Page 16 of Hargrave Health Kick
“Any news on the rat situation?” she queried, breaking the silence.
“Progress,” he said. “That meeting is tomorrow.” At the sound of the others headed toward them, he grinned and melted into the shadows.
When they were all gathered around the crackling fire, Celeste demonstrated how to make a fruit s’more. She roasted a marshmallow, pressed it between two apple slices, and drizzled the treat in caramel.
“Not exactly sugar-free,” she allowed, handing it to Susannah. “But there’s a smidge more nutritional value.”
Susannah took a bite and declared the variation a five-star hit, before devouring the rest of it in two bites.
For the first time in days, Veronica relaxed completely, confident that the changes she wanted to make with her online platform would be supported and well-received.
Chapter Seven
The next morning,Veronica was still riding that hopeful high as she and Celeste walked into the Guardian Agency office for the meeting with Jess.
Her sister paused just outside the door. “Did you go out last night after dinner?”
“No, why?”
“You’re smiling. A lot,” she emphasized. “Nat suggested?—”
“Nat’s imagining things.”
“So, you aren’t thinking about dating, um, anyone in particular?”
“No.” Veronica spotted Brayden striding closer. He must’ve been waiting in his car for their arrival. Weirdly panicked, she reached past her sister and yanked open the door. “Let’s go,” she hissed.
She didnotneed this kind of distraction. Brayden was herfriend. End of story. She still felt guilty for ogling him on the beach. He deserved better from her.
“Good morning.” Brayden smiled as he joined them at the door.
“Morning,” Veronica replied. Was he smiling brighter today? She caught a flash of something in his eyes that put her on high alert. “Everything went okay overnight?”
“Sure did.” He followed them into the office.
“Did they find who put that rat there? And how?” Celeste queried.
“Jess has all the intel for us,” he assured them.
After the cycle of good-mornings, Jess gathered them all around a conference table and turned on the wall-mounted monitor. “Since you’re most familiar with Brayden, I invited him to take the lead for the security team today.”
“Thanks,” Celeste said. “To both of you.”
With a nod, Jess continued. “We sent all the surveillance we have on the Hideaway to the experts in Chicago for analysis. As you know, there are things I can do here, but my primary responsibility is personnel.”
Veronica didn’t care for Jess’s cautious tone. What had they found?
She felt Brayden watching her, but she didn’t dare glance his way. In school they’d had a way of communicating without saying a word. Despite the silence, it often got them busted anyway. Did she want to know if that was still effective? Maybe. But this wasn’t the right place to test it.
“What they determined,” Brayden picked up the presentation, “is this.” The image on the monitor changed from the view from the camera at the back door, to one of the extra cameras at the edge of the property.
“That’s over near the fire pit?” Celeste asked.
“Yes.” Brayden did something and the image shifted slightly. “And that’s a shadow of what we believe is a drone.” The view on the monitor split. On one side a video rolled showing a clear patio one second and the dead rat in the next. On the other sidea shadow moved across the ground, but the object casting it was above the angle of the camera.
“The rat falls from that shadow,” Jess said.
Veronica swore. “Who would do that?”
