cut through both of their faces.
Her heart dropped.
This wasn’t a prank. This wasn’t an accident.
Someone had been here. Someone who wanted to hurt her on a personal level.
She picked up the picture with shaking hands, and a tear slid down her cheek.
Who would do this?
If they wanted to rattle her, they succeeded.
She gently placed the picture in a drawer. If she didn’t finish this project, her life and Luke’s would be ruined. There’d be no money for anything and no job prospects.
Lainey settled down and was reviewing the morning checklist when Finn appeared.
He held a plastic bag in his hand. “Found this,” he said, holding up a bag with a cigarette butt in it. “Second one this week.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Are we sure it isn’t someone on the crew?” she asked.
Finn shook his head. “Already asked. No one admits to smoking.”
Just then, voices echoed down the hall. A couple of crew members appeared and stood awkwardly in the doorway.
“Ma’am,” the older of the two said, clearing his throat.
Lainey’s stomach dropped. “George. How are you?”
He shifted his weight and avoided her eyes. “Not so good,” he said quietly. “I’m giving you my notice.”
The words hit her hard.
George scratched the back of his neck, then glanced down at his boots. “Too many weird things happening here, and I’ve got a family I need to protect.”
