“But she didn’t make us give them back. That was the important thing.” He turned into the driveway and cast her a mischievous grin. “Don’t tell anyone, but I still have mine.”

  “Me too.” She looked at him and laughed. “I wonder if anyone else kept theirs.”

  “We should ask.” His smile faded. He lowered his window and stopped next to his deputy guarding the mouth of the driveway along with one of Ryleigh’s company guards. Tobias’s truck was parked on the side of the driveway. “Let Mr. Hogan through too.”

  The uniformed deputy gave a crisp nod and stepped back to let Russ pass. Russ rolled the car slowly down the driveway to the two-story cinderblock building that looked more like a bunker than an office.

  They got out and waited for Tobias to park and cross the lot. Russ handed her a pair of booties and disposable gloves and held onto an additional set.

  He took a step forward as if he couldn’t wait for Tobias to arrive. “Thanks for meeting us, Tobias. We have a warrant to search the premises.” Russ held it out. “That includes your explosives’ depot.”

  He frowned at them. “You didn’t need a warrant. You just had to ask, and I’d let you look at anything you wanted to see.”

  A perfect answer to point to his innocence. Or was he lying and playing them? She believed it was innocence.

  “First up,” Russ said. “I’d like to get all of the keys for the depot.”

  “In my office.” Tobias spun and marched up to the building where he unlocked the door and disarmed the alarm.

  “Hold up,” Russ called out. “We’ll check for explosive devices.”

  “You think they’ve put one here too?”

  “Can’t be too careful.” Russ slipped on his booties and gave a pair to Tobias. “Put these on when I call you back to your office.”

  Russ held out his hand for Ryleigh to come in.

  She encased her shoes in the blue fabric, and they stepped side-by-side into the waiting area, their feet whisking over the checkerboard tile floor. They split, each taking a different side of the long hall that led to a bathroom, break room, and offices, including Tobias’s at the end of the hall. Logging photos filled the walls, covering decades of this business’s existence.

  She went into Tobias’s small office with a desk, credenza, and a round table with four chairs. Every surface was covered with paperwork. The first time Ryleigh had seen the disorganization, she’d almost pivoted and walked out. She figured if he worked in such clutter maybe his business was a mess too, but she’d stayed and learned that he ran a tight ship.

  She searched high and low, moving things when she was uncertain, but just found more of Tobias’s junk and released musty odors into the air. Or at least it looked like junk to her.

  She went back into the hall. “It’s clear.”

  “You can come back now, Tobias,” Russ yelled.

  He hurried down the hall, his feet sloshing in the booties, and brushed past them. “Might look like I don’t know what I’m doing in here, but I have a system.”

  Not one, Ryleigh had ever heard of. She was a messy person at heart but this office fell on the hoarder spectrum.

  He squatted down by an ancient black safe and spun the dial. He took out a small wooden box and gave it to Russ. “The master’s in here and here’s mine.” He removed the key from his ring and gave it to Russ.

  Russ put on gloves and withdrew a plastic evidence bag from his back pocket, then put everything in the bag. “I need to confirm that your two supervisors, Finn Durham and you, had the only four keys.”

  “That’s right.”

  “And you haven’t had any new ones cut.” Russ stowed the bag in one of his cargo pockets.

  “I haven’t.”

  “Then next I’d like to see the explosive inventory.”

  Tobias took a ledger book out of his safe. “I’m old school and make the guys record everything in front of me or Finn now that I hired him, in the same log I been using since I started this business. No point in changing things that work just fine.”

  Ryleigh thought it would be a whole lot easier to keep an inventory on a computer, but if this worked and was accurate, she couldn’t fault him just because he was old-school.

  “Let’s all head out to the depot and take a look at what you have there,” Russ said.

  “Sure.” Without argument or fuss, Tobias closed and locked the safe, then stepped down the hall and out the door.

  No one could say the man didn’t cooperate. Either he was being helpful because he was innocent or because he was guilty and confident he wouldn’t get caught.

  Only time would tell which answer they would find.

  8

  With sunset around nine o’clock at this time of year, Ryleigh wasn’t surprised when they stepped outside to see the sun bright in the sky or hear birds chirping in nearby trees that surrounded the clearing. The crew had parked large logging equipment in lots on the far side of the property. Next to them sat a shed with red and white signs warning of explosives plastered on its log exterior.

  Tobias looked at Ryleigh. “I was hoping you’d come to tell me you have this investigation figured out already.”

  “Sorry, we’re just getting started, and it’ll take time,” she replied. “But while we’re walking, I can ask you a few questions to speed things along. First, do you still want one of our guards stationed here? Or since there’ll now be a deputy here all the time, should we focus on the bomb site? I think the forensic workers could use the protection if that helps make your decision.”

  He didn’t reply, and she hoped the answer wasn’t that he just wanted to cancel their contract.

  “I’m sure my deputies will have things covered here,” Russ said.

  Tobias nodded. “We have a first-rate sheriff’s department, thanks to Russ. Might as well keep your guards at the mill property.”

  “Okay, so next I want to ask you about Uri Gates.”

  He pursed his lips. “What about him?”

