Page 13 of Ogre on Patrol (Monsters, PI #5)

Chapter 13

Ellie

I 'd just finished running my vacuum around inside when the insurance adjuster arrived, knocking on my back door. She was middle-aged, with a thick file tucked under one arm and she gave me a polite smile. Her puffy coat looked a little too warm for a sunny fall day, but she projected an easy confidence I found comforting.

“Ellie Landish?” she said in a brisk but kind voice when I opened the door.

Crouton stood beside me, wagging his tail, always a good sign.

“That’s me.” I shook her hand, wishing my palms didn’t feel so clammy. “Come on in.” Crouton sniffed her shoes before deciding she was safe enough to leap on her shins. I tugged him back and lifted him into my arms, where he did his hallmark air-licking thing while whimpering for pats. “Thanks for coming out.”

“Of course. I’m Marion Crowley from Nexum Insurance. I heard about your trouble. It sounds like quite the ordeal.” She lifted a file. “If you show me where the damage is, I'll get right to it.”

We went outside and strode toward the row of greenhouses, stopping beside the one that was damaged this morning first.

Marion flipped her file open. “I’ll need to take photos, document the damage, and get your statement as we go. This shouldn’t take too long.”

“Sounds good to me.” My stomach churned, but I forced a nod.

Marion sighed as she stared at the greenhouse. “That's unfortunate.”

The graffiti glared at us in red slashes across the glass but at least the color had stopped dripping. Marion’s mouth tightened. She muttered something under her breath, probably not suitable for polite company, and glanced over at me.

“Do you have security cameras?” she asked, pulling her phone from her shoulder bag. “I’d like to examine the footage.”

“Not yet. A security company is installing them right now. They’re providing investigative services too.” I waved toward the ladder leaning against the house. Thain didn't appear to be around, but he might've gone inside to get a glass of water. His truck was still in the drive. “I wanted to install cameras earlier, but…” The words snagged, bitter in my throat.

“I get it,” she said. “Security stuff is expensive. ”

I waved to the extensive damage. “This will cost me more.”

“Very true.”

“No cameras will make this case a little more challenging.” She squatted near a shattered clay pot, snapping pictures from different angles. “You said you've hired a security firm?”

“Yes, Monsters, PI has a detective on the case. He's here somewhere.” I gazed around the area but still didn't see him. Maybe he was down the road putting a camera there. “He said we’re going to cover the entire property.”

“Excellent,” Marion said. “Do let me know if and when they discover something.”

“I will.”

“Any idea who might’ve done this? Anyone with a grudge?”

I hesitated, fiddling with Crouton’s leash. He sniffed the flowers and snorted when pollen coated his snout. “I’m not sure yet. There’s been a rumor going around. Totally false, by the way, but someone published an article accusing me of stealing rare plants from a nearby nature reserve. I think it’s stirred up a mob mentality. They were here this morning, picketing.” The signs still lay on the lawn. Collecting them was my next project. I'd burn them after that and take a lot of satisfaction in doing so.

She sent me a long look. “That’s serious. I’ll note that in the claim. Defamation in a small community? Not easy to shake off.”

“Tell me about it.” My voice cracked. I cleared my throat, watching as she moved methodically between the greenhouses, taking notes in her file.

“This structure's pretty sturdy otherwise, which is good. Glass doesn't come cheap.” She tapped the smaller structure's frame.

“It was horticultural glass,” I explained. “Perfect for plants, but not so perfect against a crowbar. It shatters into shards, as you can see. This wasn’t some random thing. This was deliberate.”

“Absolutely.” She snapped another photo of the lock that had been forced open. “Good news is, your policy should cover most of this damage, including the loss of inventory. Bad news? This might fall under malicious intent, which could complicate the timeline for your payout.”

“Great.” My hands curled tighter around Crouton’s leash. He bumped my leg with his nose, leaving a yellow smear of pollen on my jeans.

Marion straightened, her expression sympathetic. “It’s not forever, Ellie. We’ll process this as fast as we can. In the meantime, you might want to look into temporary measures for securing the greenhouses. It’s clear whoever did this isn’t above coming back.”

“I’m already working on it,” I said, picturing Thain standing his ground like an immovable tree, a big axe in his hand. “Thanks for letting me know.”

She offered a reassuring smile as she handed over a business card. “If you remember anything else, don’t hesitate to call or email me. I’ll send this report to my supervisor by the end of the day. You’ll hear back soon. ”

With a final nod, she left, her car easing back down the driveway. I stood by the path to my rear door for a moment, staring at the retreating dust cloud before turning my attention to Crouton.

“Okay, boy,” I muttered, rubbing behind his ears. “Let’s go find Thain.”

Crouton wagged his tail as we made our way along the side of the house. I rounded the building but didn't find Thain there. He wasn't inside the house, either, or even out back near the tool shed.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I stopped on the path between the back door and the greenhouses again, scanning the yard and the area beyond. Nothing. No sign of him anywhere.

“Thain?” My voice carried, but I spoke a little louder the next time. He didn't reply. I even went over and peered inside his truck and into the back. Not there either.

Nor at the end of the drive, where I could see in both directions.

Crouton tugged on his leash, eager to explore as I stepped farther out onto the gravel path running alongside the greenhouses. The sun shone down, but the familiar warmth didn’t reach me. The quiet suddenly felt too silent, buzzing with the kind of tension that made my pulse leap in my throat.

“Thain?” I called again, my worry building with every passing second.

We reached the end of the path stretching along the right side of the greenhouses, and I studied the woods behind. Was that a shadow moving there?

When Crouton growled and barked in that direction, straining his leash to go that way, I gulped.

I grabbed onto my courage and followed him as he raced toward the woods.