Chapter 4
Louise walked outside to her car. She took a moment to inhale the fresh air. Talk about a disruptive night. That was without considering her male houseguest. Larger than life, Rory wasn’t someone to ignore. Just then Rory stopped beside her and looked at her carefully. She smiled at him. “I’m fine.”
He nodded. “I know. Just wondering if something new was going on.”
She gave a half laugh. “No, there doesn’t need to be anything new to still be something. My life is often chaotic.” She motioned to her truck. “Is there any point in going to the clinic outside of checking on the animals and any damage to the clinic? Am I allowed to open today?”
“Absolutely. Hopefully the deputies are done. If you’ve got appointments and animals coming in, then you’ll need to look after them or move all the appointments to another day.”
“Right. That’s not fun, so let’s hope I don’t have to resort to that.” Louise got into her vehicle, turned on the engine, aware Rory stood right beside her, waiting. He would follow her into work, and maybe that was a good thing. She’d certainly been to hell and back emotionally after finding out two men had been killed at her clinic. She’d slept … but badly. She briefly considered closing up shop, but she offered a valuable service and couldn’t stand to think of leaving all those animals in need.
It only took ten minutes to get to the clinic. She drove slowly as she approached the parking lot. Nancy, her front desk assistant, was already there, looking worried. The relief that crossed her face when Louise pulled up was almost comical. Then she recognized another man from Levi’s compound who stood behind Nancy. Louise hopped out and walked over to him with a big smile. “Hi, Logan.”
“Hi, Louise,” Logan said with a big grin. “Only you and Anna can get into so much trouble.”
She groaned. “We’re not doing it on purpose.”
“Didn’t say that,” Logan said with a shake of his head. “Sometimes you ladies are just trouble magnets.”
At the sound of a truck she turned to watch Rory pull in and park. He stepped out, and the two men exchanged greetings.
Pushing back the brim of his hat, Rory asked, “Anything new?”
Logan shook his head. “The deputies left several hours ago.”
“Any reason she can’t stay and open up today?”
“I asked them specifically, and they said she can continue with business but to keep an eye out. And to get her security system fixed as fast as possible.”
Louise frowned, surprised they were okay with her opening up. “Is that normal when two men were murdered?”
Her assistant gasped in horror. “What? Somebody was killed?”
Rory gently squeezed Louise’s shoulder. “They were shot outside,” he said to her assistant. “There was a break-in and a falling out among thieves, leaving two dead and the killer on the run.”
Nancy shook her head and wrapped her arms tightly around her very ample frame. “Well, we need to get in there and make sure nobody is hurt.”
“If you mean the animals,” Logan said, “they’re doing just fine.”
He stepped out of the way, and Nancy bustled inside. Louise followed her but much more slowly. She stopped at the security system by the back door and said, “Did they damage the system here or outside?”
“Both,” Logan said quietly. “The deputies collected fingerprints. They’ll have to fingerprint everybody who works for you, just to rule them out.”
She nodded. “But that also would then imply somebody else had made it this far back in my clinic, right?”
Both men nodded. Logan spoke first. “I was just starting to explore that when Nancy arrived. She was pretty upset to see me here. Of course, if I’d left the crime scene tape up from the sheriff’s deputies, she would have been more upset,” he said with a lopsided grin at Louise.
“Very true. Thank you for that.” She watched as Rory looked around, as if comparing what he’d seen last night to what he was looking at right now.
In a low voice he asked Logan, “Did you find anything?”
Logan shook his head. “I arrived just after you left. I stayed out back, keeping an eye on the place from a distance. Then I moved in when the deputies looked like they were leaving. I explained to the officers who I was and why I was here.”
Louise thought about that comment and realized they probably worked with the local authorities a lot. Maybe she had gone to the right people for help after all. But it also reminded her how normal this was for these men. “So, is it supposed to be just another day?” she asked. “That seems almost disrespectful. Two men died here last night.”
“They did but not by your hand and not by our hand—by the lifestyle they led. Obviously we don’t want to take it lightly, but I highly doubt you want to make it obvious to anybody what they were doing here. If you can’t keep your place secure, how will you keep anyone’s beloved pet safe?”
She shuddered. “I see what you mean.” Trying to shake that off, she walked into the back room and checked on the animals. Nancy already had the big bunny in her arms, giving it a cuddle. She looked up when Louise walked in. “They all appear to be just fine.”
