drone back and forth along the path. It looked as if Pankhurst walked out there every day.
“Maybe he’s going out there to mourn his wife,” she said. “Maybe the barn was a special place for them.”
The house door opened, and Pankhurst came out onto his porch. He shaded his eyes with his hand and looked around as if he knew something was up.
Aidan spiraled the drone higher until the house and barn looked like beat-up children’s toys. Pankhurst paced around his front yard, searching for something. Then he jogged over to the barn and disappeared inside.
She wished they could get the drone in there, but there was no way he wouldn’t notice that.
From his new high altitude, Aidan flew a large circle around the property, but she didn’t see anything amiss. No patches of green, and if a drop of water had spilled on that landscape some plant would have drunk it up.
“I don’t think he’s stealing anyone’s water,” she said. “Or using much of his own.”
“But why the increase?” Aidan asked. “I still have a weird feeling.”
“You should have used the bathroom at the Wagon Wheel.”
“Like you’re one to talk.”
CHAPTER 19
H e banked the drone and brought it back toward the Befort’s Vineyard.
“You’re not going down the rows,” she complained.
“Doing a quick reconnoiter.” He was totally focused on his joysticks. “Don’t want to get caught.”
There was more action over at the Befort’s house than the Pankhurst’s. Annabelle cantered up to the stable on her glossy black horse. When she reached the stable, she leaped off Percy like a trick rider. She put her hand in front of her nose. The horse reared up for no reason Sofia could see, then settled back down. Maybe it was one of those horses that spooked at everything. That seemed like the high-maintenance horse that Annabelle would want.
Marcel was unloading brown paper bags from his SUV, and he gestured for Annabelle to come to help him. She shook her head and took the horse into the stable.
Aidan flew over the grape vines. Again, she saw no suspicious traces of green. Everything looked pretty much the same as over at the Grigoryan’s. Rows of green grapevines, a small green lawn around the house, and a swimming pool gleaming in the early evening sun. The grapes weren’t as meticulously tended as the Grigoryan’s, but they were definitely well taken care of.
“I like using the drone instead of walking around,” she said. “But we haven’t seen anything that will help us.”
“Patience,” he said. “Let’s get a little closer.”
He dropped down lower, and she worried Marcel might see the drone. Annabelle was still in the stables.
“Who puts trees there?” He slammed the joystick hard to the side, and the drone zoomed past a stand of pine trees.
“They’re scenic,” she said. “And they shade the house.”
The battery indicator beeped, and Aidan directed the drone high in the air and back toward them. A black SUV pulled into the Befort’s driveway, followed by a white one. A man in a suit and a woman in a bright red dress got out of the black SUV.
“Looks like the party’s starting,” she said.
“We should go.” The drone rose a little higher. “See if we can see anything more on the ground. Or learn anything about the neighbor feud. And bug their living room.”
“That’s illegal,” Sofia said.
“No one can trace it back to us.”
“And this changes the legality of it?”
“It changes the level of concern you should have about the legality of it.”
“If we’re going to the party, I need to go home and change,” Sofia said.
“You look fine.”
“You
“Maybe he’s going out there to mourn his wife,” she said. “Maybe the barn was a special place for them.”
The house door opened, and Pankhurst came out onto his porch. He shaded his eyes with his hand and looked around as if he knew something was up.
Aidan spiraled the drone higher until the house and barn looked like beat-up children’s toys. Pankhurst paced around his front yard, searching for something. Then he jogged over to the barn and disappeared inside.
She wished they could get the drone in there, but there was no way he wouldn’t notice that.
From his new high altitude, Aidan flew a large circle around the property, but she didn’t see anything amiss. No patches of green, and if a drop of water had spilled on that landscape some plant would have drunk it up.
“I don’t think he’s stealing anyone’s water,” she said. “Or using much of his own.”
“But why the increase?” Aidan asked. “I still have a weird feeling.”
“You should have used the bathroom at the Wagon Wheel.”
“Like you’re one to talk.”
CHAPTER 19
H e banked the drone and brought it back toward the Befort’s Vineyard.
“You’re not going down the rows,” she complained.
“Doing a quick reconnoiter.” He was totally focused on his joysticks. “Don’t want to get caught.”
There was more action over at the Befort’s house than the Pankhurst’s. Annabelle cantered up to the stable on her glossy black horse. When she reached the stable, she leaped off Percy like a trick rider. She put her hand in front of her nose. The horse reared up for no reason Sofia could see, then settled back down. Maybe it was one of those horses that spooked at everything. That seemed like the high-maintenance horse that Annabelle would want.
Marcel was unloading brown paper bags from his SUV, and he gestured for Annabelle to come to help him. She shook her head and took the horse into the stable.
Aidan flew over the grape vines. Again, she saw no suspicious traces of green. Everything looked pretty much the same as over at the Grigoryan’s. Rows of green grapevines, a small green lawn around the house, and a swimming pool gleaming in the early evening sun. The grapes weren’t as meticulously tended as the Grigoryan’s, but they were definitely well taken care of.
“I like using the drone instead of walking around,” she said. “But we haven’t seen anything that will help us.”
“Patience,” he said. “Let’s get a little closer.”
He dropped down lower, and she worried Marcel might see the drone. Annabelle was still in the stables.
“Who puts trees there?” He slammed the joystick hard to the side, and the drone zoomed past a stand of pine trees.
“They’re scenic,” she said. “And they shade the house.”
The battery indicator beeped, and Aidan directed the drone high in the air and back toward them. A black SUV pulled into the Befort’s driveway, followed by a white one. A man in a suit and a woman in a bright red dress got out of the black SUV.
“Looks like the party’s starting,” she said.
“We should go.” The drone rose a little higher. “See if we can see anything more on the ground. Or learn anything about the neighbor feud. And bug their living room.”
“That’s illegal,” Sofia said.
“No one can trace it back to us.”
“And this changes the legality of it?”
“It changes the level of concern you should have about the legality of it.”
“If we’re going to the party, I need to go home and change,” Sofia said.
“You look fine.”
“You
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