knew her way around, and nothing appeared out of place. It didn’t look like your typical burglary. Surely it had just been someone’s mistake. She couldn’t imagine her brother or Adele Oscar, one of Dad’s higher-up employees, being that careless. But maybe if there’d been an emergency elsewhere?
Yet there was the gut feeling that had gotten her through her years as a deputy, and now as Bent County Sheriff’s Department’s detective, that told her something was off. That this was more than an oversight.
Hart appeared at the front doors. “There are two cars in the employee lot out back,” he said. “You want to come see if you recognize them?”
Laurel nodded and motioned Hart to follow her through the back hall that would cut through the bank to the back lot. She passed Dad’s office and stopped when she saw him scowling and punching at the computer keys.
He looked up and, though his face was scowling and angry, she saw the hint of worry in his gaze. “I’m not sure what happened, but there’s no footage today. It appears the cameras were turned off last night.”
“Purposeful?”
Dad shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose it could be an accident, but whoever did it had access.”
“I’ll need a list of anyone who has access and opportunity to turn on or off the cameras. Hart, sit down with him and write down everyone who had access. I’m going to check out the cars.” She moved through the back hallway briskly, that gut feeling diving deeper.
She immediately recognized the first vehicle, her brother’s sleek sports car. It was enough to make her feel uneasy. Why would Dylan have left his car behind? Still, she could have come up with a few reasons. But the second car, parked farther down, made her stomach flip over in absolute police-level concern.
What was Vanessa Carson’s car doing in the Delaney Bank parking lot? That wasn’t just abnormal—it was unheard of.
Laurel immediately pulled out her phone. When the rough voice answered, the noise of his saloon a steady hum behind him, she couldn’t smile like she usually did. “Grady.”
“What’s up, princess?”
The nickname didn’t bug her anymore, but this feeling did. “Have you seen Vanessa today?”
“Van? Hmm. Guess not, but I wasn’t expecting to.” There was a pause. “What is it?”
“I’m not sure. Can you send someone to see if she’s at her shop and give me a call back?”
“Laurel, do I need to be worried?”
It was her turn to pause. “I’m not sure.”
“But you are. Worried, that is.”
“Call me back, okay? Love you.”
“Laur—”
She couldn’t sit on the phone and argue with her husband. She marched back inside to her father’s office. “It’s Dylan’s car and Vanessa Carson’s.”
Hart’s eyebrows rose and Dad’s face turned a mottled red.
“Are you telling me—”
“I’m telling you those are the cars left in the lot, and both people are unaccounted for. We need to find Adele Oscar. If she was working, and her car’s gone, we need her story. If she won’t answer her phone, we’ll have to go find her.”
Hart nodded. Laurel looked at her father. “Lock up. Go home. I’ll let you know when I’ve got more information.”
“I demand—”
“Go home, Dad. Let us investigate.” She pushed Hart toward the front doors and to the police car.
She had a bad feeling Adele Oscar had something to do with this weirdness. Now they just had to find her.
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