Louise nodded. “I didn’t expect anything different. The men were checking here off and on throughout the night.”
“It’s such a terrible thing,” Nancy said. “Why now?”
Louise wasn’t sure if she should mention the drugs. As she looked up, she caught Rory’s gaze and his very slight head shake. She realized he wanted her to keep quiet. It was probably the smartest thing, but she hated lying to her staff. Most of them had been with her since she had bought the place. They were good people and deserved the truth. In a calm voice she said, “In a way we’re lucky it hasn’t happened before, especially with us so secluded here. Lots of veterinarian clinics get broken into for their drugs.”
“But never ours,” Nancy said stoutly. “Either we’ve been lucky or our security has been too good.”
“Regardless, Rory and Logan will inspect our security and see what we need to upgrade,” Louise said with a smile. “Don’t worry. We’ll fix this. Nothing concerns me more than our safety and the safety of our patients.”
Louise turned her attention to a big tomcat that had gotten an infection after he went home from surgery. “He’s looking much better,” she said in an attempt to change the conversation.
Nancy smiled. “He’s a big healthy boy. He should be doing just fine.” Together they pulled out the big tomcat, and his engine kicked in. “I guess he’s happy to be going home today.” Nancy chuckled. “I should give his owners a call and make sure they’re coming.”
“Given the situation, it’s probably a good idea if we send home as many as we can.”
“Do you think the men will come back?”
“I highly doubt it. But the fact that it’s happened once is too many times,” Louise said in a darker voice.
Nancy nodded. “I’m with you there.” She turned and carried on with her day.
Louise headed to where the drugs were kept. She found both Logan and Rory at the back door, eyeing the security keypad there. “Any suggestions on how to fix this?” she asked.
“Honestly, if somebody wants in, they’ll get in,” Rory said. “This cabinet won’t keep anybody out as the locks are easily broken, so it’s more a case of adding another layer of protection in front. Once you have a decent security system that’s fully operational, that will help as well.”
“What do I need to do to improve the security?” She groaned, feeling a headache coming on. “I thought I had a good system.”
“You did,” Logan said, “until you got involved in this mess. Some things you’ll never keep people out of. When they have that need to get inside, they will get inside. So you do the best you can and hope it’s enough.”
“That’s not the answer I’m looking for,” she snapped.
“Of course it’s not,” Rory said. “On the other hand, let’s see if we can get a quote from the security company on moving your system up a level.”
She winced at the thought of more expenses. “Business is decent, but I already have a ton of overhead costs.”
“I know,” Rory said gently. “But, like you said, you don’t want this to happen again.”
“Is it likely to?”
At that Rory laughed. “If we could tell you that, we’d make a killing in the fortune-telling business,” he said. “Honestly, until this is over, you need to have the best security you can afford.”
“So should I hire a security guard overnight? Would that even be the answer? If these guys seem to think the drugs are still here, won’t they come back?”
“That’s possible,” Rory said. “And, if that’s the case, then we need to talk to Levi.”
She shook her head. “You guys do all kinds of big badass work. I can’t begin to afford your services.” She waved her hand at Logan standing there with a half smirk on his face. “I don’t even know what I owe him for last night.”
Rory nodded. “Only one way to find out.” He pulled out his phone and hit Ice’s number.
Louise wanted to growl in frustration. “This is a talk I’m really not prepared to have right now.”
“Maybe not,” he said cheerfully. “But it’s bothering you. So let’s solve it now so it doesn’t stress you out more.”
She rolled her eyes at him and glared at Logan who, by now, was grinning like a fool. “What is so funny?” she snapped.
Logan chuckled out loud. “There’s nothing funny about the situation,” he corrected, “but about you and him there definitely is.”
She looked at Logan for a moment and then at Rory’s puzzled frown and said, “See? Rory doesn’t understand what the hell you’re talking about either.”
Logan chuckled again. “Not a biggie. You’ll see eventually.”
