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Liz clutched her throat. “Did you say the guy who was attacked was from Detroit?”

“Yeah. He lived somewhere over in the Shoreline Heights area. I’m not familiar with Detroit, so I looked it up. It’s in a rough part of town. He’s in a coma and was transferred from Green Springs Memorial Hospital to somewhere in Grand Rapids.”

Liz struggled to process what Christi was telling her. Echo was from Detroit and so was Mick Grotto. Were they inadvertently harboring a criminal or a former criminal?

She quickly excused herself, telling her neighbor she needed to chat with her contractors. Liz texted Floyd as soon as she was alone .

Did you run a background check on Echo before you hired her?

His reply was quick and concerning. No. Why?

Because Mick Grotto is from the Detroit area , Liz texted back.

Floyd didn’t reply, and Liz could only imagine what was running through his mind. Had the couple unintentionally invited a tenant who was trouble to live on their property?

Liz paced back and forth, her mind whirling.

She had reached a near state of panic by the time Gloria arrived. “The man who was looking for Echo was an ex-convict. He was attacked over by the Lake Terrace public boat ramp. He’s from Detroit and Echo is insisting she has no clue who the guy is.”

“Something isn’t adding up,” Gloria said.

“No, it’s not. ”

Lucy appeared. “Hey, Gloria. You’re out and about early.”

“I had some errands to run.” Gloria motioned to a worker who was tossing chunks of old linoleum into the dumpster. “Out with the old. In with the new.”

“We’re kicking this project into high gear.” Lucy led them around to the side and into the kitchen. “Imagine…forty-two-inch mission white cabinets, custom quartz countertops, a center island with barstool seating for six, cabinet lighting, a white farmhouse sink with gold fixtures.”

“I can’t wait,” Liz said. “Are you sure the main floor will be ready before the snow flies?”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “You ask me that every day and the answer will always be the same…yes. It might not be one hundred percent complete, but you’ll be as snug as a bug in a rug and out of the camper by winter. ”

“I hate to keep harping on it, but the RV is so small. I can’t cook a decent meal in that tiny kitchen.”

“You can’t cook a decent meal in a gourmet kitchen,” Gloria teased.

“That’s why you hire a chef.” Liz pursed her lips. “Anyway, this entire project has me completely discombobulated.”

“I know and I appreciate your patience,” Lucy said.

They circled through the living room, formal dining room, and then the main floor master suite. Liz trusted her friends to keep their word and Lucy seemed confident, but it was such a massive project. She couldn’t even begin to contemplate how much time, not to mention amount of money the second floor would require.

After wrapping up the tour, Lucy and Margaret headed out to meet with the project’s supervisor while Gloria accompanied her sister to the RV .

She stepped inside and made a gagging sound. “What is that smell?”

“Burnt grilled cheese sandwiches. It smells better than it did last night.” Liz’s shoulders slumped. “It’s been a tough week. What if Echo is lying?”

“It’s possible. The guy knew her name, knew how to find her. He’s from Detroit, which is where she came from, but why lie?”

“I don’t know. She’s been making excuses and is against Floyd adding her to the company’s permanent payroll. Echo no longer seems interested in applying for a job with the sheriff’s department.”

“How well do you know her?” Gloria asked.

“About as well as you. And…” Liz’s voice trailed off.

“And what?”

“Floyd never ran a background check on her. ”

Gloria let out a low whistle. “Not good.”

“What do you think the odds are that the cops will show up on my doorstep again?”

“Fair to most likely.”

“Maybe this place is jinxed.” Liz sucked in a breath. “First Deanna Andretti and now this guy.”

“He’s not dead. There’s a chance he’ll recover.”

“Christi told me they transferred him to a larger hospital in Grand Rapids, which means he’s in rough shape.”

Gloria pulled her cell phone from her purse and turned it on.

“What are you doing?”

“Texting Ruth.” Gloria grew quiet as she tapped the screen.

Ping.

“She wants to know if you want her to do a little intel on your tenant. ”

“Yes. Please. I hate to snoop into Echo’s background, but none of this is adding up.”

Ruth, with a little help from some high-tech software given to her by a close colleague who headed NASCA, the North American Surveillance and Communications Association, was a whiz at digging around.

If Echo was hiding something, Ruth and her super snoop sleuthing software would find it. The only problem was, Liz wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

Gloria finished forwarding Echo’s information. “She’ll have something within the hour.” She placed her phone inside her purse and reached for the door handle. “Let’s take a walk.”

