Page 4 of In Pursuit of the Truth

Nate found the kennel in the barn, loaded it into the back of his truck, then secured it in place with rope. By the time he’d finished, a police car was driving toward them. Bailey must have given Jenny the code to the gate.

He jumped down from the bed of his truck just in time to watch Jenny give Bailey a hug before waving at him.

“Hey, Nate.”

“Good to see you, Jenny. Thanks for coming so quickly.”

“Of course.” Jenny smiled, but there was a shadow of concern on her face.

They’d spoken after Joe’s funeral and had agreed that, between the two of them, they’d make sure Bailey had any help she needed. Of course, the stubborn woman liked to do things on her own, but it didn’t stop them from trying.

The fact that someone had come onto Bailey’s property and caused damage at all was a problem.

Jenny motioned toward the goat pen. “I’m going to go take a quick look and snap a few pictures.”

Bailey tilted her head toward her truck. “Sounds good. I’ll get Jordan’s booster seat out.”

Nate followed Jenny to the pen. There was no doubt that someone had intentionally cut the wood.

“It was premeditated.” His voice came out as more of a growl than he’d intended. He glanced at Bailey’s truck and lowered his voice. “If someone had just wandered onto the property and decided to destroy something, boards would be broken, not cut.”

Jenny took several photos with her phone. “But why the goat pen? Was anything else damaged?”

“Not that Bailey noticed, but she said she still needed to drive around and check out everything else. You’ll go with her for that?”

He’d rather take on the job himself, but he also wanted to ease some of the burden from Bailey’s shoulders by taking Poppy to the vet.

“Of course. I won’t leave until you get back.” She gave him a contemplative look. “We really could use you back at the department. You’ve always had an eye for the details.”

“I appreciate that.” But he wasn’t ready. He didn’t need to speak the words aloud, though. Jenny knew what had prompted his extended leave of absence from his job as police detective, and she wouldn’t push.

He truly appreciated knowing that his friends and co-workers wanted him back.

“If you and Bailey find anything else, let me know.”

“Will do.” Jenny turned back to the pen.

Nate jogged over to Bailey’s truck and lifted the booster seat from her arms. “I’ve got it.” He put it in the center of the back seat of his own vehicle and secured it in place.

Next, he opened her truck’s back door again andgreeted the boys with a smile. “Hey, kiddos. You being good for your mom?”

Jordan nodded his head emphatically while Seth gave Nate a serious look over the top of the small goat he was holding. “Yes, sir.”

“Good man. Here, let me take Poppy. Jordan and I are going to take her to the vet. I want you to help your mom while I’m gone.”

There was no missing the flash of worry in Seth’s eyes as he momentarily tightened his hold on Poppy’s neck. But he straightened his spine and leaned back. “Yes, sir. I will.”

Nate ruffled his hair before lifting the goat into his arms. By the time he got her in the pen and Jordan transferred to his booster seat and strapped in, the sun was already warming the air.

He turned to find Bailey standing nearby. Her hair, which she’d pulled up in a bun, was coming loose. Several tendrils hung next to her face by one ear. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her with her hair down. Maybe a handful of times since Joe died.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Thanks again. The vet has my credit card on file. I’ll call ahead and let her know you’re on the way, so there won’t be any problems charging everything.” She scratched at the back of her neck. “Not the way I wanted to start the morning.”

“No joke. I’ll text you with updates.”

A smidge of her stress evaporated, and Nate was happy he could be the one to do that for her. Reluctantly, he climbed into the truck and started it up. With a last glance in the rearview mirror, he prayed that Bailey and Seth stayed safe and that Jenny could find evidence that might lead to whoever did this.

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