Chapter 20

Jo spent the night trying to figure out the best way to have Carli "listen in" on what Sandi Ingram and Buzz were talking about, specifically what they were discussing during their lunch break while watching Leah.

Perhaps they had some sort of unfounded fear about her and her past. Maybe it was their way of keeping an eye on Leah, making sure she knew she was being watched.

Or maybe they didn't like the fact that Jase, Kilwin's nephew, had made a point of taking Leah under his wing.

Either way, a visit with Carli "listening in" would put to rest Jo's concerns over what might be transpiring "behind the scenes" at the Kilwin farm.

She waited until breakfast was over, and Carli was working with Nash in his workshop to approach her. "How's it going?"

Carli gave a thumbs up.

"Carli is a fast learner," Nash said. "We're sanding some boards to expand the chicken coop and give them more room to roam. When we're done, you'll have enough space to add more chickens."

"Laverne would have a cow," Jo laughed. "It is a thought."

"What's on your agenda today?" Nash asked.

"I'm running back over to Dave's at lunchtime. The state sent Leah's release papers, and she needs them. I also thought Carli might tag along with me."

"Oh?" Nash set the sander on the table, giving Jo his full attention. "What happened?"

"The police released Robyn Colburne. She can prove she was somewhere else when Shane Barr died."

Nash's expression grew grim. "Which means they'll be back over at the farm questioning Leah again."

"Correct and when I was there yesterday eating lunch with her, we noticed Sandi and Buzz huddled close together. They kept looking our way. Leah said they've been doing it a lot during their lunch break. Something tells me Leah is the topic of conversation and I would like to know what they're saying."

"You're going to have Carli try to read their lips," Nash guessed.

"I am." Jo lifted her hands. "And before you say anything, I know I'm contradicting myself seeing how I made a point of sharing Carli's unique ability with the residents, and now I'm asking her to use it to help me. But I feel I have little choice. Someone broke into Shane's office. They're looking for something."

"Potential evidence?" Nash asked.

"Possibly. Dave planned to set up a trail camera, but who knows if they'll try breaking in again. We're running out of time. The more information we have on Kilwin Farms' employees, the better." Jo tapped Carli's shoulder. "Leah's break is at noon. I figured we could run by and have lunch with her. You could work your magic and listen in."

Carli grabbed her flip pad and began scribbling. "I'll help in whatever way I can."

"Thank you, Carli."

The rest of the morning dragged by, and Jo kept checking her watch. Finally, it was time to head out.

Carli stood waiting by the workshop door and climbed into the passenger seat as soon as Jo pulled up. She handed her new resident one of the farm's extra cell phones and the woman shot her a questioning look.

"We can't have you flipping your pad, writing what you're hearing, so I figured you could text directly to my phone." During the drive, Jo showed Carli how to use the phone to send messages.

By the time they arrived, the workers had already gathered at the picnic tables. Leah was seated alone and off to the side, her hands folded in her lap.

"Hey." Jo gave her a quick hug and handed her the release papers. "Why the long face?"

"Someone tried jimmying my door open while I was working this morning."

Jo's heart skipped a beat. "Someone tried to break into your room?"

"Yeah." Leah shifted her gaze to Sandi and Buzz. They were looking their way. "They keep watching me. I think it was them."

Jo motioned to Carli to have a seat facing the other employees. She gave a slight nod, slid onto the bench, and placed the cell phone on the table in front of her.

"I'm sure you remember Carli Ladeaux, one of the farm's new residents. You two met the other day at breakfast."

"Hey." Leah attempted a smile. "It's nice to see you again."

Carli nodded.

"Carli is nonverbal," Jo said. "She won't talk."

"Oh. I think I remember hearing this when I was over at the farm the other day." Leah leaned back. "Can she understand what I'm saying?"

"Perfectly." Jo lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. "She can also read lips."

Leah's jaw dropped. "Sweet. That's why she's here."

"Which means we're going to eat quietly so Carli can get to work."

"Thank you so much. Okay." Leah made a zipping motion across her lips. "I won't say a word."

The trio grew silent as Jo unpacked the lunch bag, filled with BLT wraps, a thermos of tomato basil soup, single serving bowls of mixed fruit, and bottles of water.

Carli juggled her food in one hand and the cell phone in her other, furiously tapping the screen.

Jo was tempted to find out what the workers were saying, but because they were being watched, she didn't want to throw any suspicion in their direction. Finally, she couldn't resist. "Are you catching anything?"

Carli nodded and shot Jo a quick glance, her eyes wide. The tapping and watching continued throughout the hour-long break until the employees started gathering up their things and heading out.

Jo, Leah, and Carli hung back until they were alone. Jo snatched her cell phone from her purse, the blood draining from her face as she read text after text with snippets of Sandi and Buzz's conversation.

"What is it?" Leah leaned in, attempting to see what Carli had sent Jo.

"They're the ones who were trying to get into your unit. They said something about setting you up and it will happen sometime this afternoon," Jo said.

*****

Jo finished reading Carli's texts and excused herself to track down Dave Kilwin. She found him over by the grain bins and filled him in on what Carli had gleaned. "You have texts of what they said?"

"On my cell phone."

They returned to the picnic table, and Jo handed him her phone.

She could tell from the look on his face the exact moment he reached the part where Buzz and Sandi planned to sneak into Leah's unit. "This is disgusting not to mention disturbing," Dave said as he handed the phone back.

"Was anyone caught on the trail cam?"

"Nope. I checked the recordings. No one came around."

Jo turned to Carli. "Did they say anything about Shane Barr's death, about what may have happened to him?"

Carli grabbed the phone and started tapping the screen. "The only conversation was about sneaking into Leah's unit to plant something. I never noticed them saying anything about Mr. Barr."

Jo read the text aloud. "Even if Carli had caught mention of it, she would have to prove she successfully read their lips and prove it in court."

"In other words, there's no smoking gun," Dave said. "What's the plan?"

"I'm glad you asked. I'm going to drop Carli off and track Nash down. We have some old surveillance equipment just collecting dust. My idea is to find a hiding spot inside Leah's unit, set up the surveillance equipment and see what happens."

"There's a storage closet around the corner from Leah's unit. After hiding the devices, you and Nash can hang out in the closet," Dave said. "I'll arrange for both Buzz and Sandi to attend an important meeting in the office. How long will you need me to keep them busy?"

Jo looked at her watch. "It's after one now. We can be back here within half an hour. If you keep them busy from now until two, Nash and I will have time to cut through the fields, sneak back over here and hide the equipment in Leah's room."

"There's an air duct return near the floor facing the door. You could easily hide the surveillance equipment in there and no one would notice it," Dave said. "I hope this works."

"All we can do is try. I'll need the keys to Leah's unit."

Leah fished them from her front pocket and dropped them in Jo's hand. "Be careful, Jo. If they killed Barr, what's going to stop them from killing again?"

"Nothing. I'll make sure Nash and I come prepared for whatever might happen."