“Not exactly by them but definitely heading that way.” Allie added another blob of clay to the table. “They were walking in a certain way. You know what I mean, when you can tell someone knows exactly where they’re going?”
I nodded, recognizing the body language she was describing. “Can you describe them?”
“That’s the odd part.” Allie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It wasn’t the usual tourist type at all, but a woman dressed in a t-shirt, capri pants, and a smock, of all things, the kind with big pockets on the front. Who wears something like that to a cowboy tourist destination?” She laughed. “I remember thinking it was out of place.”
Dungar and I exchanged glances. This description differed completely from the hiker Mary had seen.
“Could you see her face?” I asked.
“Not clearly. She had big sunglasses on, and her hair had been pulled back in a severe bun and tucked beneath a broad-brimmed hat.”
“What time was this?” Dungar took notes on his phone.
“Around four. I’d just finished teaching an advanced throwing class.”
“And you’re certain she was heading toward the luminook area?” I asked.
Allie nodded. “Definitely. She even had a little silver device in her hand. I thought it might be a specialized camera or something. The way she held it, moving it back and forth, reminded me of when Hail uses his electromagnetic field meter to check kiln temperatures.”
Hail tilted his head. “Maybe a s-s-scanning device of some kind.”
An apron-wearing woman with a scanner. A hiker examining fences. Two different people with the same target.
“This may not be a solo operation,” I told Dungar.
“I agree.”
The implications sent a chill down my spine. A coordinated effort meant resources, planning, and determination, exactly the kind of operation Blainsworth’s sons could finance.
It could also mean people had discovered the value of the luminooks. Either way, we had a serious problem on our hands.
“Thank you,” Dungar said, tucking his phone into his back pocket. “If you see anyone suspicious again?—”
“We’ll call immediately,” Allie said. She hesitated, then added, “Is there danger? Should we be worried?”
Dungar’s expression loosened. “We’re taking precautions. Just be aware of your surroundings and report anything unusual.”
We left the Pottery Barn.
“Two different people, but the same target area andprofessional approach,” I said once we’d shut the outer door and started across the open street, aiming for the boardwalk. “What do you think?”
“They could have financial backing for the operation. Specialized equipment costs money.”
So it could be Blainsworth. It would be like them to sabotage my new job before killing me. They enjoyed torture and watching others squirm. Or a pharmaceutical company after the luminooks for research. Or military contractors.
I kept returning to the Blainsworth sons.
Dungar’s hand found mine, squeezing. “We don’t know for certain this is about you.”
But we couldn’t rule them out either. And that uncertainty would keep me looking over my shoulder, just when I’d started to believe I might find peace here in Lonesome Creek.
Chapter 16
Dungar
Morning light slanted through the blinds at precisely the angle I preferred, creating neat rectangles of sunshine on my desk. I’d been up since 4:30 AM, unable to sleep with so many unsolved variables surrounding the luminook thefts. The soft scratch of my pen on paper filled the otherwise silent sheriff’s office as I finalized the last section of my security plan.
My brothers wouldn’t arrive for another forty-five minutes, but I needed everything perfect before presenting my findings. Each map had been drawn to scale, color-coded by risk level, with rotation schedules that accounted for everyone’s strengths. The red ink for high-risk areas, blue for moderate concerns, and green for minimal threat zones created a pattern that satisfied something deep in my soul. Order from chaos. Safety from danger.
