actually live in a safe community.”
“Well, it can’t be too safe if
somebody’s breaking into your house.” Lena paused. “Did you check to see if
anything was gone?”
“I didn’t notice anything missing,
but I didn’t open every drawer. The fireproof safe is still here. I don’t own
expensive jewelry or keep cash lying around.”
“Why would someone break into your
house just to let your dog out? That don’t make sense.”
Maggie suspected she knew why, but
she didn’t answer Robert.
“All I know is that if somebody was
in this house, you’re not staying here,” Lena commanded. “You’re spending the
night with your daddy and me.”
“Will you let Barnaby stay there,
too?” Maggie asked.
“You know the answer to that
question,” Lena answered.
“You know we don’t allow dogs in
the house,” Robert agreed.
“I’m not leaving him.” Maggie
continued stroking Barnaby’s hair.
“Now, Maggie.”
“I’ll stay here with her,” Luke
offered as he looked to Robert. “I’ll sleep on the couch or in the extra
bedroom.”
“You don’t have to do that, Luke,”
Maggie reasoned.
“I know, but I
want to.”
Maggie found it hard to concentrate
in the days following Barnaby’s brief disappearance. Her parents remained unconvinced
that Barnaby had even gone missing, but Maggie knew the truth. Even if she
hadn’t experienced the fear, Barnaby’s behavior that night and the following
day would have alerted her to a change in his situation. He paced in circles
and clung to her more than normal. When she went to the bathroom, he stood
outside the door and whimpered. She broke with tradition and let him sleep in
her room. When she took him outside to use the bathroom, he refused to go into
the back yard without her.
“Somebody forced him outside and
out of the yard,” Maggie told Luke the morning after the ordeal. “They probably
pulled him by the collar.”
“Wouldn’t his barking have alerted
your parents?” Luke asked as he feasted on the pancake breakfast Maggie had prepared
for him.
“Barnaby never barks.” When Luke
responded with a skeptical look, Maggie continued, “I’ve heard him bark only
two or three times. He’s a good dog.”
Luke downed a glass of orange
juice. “Speaking of good dogs, I need to get home to mine. My neighbor took him
for a walk last night, but it’s about time for another trip outdoors. Will you
be all right?”
“Yeah,” Maggie lied. “Thanks for
staying the night and for supporting me.”
Maggie wasn’t all right. She
couldn’t sleep for fear the perpetrator would return and she worried about
Barnaby when she was away from the house. She called her parents several times
a day and asked them to check on him. Although she tried to expunge all visions
of an unknown intruder sneaking around her house, the images kept returning to
her mind as did the thought that the incident was linked to her inquiries about
Mac Honaker.
Chapter Thirteen
The phone on her desk rang, causing
Maggie to jump. When she recognized the number scrolling across the display,
she relaxed and picked up the receiver.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the
Barnaby kidnapping?” Edie demanded of Maggie as soon as the latter answered the
phone. “Is that why you’ve been skipping out on the gym? Is it because you want
to get home and check on him? Or is it because you’re avoiding me?”
Maggie looked around the office.
Except for her, the newsroom was empty and she didn’t think her voice would
carry loud enough to garner attention from the receptionist or the lone
advertising sales clerk who loitered by the copier.
“Did Luke tell you?”
“No, he told Ben who told me. Ben
said Luke spent one night with you and offered to spend another. Anything you
want to tell me?”
“Nope, there’s nothing to tell. He
slept on the couch, I slept in my bed, and Barnaby slept on the floor beside
the bed.”
“That’s disappointing, but you were
probably
“Well, it can’t be too safe if
somebody’s breaking into your house.” Lena paused. “Did you check to see if
anything was gone?”
“I didn’t notice anything missing,
but I didn’t open every drawer. The fireproof safe is still here. I don’t own
expensive jewelry or keep cash lying around.”
“Why would someone break into your
house just to let your dog out? That don’t make sense.”
Maggie suspected she knew why, but
she didn’t answer Robert.
“All I know is that if somebody was
in this house, you’re not staying here,” Lena commanded. “You’re spending the
night with your daddy and me.”
“Will you let Barnaby stay there,
too?” Maggie asked.
“You know the answer to that
question,” Lena answered.
“You know we don’t allow dogs in
the house,” Robert agreed.
“I’m not leaving him.” Maggie
continued stroking Barnaby’s hair.
“Now, Maggie.”
“I’ll stay here with her,” Luke
offered as he looked to Robert. “I’ll sleep on the couch or in the extra
bedroom.”
“You don’t have to do that, Luke,”
Maggie reasoned.
“I know, but I
want to.”
Maggie found it hard to concentrate
in the days following Barnaby’s brief disappearance. Her parents remained unconvinced
that Barnaby had even gone missing, but Maggie knew the truth. Even if she
hadn’t experienced the fear, Barnaby’s behavior that night and the following
day would have alerted her to a change in his situation. He paced in circles
and clung to her more than normal. When she went to the bathroom, he stood
outside the door and whimpered. She broke with tradition and let him sleep in
her room. When she took him outside to use the bathroom, he refused to go into
the back yard without her.
“Somebody forced him outside and
out of the yard,” Maggie told Luke the morning after the ordeal. “They probably
pulled him by the collar.”
“Wouldn’t his barking have alerted
your parents?” Luke asked as he feasted on the pancake breakfast Maggie had prepared
for him.
“Barnaby never barks.” When Luke
responded with a skeptical look, Maggie continued, “I’ve heard him bark only
two or three times. He’s a good dog.”
Luke downed a glass of orange
juice. “Speaking of good dogs, I need to get home to mine. My neighbor took him
for a walk last night, but it’s about time for another trip outdoors. Will you
be all right?”
“Yeah,” Maggie lied. “Thanks for
staying the night and for supporting me.”
Maggie wasn’t all right. She
couldn’t sleep for fear the perpetrator would return and she worried about
Barnaby when she was away from the house. She called her parents several times
a day and asked them to check on him. Although she tried to expunge all visions
of an unknown intruder sneaking around her house, the images kept returning to
her mind as did the thought that the incident was linked to her inquiries about
Mac Honaker.
Chapter Thirteen
The phone on her desk rang, causing
Maggie to jump. When she recognized the number scrolling across the display,
she relaxed and picked up the receiver.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the
Barnaby kidnapping?” Edie demanded of Maggie as soon as the latter answered the
phone. “Is that why you’ve been skipping out on the gym? Is it because you want
to get home and check on him? Or is it because you’re avoiding me?”
Maggie looked around the office.
Except for her, the newsroom was empty and she didn’t think her voice would
carry loud enough to garner attention from the receptionist or the lone
advertising sales clerk who loitered by the copier.
“Did Luke tell you?”
“No, he told Ben who told me. Ben
said Luke spent one night with you and offered to spend another. Anything you
want to tell me?”
“Nope, there’s nothing to tell. He
slept on the couch, I slept in my bed, and Barnaby slept on the floor beside
the bed.”
“That’s disappointing, but you were
probably
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