She glanced over at Rory again to see if he had any idea what Logan was talking about. But he was already answering his phone. He’d walked several feet away, as if he could hear better, but she figured it was a private conversation she wasn’t supposed to hear. She appreciated everything he was doing, but she really hated being beholden to anybody. She understood the value of pro bono work. After all she looked after Anna’s animals, and she did most of that pro bono. Whenever Anna could raise money to cover any of the vet fees, Louise used it to cover the expenses only, never her labor. As far as she was concerned, every vet should do their job to help out where they could. But that didn’t apply in this case.
Rory suddenly turned to look at her, but he kept talking.
Logan reached out a hand and said, “Let him deal with it.”
“Why?” she asked, raising her eyebrows as she studied his features.
“Because it would be good for Rory. He’s fairly new to the team. This gives him something to focus on, to take the lead on.”
She didn’t understand how that worked. She’d known he was a recent addition to the compound, just not how long. “How new?”
“That day you met him at our place was his first day. He just came from helping out at his family’s ranch. His brother was in a major accident, and Rory took over until his brother was back on his feet again.”
Her heart warmed. “He’s not all bad then, huh?” she said with a happy grin.
“No, Rory is one of the good guys.” As he walked closer to Rory, he turned his head to her and said, “You could do much worse.”
She stared at him in shock, which quickly turned to horror and then to outrage. “Oh, no, you don’t,” she snapped. “Don’t even start down that path.”
But he wasn’t listening. His head was bent toward Rory, listening in on his call.
*
Rory listened as Ice and Levi talked in the background. Logan had joined him.
“Any decision?” Logan asked.
Rory held the phone between the two of them. “They’re discussing the issue.”
When Ice came back on the line, Logan leaned close and said, “Ice, Logan here. You do know she does all the work for Anna and Flynn’s place for free, right?”
Ice’s voice was dry as she said, “I did know that. I, on the other hand, still have bills to pay.”
The two men winced. “You can take my wages off the ticket for this one,” Rory said. “I watched those men. It doesn’t thrill me in the least to see her left like this.”
Beside him, Logan chuckled. Rory shot him a look and told Ice, “After last night, I won’t leave her in the lurch just because she doesn’t have the funds for this. Nobody has funds for round-the-clock security.”
Logan nodded.
Ice said, “Let me talk to her, please.”
Interesting. Rory handed the phone to Louise. “Ice wants to talk to you.”
She took the phone from his hand and said, “Hi, Ice. What’s up?”
Rory could hear the forced note of lightness in Louise’s tone. She was seriously worried about this. Security was expensive. Rory had no idea what Levi would charge Louise for hours already billed. Then there was a security upgrade that could run into several thousand dollars; plus she had insurance deductibles to meet. After this incident, her premiums would go up. Although, with any luck, she should be fully covered for the destroyed security system and any other physical damage. The two men waited until the phone call concluded.
Whatever the end result was, Louise had a look of relief on her face, as she was smiling. “That’s awesome. Thank you very much.” She handed the phone back to Rory. “I don’t know what you said, but the charge will be doable.”
“And that’s what matters,” Rory said. “This won’t last forever, but, while we’re in the middle of fixing things, let’s not cut corners and get anybody else hurt.”
She nodded. “While I get back to my patients, maybe you guys could figure out what the hell is going on with the security system and what I might need to fix it.”
The two men headed to the front door. The waiting room was filling up. Logan took a look. “She’s got a busy practice here.”
“Yeah, she does. According to what I saw, her rates are reasonable too.”
Logan nodded. “Anna sings Louise’s praises all the time. Louise cuts Anna a deal on just about everything she possibly can.”
“Does your dad pick up the tab for the rest?” Rory asked. “Gunner’s generosity is well-known in many corners.”
Logan gave him a lopsided grin. “There has to be some advantages to having money. If we can’t help those in need, then what is it for?”
Rory agreed. It was nice to know good men populated their personal lives and not just their work lives. He motioned to the electrical panel in the back. “This is a pretty basic system.”
“They probably charged her a fortune for it.” Logan tapped his foot. “You know? We have the equipment at home. We can probably set up a better system for cheaper.” He turned to look at Rory. “I wonder if Ice and Levi have considered going into the security system business. They’re set up for it. We could install a system, and it could be monitored from the compound.”
The two men stared at each other, both liking the idea. “I wonder what the liability is on something like that.”
“Well, if they haven’t figured it out by now, you know it won’t take Ice very long. They already have massive liability insurance.”
“What about Anna and Flynn? Do they have a security system there?”
