“No.”
Dev considered that as he studied the curved display. “Intermittent is harder to track,” he said. “Could be nothing. Could be the start of something.”
“No pattern I can lock onto yet.”
“I’ll have Callan take a look.”
“I already called him,” Leland replied. “He said I’m not the first to report it. He notified Strickland. A tech will be out tomorrow.”
“Evan’s here tonight. I’ll talk to him. For what we’re paying, someone should have been here already.”
“At the first flicker,” Leland grunted.
Silence settled between them, broken only by the hum of equipment and the audio from the playroom, never muted when in use but set to low.
No more than a minute passed. Without looking at him, Dev asked, “What’s with you?”
Leland’s jaw tightened. “Nothing’s with me. Why?”
Now he glanced over, one brow lifted slightly. “Since when do you sit on the sidelines instead of being in the middle of the action?”
Leland kept his focus. “Since tonight. I swapped with Russ. I needed a change.”
“Funny. I don’t recall you asking.”
His head swung toward his friend of nearly a decade. They’d worked together at the Bureau, and Leland was his first hire when he decided to go into business for himself. He had invested significant capital. They weren’t equal partners, but it was close.
“Funny. I don’t recall ever needing to.”
“You don’t,” Dev conceded. “But Russell is a less-experienced monitor.”
“Only way to get experience is to do it,” he said, eyes shifting back to the screen. “Was there a problem?”
“No. I’ve been keeping a close eye on him.”
Another flicker, longer this time. Leland’s attention snapped to it. This one on the patio cam. “There. On number nine. Did you see it?”
“I saw it.” Dev leaned back in his chair, studying him now instead of the screens. His gaze dropped briefly to Leland’s hand, the knuckles still bruised. He didn’t comment. “I’ve had complaints,” he said instead.
Leland’s attention stayed on the screen. “From who?”
“Take your pick. You’ve been short, snapping at people. Even the subs.” A pause. “Which is telling, considering how much they usually like you.”
Leland exhaled slowly. “Everyone’s fine.”
“I asked about you. Not everyone.”
Another stretch of silence.
“This wouldn’t be about a bubbly blonde who has been conspicuously absent of late, would it?”
“No,” he answered too fast.
Dev’s mouth curved, not quite a smile. He didn’t push; he never did. He let things sit and evolve in their own time.
Then, casually, “Maybe it’s for the best you’re up here tonight.”
Leland didn’t respond.