  “I know you did a background check when you hired him, but did you call his references too?”

  “Of course I did.” His offense at her question flowed through his tone and rigid posture. “Called his last employer here in Oregon. Tom Watson. A good friend. Said Uri only worked for them for a month when my supervisor opening came up. Tom said Uri was a good worker, and they were sorry to lose him, but he’d been a supervisor before and that was really the job he’d been looking for.”

  “What about prior jobs?” she asked. “Did you follow up on any of those?”

  He shook his head, and his long white beard flowed back and forth. “Tom and I go way back. I figured his word was good enough for me.” Tobias stopped walking to stare at her. “Why? Something bad in Uri’s prior work history?”

  “I don’t know, but he came here from Alabama, and we think that might be a red flag.”

  “Oh, that.” Tobias waved a hand and started walking again. “He told me he got divorced and wanted to leave the past as far behind as he could. Oregon fit that bill for him.”

  “So you knew he’d previously logged in Alabama?”

  “Yep.”

  “But it’s not on his application. Why was he trying to hide it?”

  “Not hiding it at all. His former wife is the admin assistant at the logging office in Alabama. He doesn’t want her to know where he is. If I called, she would find out.”

  Sounded plausible but still something they needed to follow up on, and Russ’s pointed look aimed at her said he expected her to take care of it. “Can you give me the contact info for this logging office and his former wife’s name?”

  Tobias stopped by the depot’s solid door and glanced between her and Russ. “You thinking Uri set the bomb?”

  “We’re just covering all the bases.”

  Tobias stood back. “Remind me before we go, and I’ll look up the info on his personnel record.”

  Still wearing his gloves, Russ dug the key from the bag. “If Dr. Dunbar confirms Gates perished in the fire, we’ll have to contact her for the death notification call.”

  Ryleigh had forgotten all about that fact. Russ might’ve tasked her with confirming Gates worked in Alabama. Russ would have to call the local police to send someone to notify the wife in person that Gates had died in the fire, and then Russ would follow up by calling to ask questions.

  Ryleigh didn’t want to dwell on this and moved on. She looked at Tobias. “I don’t really understand why you even need explosives in logging.”

  “To protect my workers.”

  “Explain,” Russ demanded.

  “Most everyone knows logging is a dangerous occupation, but some trees make it even more so. Sometimes when we start felling a tree with a chainsaw, it’ll get hung up on its way to the ground. Those trees can get so twisted or bent that their tension makes it almost suicidal to touch them with a chainsaw. We call them widow-makers. So it’s safer to blast from a distance than trigger a natural booby trap.”

  “I never knew,” Ryleigh said.

  “And insect-killed trees are also big hazards. They often rot from the inside. So you go to take them down and they can shatter or fall in unpredictable directions. Again, the explosives keep the logger out of danger.”

  “As long as they know how to handle the explosives,” Russ said.

  “Yes, there is that, and tons of regulations. Which is why we limit the people who can handle them.”

  Ryleigh nodded. “We’re also wondering if you stored solvents or other chemicals at the mill.”

  Tobias rolled his eyes. “No way. Only a fool would do that. With all the wood and sawdust around, it would be a tinder box if any of it caught fire.” He let out a long breath. “Exactly what happened. Could’ve been just from a single spark from the bomb.”

  Russ inserted the key in the heavy-duty lock on a solidly built door and frame.

  “How long before I can clean up the mill and get the men back to work?” Tobias asked.

  Not something Ryleigh could answer. She left it to Russ.

  “It’ll be quite some time.” Russ pulled the door open and put on a fresh pair of booties.

  “What are we talking? A week? More?” Tobias’s tone had skated high.

  “It’s not something we can predict.” Russ eyed him. “Your mill is a crime scene, and no one will be allowed on site until I tell you. Same thing goes for this place. I expect you and everyone who works for you to comply.”

  “Here? You’re locking this down too.”

  “I have to, Tobias. Surely, you can see that.”

  “But my loggers. Office staff. They need their paychecks.”

  Russ’s gaze softened. “I wish we didn’t have to do it.”

  Tobias glared at Russ. “You’re gonna lose a lot of votes from this.”

  “I’m not in the job to be popular.” Russ held Tobias’s gaze for a long moment. “I’m sheriff to uphold the law and make sure every resident remains safe under my watch.”

  Wow. Russ had a huge responsibility. Sure, she’d known he ran a county sheriff’s office and that alone would bring a lot of pressure. But to feel personally responsible for every citizen of the county had to weigh heavy on him. No wonder he was such a serious guy. The best thing she could do for him—besides supporting him while a sworn deputy—was to lift him up in prayer and put him in God’s hands. Only God was up to the huge task Russ had taken on his shoulders.

  He switched on the interior light and turned to look at Tobias. “You wait out here while we clear the place and do a quick inventory.”

  Tobias’s shoulders drooped but he didn’t speak. She figured it must be hard to own a business for so many years and then see other people go through it without a care. She squeezed his arm. “It’ll be okay.”

  He blew out a breath. “Just don’t know if I’m too old to rebuild. I’d be happy to retire but so many people around here depend on these jobs.”