Logan looked at him in surprise, his eyebrows rising. “They do indeed, and you’re right. It’s connected to our system.” He pulled out his phone, dialed and said, “Levi, Anna and Flynn are connected to our state-of-the-art system at home, right?”
Rory could just about hear Levi’s affirmative answer.
“How about we set up this clinic to do the same? Have you guys considered doing something like that on a commercial level?”
“Not commercially,” Levi said. “Don’t have the time and the manpower.”
“But you have it around Michael’s new place, and you have it at Anna and Flynn’s. You’d probably also do it for anybody else who needs to set up a property around the area. Right?”
“Possibly …” Levi said on a groan. “You guys are killing me, you know that?”
The two men grinned. “In about an hour we can take out this Mickey Mouse system she’s got here, which is seriously underperforming for her requirements. We have the right equipment at home. We can put it together, wire it for her and hook it up to the console in the control room at the compound.”
“She hasn’t had a break-in for all the time she’s been here. It’s only because of this current issue,” Rory added. “Meaning, monitoring the clinic wouldn’t take much man-hours on a daily basis.”
“Let me talk to Ice, and we’ll get back to you.”
“That’s actually a good idea,” Rory said to Logan after Levi hung up. “We also have to consider the fact we can’t just make a change like this without Louise’s permission. Maybe she doesn’t want to be involved with Levi to that extent.”
“Yet they’ve got the best security system in the area,” Logan said.
“Does she know that though?” Rory frowned. He turned toward the offices and the patient rooms. A steady stream of people came and went. “We won’t be able to question her anytime soon. Let’s just analyze what she needs, so she can get a price quote on what it would cost to replace and upgrade her system with her current company. We’ll get Ice to do the same. Then Levi and Ice can sort out what they would need to do to make it happen.”
“It would be a really good sideline for them.”
“It’s hardly a sideline. This is what we do all over the place.”
Logan shook his head. “You have no idea how many people we’ve helped because of their shitty security systems.”
“The problem is, nobody really thinks about it until it’s too late. Then they’ve got a mess on their hands and need to get it fixed and fixed fast. At that point, they generally don’t fuss about the money. They want a solution that’ll work and keep them safe.”
“Just like Louise.”
It took an hour for them to check the lines to see which windows were covered, which doors were covered. By the end of it, Logan was pretty disgusted. “This is beyond elemental. She needs a massive upgrade. With just a couple wires cut, the whole thing shuts down.”
Rory was of the same opinion.
Just then Trish, one of the vet assistants, walked over. “Somebody is out front from the security company. Louise asked if you could take care of it. Get quotes for what she needs, and she’ll talk to you during her lunch break.”
Rory grinned. “Perfect. We just finished our analysis here.”
The two walked out front to meet the security person called in to look at the system. They took him back to go over it.
The security rep said, “I can give you a quote before I leave. We’re looking at several thousand dollars obviously, and she’d need to upgrade to being monitored. That will mean her monthly fee will move to a new plan.”
“Okay. Give us a quote, and Louise can make a decision.” They discussed video feeds and alarm systems routed back to the main headquarters. By the time they were done, they had a much better idea of what the security company could provide. As the security technician walked to his service van, Rory said, “Well, that won’t do the job.”
Logan laughed. “Sometimes I think our background makes us more paranoid than anybody. But you’re right. This system sucks, and he’s not the one to do this properly.”
“Do you think we can get anybody else to give us a hand?”
“Flynn got in late last night. Ice is keeping him as backup. It’s not like we need the help. But I know he’d be here in a heartbeat to help out Louise.”
Rory brightened. “That’s right. It would be a good opportunity for him to pay Louise back.”
“Absolutely. No way would Flynn and Anna leave Louise in trouble like this. Not if they want to continue getting her assistance. Another break-in could shut her down, if not permanently, at least temporarily.”
Rory winced. “True enough. Can you call him? Let’s get all our information ready, so we can talk to her at lunch.”
Logan nodded. “You call Ice, and I’ll call Flynn.”
Rory rolled his eyes at that. He definitely wasn’t getting the easy part of the bargain. On the other hand, he believed in what he was fighting for, and that made all the difference. He pulled out his phone once again, flicked the password swipe to the side and clicked on the office number. When Ice answered, he said, “We need to talk.”