She complied, her report straightforward, precise, and detailed. No less than he’d expect from a forensic pathologist. They were trained to tune in to the tiniest details.

“And that’s what I found when I came outside.” She motioned toward her car as she concluded.

“Any idea who may have done this?”

“No.”

“Any known enemies?”

“No.”

“Does anyone have a grudge against you?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Have you received any recent threatening communication?”

She hesitated—and a blip appeared on his radar.

“Not communication in the sense you mean it.”

“Explain that.”

She exhaled and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m probably being paranoid.”

“Or not, considering the state of your car.”

She conceded the point with a nod. “Last night, about one in the morning, I heard a noise that sounded like someone was rattling the knob on my back door.”

“Did you call the police?”

“No. It was windy, and I wasn’t certain anyone was out there. I also have excellent locks, a security system, and my Beretta was on the nightstand. I didn’t think there was any real danger. But it was rather unnerving.”

The lady kept a weapon close at hand while she slept?

The blip got bigger.

“Any particular reason you have a gun?”

She lifted one shoulder, her features flattening. “My oldest sister is a police detective in St. Louis. After all the stories I’ve heard, getting a concealed carry permit seemed prudent. I’ve had it for years.”

Her response was straightforward, and he couldn’t argue with her rationale. Nor was there anything in her answer to suggest she had a personal motive for carrying.

But his gut was sending a strong message that she wasn’t telling him everything.

However—if she’d had the gun for as long as she claimed, it probably wasn’t relevant to the current situation.

“Did you find any evidence to suggest anyone had been on your property?”

“Nothing specific.”

“But you found something.”

Twin grooves creased her forehead. “There are two daylilies beside the steps to the back porch. All of the buds had been snapped off. I know deer like to munch on them, but they’ve never bothered those plants before. Besides, the buds weren’t eaten. Just broken off and scattered around.”

Adding credence to her theory that someone with two legs had paid her a visit.

He gave her car another sweep. In most cases, that sort of damage could be attributed to petty vandalism. It was the type of stunt bored high school kids were known to pull.

It was also possible her nocturnal visitor last night and this evening’s damage were unrelated.

But the instincts he’d honed and learned to trust on the battlefield were beeping a yellow alert.

Translation? He wasn’t going to be able to write off tonight’s crime as easily as he’d expected. If the two incidents were related, it would suggest someone was targeting Grace Reilly for unknown reasons.

A few raindrops began to fall, and he motioned toward his car. “Would you like to wait in the cruiser after you give me your contact information while I take a closer look at your vehicle?”