Max hadn’t madeit halfway around the perimeter when Caleb’s voice carried across the yard. “Max!”
Something about the way Caleb said his name made his muscles stiffen.
Caleb rushed from the kennel, urgency in his steps.
Something had happened, he realized.
At least he’d already seen Hadley. At least he knew she was okay.
Relief filled him at that knowledge.
Caleb paused in front of him. “Lyndee’s gone.”
He sucked in a breath. “What?”
“Naomi checked on her, and her room’s empty. Bed looks like it was slept in, but she’s gone now.”
Max exhaled slowly, already running through the possibilities. Had she left on her own again? Had Kenny somehow made it past security and gotten her?
“One other thing,” Caleb continued. “She didn’t take Tinkerbell.”
Max drew in a quick breath. “Lyndee treated the animal like a child. She wouldn’t have left willingly without her dog.”
“No,” Caleb agreed. “She wouldn’t have.”
Which meant Lyndee was most likely in trouble. He’d need to call her brother, Stephen, and let him know. But he was stationed overseas right now, and it would be difficult for Max to get in touch with him.
Max’s jaw tightened. “Let’s check the cameras.”
They hurried inside without another word. Naomi was already in the office, her attention fixed on the screen as she scrubbed through the footage. She wore leggings and a sweatshirt, and her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail.
Tinkerbell sat in her lap, looking just as confused as everyone else.
“I’m going through the night feed,” she murmured without looking away from the screen.
“Anything?” Max asked.
“Not yet.”
Max stepped closer, his focus narrowing as the footage rolled back hour by hour.
The yard appeared quiet and dark, the security lights not offering any clues.
Caleb leaned toward the screen. “Stop right there.”
Naomi froze the frame, and Max squinted as he watched.
A figure crept along the edge of the house, just within range of the camera’s view. The angle was off and the lighting poor. The time read: 3:30.
“Back it up,” Caleb said.
Naomi rewound a few seconds, then let it play again.
A figure emerged from the shadow of the house, head down and shoulders hunched against the cold.
It was Lyndee. Max knew that with certainty before he could fully make out her face.
She was alone, and she headed straight for the gate without any hesitation. When she reached it, she glanced over her shoulder.