“I hate exercise,” Liz grumbled.

“You do not.” Gloria chuckled. “C’mon. Some fresh air will do you good.”

“I need to swing by Echo’s place and check on Teddy.” Liz grabbed a set of keys on her way out and stopped by the door to swap out her designer shoes for barn boots.

“Those are adorable.”

Liz turned her ankle. “And nearly indestructible, although I think they were designed with a five-year-old in mind.”

“Clucking chickens are perfectly appropriate.” Gloria slipped her arm through Liz’s as the sisters meandered down the long drive. “You mentioned Christi earlier. How is your neighbor?”

“As nosy as she was the day we met her. I stopped by her place yesterday after you and the others left to find out if she noticed anything. You should see her surveillance setup.”

“Noticed anything?” Gloria interrupted.

“There are pry marks on our RV’s window. Floyd swears they weren’t there when he picked it up. He and the dealer went over everything. ”

“It could be he somehow missed it,” Gloria pointed out.

“True. Back to Christi. I went over there to see if she noticed anything, seeing how she’s always watching our place. That’s when I discovered we’re under surveillance 24/7. She has cameras mounted on every corner of her property. At least half of them are aimed at our place.”

“Did they catch anything?”

“Nope. Let’s just say Christi’s AV / surveillance headquarters would give Ruth a run for her money.”

“Maybe we should introduce them so they can start comparing notes,” Gloria joked.

“Christi doesn’t need any encouragement. Don’t get me wrong, property protection is of utmost importance,” Liz said. “I just don’t want cameras aimed at me.”

They reached Echo’s mobile home. Teddy stood watching from the front window, his small tail wagging ninety miles an hour as he excitedly bounced up and down.

Liz slid the key in the lock and cautiously eased the door open. Teddy squeezed past her and trotted across the deck.

“What a sweet little fella.” Gloria scooped him up and held him close. He greeted her with a lick on the chin and wiggled wildly until she set him back down.

Teddy scampered down the steps and promptly watered the nearest bush.

“Has Echo mentioned anyone messing with her place?” Gloria asked.

“No, but it wouldn’t hurt to check.” The sisters, with Teddy leading the way, circled the perimeter.

“Maybe the pry marks are nothing, and I’m just paranoid after Deanna’s death. Let’s head back inside.” Liz called the pup, who promptly headed in the opposite direction .

Teddy, his ears low, picked up speed and began running toward the barn.

The Shih Tzu’s little legs covered some ground, with Liz struggling to catch up to him. “You stinker.”

Gloria, anticipating Teddy’s next move, attempted to head him off. In the blink of an eye, the pup changed direction and began running toward the open field.

“Teddy!” Liz, terrified the pup would reach the densely wooded area, kicked her boots off and picked up speed. “Come back here!”

The pup reached a thick hedge of brush, forcing him to stop.

Liz snatched him up. “Naughty Teddy,” she scolded.

Yip. Teddy squirmed back and forth, but Liz refused to let go. “We never would’ve found you if you got lost in the woods. ”

Gloria caught up with them. “He’s…fast,” she panted. “Teddy has jet packs built into those little legs. I’ve never seen a dog move so fast.”

“Or be so determined to escape.” Liz waited for them to catch their breath before making their way back. “I’ve learned my lesson. Teddy walks with a leash from now on.”

“Unless you want to add dog chasing to your exercise routine,” Gloria said.

“Again…”

“I know.” Gloria lifted a hand. “You don’t enjoy exercising. You can move pretty fast for someone who hates it.”

“Only by necessity.” Liz set the pup on the living room floor. “I need to check Teddy’s food and water.” She placed her barn boots on the mat and plodded into the kitchen area where the pup’s food and water dish were located.

Gloria hovered in the doorway, waiting for her sister. A blast of warm air blew in through the screen door, sending a stack of papers on the nearby end table fluttering to the floor. “It’s getting windy outside.”

“I heard we might have some storms rolling through this afternoon.” Liz filled Teddy’s water dish with fresh water. “It’s a good thing we caught Teddy. I could never live with myself knowing he was somewhere out there in a storm.”

“Does Duchess take off like that?” Gloria began gathering up the papers.

“No. She doesn’t care for exercise either and is content to putter around the front and side yards.” Liz filled Teddy’s food dish and set it next to his water. “Thank goodness.”

She gave the pup a pat on the head and joined her sister, noting the odd look on Gloria’s face as she stared at the paper she was holding. “What is it?”

“You’re not going to believe what I just found.”