“But would he have known about this road?” Dove asked. "I've been out here a dozen times, and I didn't know there was access so close to the water."
"Not many people do. We've always kept this part of the property private, but it connects to a county road about a mile east. No gate on that end, which is why I put one here.” Trent stared at the empty road, his expression dark.
“Could or would Karl have hired someone?”
“It’s possible, but Karl doesn’t like to spend his own money on things, and why would he? What would he have to gain by sending someone to spy on me?”
“If he’s trying to get you to do work for him, or someone else, it could be that he’s trying to gather intel to use against you.”
“I suppose,” Trent said. “Let’s go check out the gates.”
They jogged back to Trent's Jeep—the old one he used for knocking around the property, more rust than paint at this point. He cranked the engine, and they bounced down the access road toward the main gate.
“I wanted to thank you again for all that you’ve done.” Trent shifted the manual transmission and quickly glanced in her direction. “I don’t think I could’ve gotten through these last few weeks without you.”
“You would’ve been fine. You had Fallon, Buddy, and so many other friends.” Dove had done her best to make herself useful. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel valued as a friend, she did. But Trent had grown up in Calusa Cove, where Dove often still felt like an interloper. Though, she was trying to change that narrative. This was the first place she’d lived where she wanted to make it last.
Not to mention somewhere along the way, she’d developed feelings for Trent.
“Maybe, but you’ve really been there for me, and considering that things were awkward for a bit, I wanted you to know how much it’s meant to me.”
“Don’t think twice about it,” she said. “It’s what friends do.”
Trent slowed the Jeep, downshifting to second. “The gate’s open.” He rolled the Jeep to a stop and sat there for a long moment, staring at the chain-link fence. “That padlock should be securing the gate. No one knows that combination except me and my mom—and before you ask, no, I never gave it to Karl.” Trent pulled out his cell and tapped on the screen.
“What are you doing?”
“Texting the weekend manager at Mallor’s Landing Alligator Center,” he said. “While those buildings are clear across the other side of the property, and none of my employees have the combo, I need to ask them if they've noticed anything strange.”
“Do you trust all your employees?”
He jerked his head back. “Yeah. All locals. I don’t have many, but the ones I do have, I’ve known my entire life. A few have worked here longer than I’ve been alive.”
She raised her hands. “Just asking.” Deciding to move on to a different set of questions, she asked, "When's the last time you changed the combo?"
He was quiet for a beat too long. "Never."
“Not a great security system. Is there any way Karl could’ve guessed it?” she asked, because he was the best suspect. And because focusing on being an Aegis Network Agent kept her mind from spiraling over some of the dumbass choices she’d made the first few months she’d lived in this quaint small town.
The biggest one was treating Trent like a good time boy, only needing him for sex. Of course, when they first met, she hadn’t a clue what emotional attachment was.
“It’s random numbers.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “They don’t mean a damn thing. No sentimental value. No birthdays, anniversaries, nothing like that.”
"Is it possible your mom gave it to someone? Maybe recently?"
He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Her last few days, she wasn't exactly coherent. She'd talk to people who weren't there. Thought she saw my dad once—said he looked good. Healthy. Said he came to check on her, to say goodbye, and that he was sorry.” His voice caught slightly, then steadied. "She also thought I was still living with Fallon, so take that for what it's worth."
Dove reached over and put her hand on his arm. He didn't pull away. "I'm going to dig into this," she said. "The Hendersons. That guy in the trees. Karl. All of it."
“It’s not?—"
"I'm doing it regardless, so you might as well not waste your breath arguing." She squeezed his arm. "But you need to change this combination. Today. And you need to call Dawson."
"I just buried my mother." The words came out raw. Scraped from someplace deep inside. "She was the last family I had. Can I have one goddamn day before I have to deal with the chief of police? “He stopped, jaw clenching.
"I know." She kept her voice soft. "But someone was watching you, today. Someone who knew how to get onto your property without being seen, and maybe it was Karl. And while the Hendersons might be a nice couple, I don’t like how they keep asking to buy Mallor’s Landing.”
He stared out the windshield at the open gate, at the empty road beyond. His hands gripped the steering wheel hard enough to turn his knuckles white. "Fine," he said finally. "I'll call Dawson. But not today. Tomorrow."
