She was dressed in her usual khakis and button-down shirt. No uniform for her since she was an investigator. She and Alex became close friends after an avalanche killed his father and her mother fifteen years ago during a search and rescue mission. Terra and Alex, along with Erin Larson, who’d lost her stepfather. That was years ago, and they’d put the tragedy behind them, each attempting to make the world a better place in their own way.

Terra had called him about the vandalized memorial the night he got back to DC. He’d already debriefed and been told to decompress. It was as good a time as any to make a trip back to Montana and see Mom. As soon as he got back, though, he found himself in the thick of Erin’s troubles. Thankfully, she was okay now, and happily engaged to Detective Nathan Campbell, her old boyfriend. Alex couldn’t be happier for Terra and Erin—he thought of them as the sisters he never had but always wanted.

“Special Agent Connors.” He quirked a grin.

“Hey, none of that formality needed.” Terra gestured toward his bike. “How many miles have you ridden that thing so far this morning?”

He shrugged. “Only about twenty since I came directly here.” He’d taken the road from the cabin he’d rented because it was the most direct route.

Jack shook his head. “You must have some serious leg muscles, dude.”

Alex wouldn’t admit to Jack that the last hill had almost done him in. Overseas, he didn’t have much opportunity to mountain bike. “I never got to officially congratulate you on your engagement, by the way. Glad you were able to come back to Montana and stake a claim.”

“Now, wait a minute. I’m not a claim to be staked.” Terra fisted her hands on her hips, her smile broadening. But it slowly faded as the three of them looked toward the memorial. Vandalism wasn’t necessarily a high priority, like murder or drugs or human trafficking.

Alex blew out a breath. “What can you tell me?”

“We didn’t learn anything from the first incident back in October.” Jack looked up at the nearest tree. “But we planted some cameras.”

“And?”

“Nothing for months. We had to replace the batteries, and a camera now and then. Figured it was kids with a weird sense of how to have fun. Had almost decided it wasn’t worth the time or resources and would probably not happen again. Then a few nights ago, we got this. I would have shared it earlier, but, well, we were kind of busy. So I’m sharing it now.”

“That was some crazy business surrounding Erin. I’m just glad that’s behind us.” And they could focus on something mundane by comparison.