The notion triggered a thought. Jenna reached into her purse, removed the binoculars, and pressed them to her eyes.
“You broughtbinoculars?”
“What’s a stakeout without binoculars?”
“Where did you even get those?” he asked.
“Dad and I used to go bird-watching sometimes. We saw a flamingo once near Wallops Island.”
“That’s cool. Are you hoping to spot the rare speckle-throated nightflutter?”
“That’s not a thing.” She adjusted the focus. “I’m trying to see if... Oh good. They don’t have one.”
“Don’t have what?”
“One of those doorbell cameras that record everyone approaching the house. As far as I can tell, he doesn’t have any kind of camera.” If they approached the door, Gordon would recognize both of them.
At the sound of pedestrians approaching on the sidewalk, she lowered the binoculars. “Last thing we need is to get hauled in for stalking.”
“We could call your mom to bail us out.”
“Funny.”
His phone vibrated as a text came in. “It’s Mom. Look, she sent a picture of the foal she’s eyeing. Look at her.”
Jenna lowered the binoculars and leaned in to see the filly. She was a beautiful bay with a white blaze and spindly legs. “Aw, she’s so cute.”
“It’d be nice having another foal on the property.” He shot Jennaan impish grin. “Dad’s sunk. I’m going to send this picture to Alex. A little gloating never hurt anyone.”
She remembered her conversation with Ronda. “Or... you could not tell Alex and just get him to raise the bet.”
The look in his eyes shifted to one of admiration. “You’re a genius.” He started texting.
Jenna turned her attention to the neighborhood. A streetlight kicked on nearby. The sun was setting and a cloak of darkness would soon fall over the neighborhood.
A few minutes later Ty pocketed his phone. “Done. Got him to three hundred.”
“Threehundred? I thought it was one hundred.”
“It was, but Alex got us up to two hundred last week.”
That tricky, tricky woman.Jenna stifled a grin.
Ty nodded to the binoculars. “Give me those things.”
She handed them over, then let her gaze drift back to the house. “Is that a light in that upstairs window? A faint one?”
He aimed the binoculars that way. “Maybe. I can’t really tell yet. But it’s getting darker by the minute.”
“Even if a light is on, that doesn’t mean anyone’s home. He could’ve just left it on for security.”
“True. Are you thinking we should ring the bell tonight?”
Mostly she just wanted to make sure he lived alone. “I think so. If someone does come to the door, should we just ask for Gordon?”
“Maybe not. They might tell him someone was looking for him, and they’ll want to know who we are.”
“We could ask for his daughter, Katie.”