  “God will give you the answer.” She released his arm, and after donning her new pair of booties, she followed Russ inside the small shed-like building.

  The walls were lined with tubes of explosives that resembled giant sausages encased in different colors of plastic—big white ones and smaller red ones. The space had a distinct odor, but she couldn’t place it. Likely from the explosives. Each package had a date marked in black marker, perhaps the date the item was checked into inventory so they used the oldest product first.

  Russ set the inventory record book on a nearby shelf. “You count the red ones, and I’ve got the white.”

  She used her finger to tap the red tubes as she went up and down three rows in open cardboard boxes facing forward. She found a total of seventy tubes and went to the inventory book, which said she should find seventy-six. She counted again. Still only seventy.

  “I’m short six tubes,” she said.

  “There’s seventy-two of the white,” Russ called out.

  She looked at the inventory. “Should be seventy-eight tubes.”

  “No way I miscounted, but you try it.”

  She moved to the white ones and used her finger again, going up and down the vertical towers. “Same as you. Seventy-two.”

  “So six tubes are missing of each color.” Russ scowled. “Who all accessed the inventory since Finn took it?”

  She glanced at the form. “All three key holders, but Gates was the last one, taking three tubes of each last night.”

  “Maybe he took the missing ones on this visit and used the extra ones in the bomb.”

  “I’m really starting to like the guy for this bombing,” she said.

  “Me too,” Russ said. “But we can’t rule out the other key holders, including Finn.”

  She ran her finger down the ledger columns. “According to the form, he hasn’t ever taken anything, and he had the inventory confirmed and signed off by the assistant.”

  “Just because the paper doesn’t say he took anything, doesn’t mean he hasn’t.”

  “True,” she admitted, but felt like a traitor to him.

  “We need to get that security footage from the outdoor cameras ASAP.” Russ met and held her gaze. “For now, this shortage stays with task force members only until I can figure out a way to use it to our advantage.”

  He was a shrewd sheriff, and her respect for him kept growing. “What if Tobias asks?”

  “Then we play dumb and move on.” He picked up the inventory sheet. “Let’s get to counting the blasting caps and other supplies.”

  She nodded and followed him out of the building, praying that when they reviewed the video files, Finn wasn’t caught anywhere near that building. And if he was, his hands weren’t filled with explosives.

  Nearing six, Ryleigh went through Finn’s still open garage and knocked on the interior door. She tapped her foot as she waited for him to answer, her mind still overflowing with thoughts on the missing explosives. She really didn’t think Finn was involved, but even if he didn’t show up on video, he could still be guilty. After all, he knew about the cameras and would know how to avoid them, maybe disable them.

  The door whooshed open, and he flashed a quick smile. “How did it go?”

  “Tobias wasn’t happy we shut down his total operation. He’s concerned about paychecks for his workers.”

  “I guess that would include me.”

  “You going to be okay?”

  He nodded. “I never had enough time to spend my money as a SEAL, so socked a lot of it away.” He pulled the door all the way open and stood back.

  Ryleigh entered a combo mudroom/laundry room painted a deep purple with white cabinets. Laundry was stacked in baskets on the washer and dryer and the room held a slight odor of bleach.

  “With getting up to speed in the new job, I’m a little behind on my chores,” Finn said. “Head to your left for the kitchen.”

  She made the turn down a short hallway that opened into a throwback kitchen from the fifties. Pale yellow metal cabinets ringed the room, combined with a retro powder blue refrigerator, and black and white checkerboard floors. Frilly white curtains hung across the window over a white porcelain sink and were flanked by white laminate countertops. A blue Formica table with chrome edging and chairs sat in the middle of the room.

  “Wow, is this all original?”

  “It is and was the reason Felicia bought the place. She loved it. Me? Not so much. Dishwasher is ancient. Fridge barely holds anything, and the freezer? Forget about it. I have to go to the store all the time and that’s just for two people. How did families live with such a kitchen back in the day?”

  “With the mom typically staying home, she had more time to shop and do dishes, I guess.”

  He stilled and watched her. “Would you ever do that? Be a stay-at-home mom, I mean.”

  She’d never really given it a thought. “I don’t honestly know.”

  “Not that I would expect it.”

  “Um, Finn. I’m only staying for a few nights, not marrying you.” She grinned up at him.

  “I wasn’t…I mean…” His face flushed fire engine red. “I’ll need to get dinner started. We planned to have burgers on the grill, and last night I made a packet of veggies to cook alongside it.”

  Ah, a change of subject. For some reason she wanted to continue to tease him, but gave in to the dinner talk. “What can I do to help?”

  “I’d like to eat outside. Avery seems to like that best. Sometimes I can even get her to kick a soccer ball around with me after dinner.”

  “We’re cooped up inside so much during the rainy season and the weather is gorgeous today so that sounds perfect. And I’m not sure if I told you, but I played a lot of soccer when I was younger.”

  He smiled, broad and potent. Ooh, this might be a dangerous decision. Thank goodness they had Avery to keep things platonic between her and Finn.

  “I’ll light the grill then gather the things I need,” he said, all business now. “But if you want to grab cleaning supplies to wipe the outside table, that would be great. You can find stuff in the laundry room.”