Page 48 of Risk Assessment
He put a matchstick at the base of the door. Then he grabbed a can of sunscreen from the little table on the porch and sprayed the floor with it. “There now. It’ll make the floor a bit sticky so we should see a footprint or two if anyone tries to get in while we’re gone.”
“What about the turndown service?”
“I already called the front desk and cancelled for the evening. I told them we didn’t want to be disturbed. I also asked Cosgrove to place a temporary camera along the path.” He pointed to a small birdhouse that was hung in a nearby tree. “If anyone comes here, we’ll know who they are now.”
“That’s great. I love the birdhouse disguise!”
Dylan grinned. “Yup. It’s pretty cool.” He grabbed her hand and led her down the path. As they walked to the parking lot, it hit her how much she’d come to rely on him in such a short period of time.
“Want to review the plan for tomorrow?” he asked
Reveling in the warmth of his touch, she was at a loss for how to answer. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I’m not comfortable sending you into the wedding alone, but I also don’t want to upset Jenn. It’s her big day.”
“That’s really sweet of you, to think of Jenn, I mean.”
Dylan smiled at her. “I don’t know if it’s sweet, but it feels like the right thing to do.”
“The wedding is the main event. I can’t miss it. And I won’t be alone. The guests that are here now are only a fraction of the over two-hundred and fifty that are coming to the wedding. I’ll be lucky to get a moment to think tomorrow let alone worry about Clark. Besides, with all those people there, Clark wouldn’t dare…” She saw Josh walking toward them.
“Clark wouldn’t do what?” Dylan asked.
“Hey, Josh.” Raleigh gave him a small wave. “How are you?”
“Calvin has been keeping me pretty busy but I’m good,” he said as he came to a stop in front of them.
His skin looked a bit red. Raleigh asked, “Everything okay? You look a bit flushed.”
He smiled slightly while he brought a finger to his collar and pulled a bit. “This shirt and tie are a bit hot. I’m on my way to my room to change for the barbecue.”
“I hope you’re going to have some time off tonight. You look like you can use a break.”
“I’ll be free most of the night. Maybe we can grab a drink?” He glanced over at Dylan to include him in the invitation.
Dylan dipped his chin. “Much obliged, but we’re actually heading out.”
Raleigh nodded as she put her arm through Dylan’s. “We decided to take the night off, too. Phil promised to take notes and tons of pictures. I have the outline done for the next article, so I’m good to go.”
Josh’s smile lost some of its wattage. “Uh, so you’re skipping the whole barbecue?”
“Yes, but I’ll be around tomorrow for the wedding.”
“We should be going.” Dylan tipped his chin again. “Have a great night, Josh,” he said as he steered Raleigh around Josh and out to the parking lot.
“Do you think that was a good idea?” Raleigh asked.
“What? Telling Josh we’re leaving? I think luck is finally turning our way.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, chances are good that Josh will mention it to his boss and with any luck, Clark will drop by the cabin—”
“Where we’ll catch him on camera,” she finished for him.
Dylan helped her into his pickup. “That’s the plan.” He closed her door and went around to his side and climbed in.
“Wait, did you plan that? Bumping into Josh?”
