He beamed at her as he took in her reaction to seeing the log being prepped for carving. “I’ve been saving this wood for a long time. Waiting for the right inspiration.”

“I can’t wait to see what you have planned.”

“It’s going to be my greatest work.” Then he winked at her. “Well, until the one I make after it.”

She laughed. “Of that there is no doubt.” She nodded toward the rear door of the shop. “I’m heading up to record the damage to the site. Xavier should be arriving in”—she glanced at her watch—“about forty minutes.” She’d spent more time at the Baldwins’ than she’d realized and was pleased he’d be here soon.

“Maybe I’ll take a break later and join you.”

She nodded. “I have a thermos of tea.”

“If I don’t make it up, stop by on your way back.”

“Will do.”

She set out, stopping at her SUV to grab her backpack, reminded of the argument she’d had with Xavier about stopping for it on that fateful afternoon.

She climbed the hillside slowly, as befitting a fifteen-week-pregnant woman who’d gotten very little exercise in the last three weeks.

Even still, she slipped in a few places, as the ground remained saturated and slick. Life in a temperate rainforest.

She reached the site and set to work. The walls had slumped under the pressure of the rain, and investigators had been all through here, doing their own damage to the open pit.

She pulled out her notebook and wrote a description of the disturbance. Thankfully, it was confined to a small area.

Notes complete, she walked transects across the entire site—forest and meadow—noting the condition of the ground everywhere and taking pictures with her phone.

Her back was to the forested portion of the site when she heard the crack of a stick, as if it had been stepped on. She paused, her heart surging. Xavier was here.

She turned, but no one was behind her.

She scanned the woods, but Xavier or George would call out to her, knowing how much it would freak her out to be sneaked up upon here of all places.

Her gaze dipped to her pack, on the ground in the forest near the pit.

Too far for her to reach quickly.

She’d purchased a new gun, as her previous one was now evidence in the investigation of the siege and they were matching fired bullets and casings to weapons.

She could have requested it back, but it had felt simpler to purchase a new one of the same type.

It was useless in her pack, however.

She walked sideways, toward the trail, keeping her front facing the forest where she’d heard the footstep.

It hadn’t been a deer or a mountain lion.

Someone was in those woods. Watching her.

She could make a run for the trail.