a computer bag under the bed when I leave, so it isn’t too tempting to someone breaking in.” She sighed in frustration. “I searched the cottage, top to bottom. Then I looked around the store, just in case.”
“Did someone take it?”
“I think so, but that’s what’s strange. I had jewelry in plain sight on the bureau, along with some cash, and those things weren’t touched. Why would someone want an old laptop and not nab the twenty dollars?”
“I lost my laptop in my house once. It was lying on the carpet and got nudged under a sofa. Another time, I found it on an end table under a pile of newspapers.”
“Well, I looked everywhere twice, and mine isgone. But when I call this in, the sheriff is going to think I’m just imagining things again. What proof do I have that it was ever here?” She bit her lower lip. “Even Isabelle thinks I’m worrying over nothing, yet more and more things keep happening. If only I’d had a recording of the phone call, it would be something to go on.”
Jack turned sharply to look at her. “You got a phone call?”
“A heavy breather at first…then he mocked my inability to prove I’d had any trouble whatsoever.” She opened the cupboard and pulled out a frying pan, turned on the stove and the oven, then dumped a package of ground beef into the pan. “I know he was trying to scare me, but he was right. No proof. And of course, the caller ID said the number was unavailable.”
“You need a security system.”
“And a security light or two behind the store. I’ve already called the power company, but they can’t get at the light for another week or two.” She opened several drawers until she found a plastic spatula, then started breaking up the browning ground beef. “Want to stir up that box of brownies?”
He nodded, checked the box and retrieved three eggs from the fridge, then washed his hands at the sink. “What about the security system?”
“A guy is coming up from Red Lodge on Wednesday.” She watched him neatly crack each egg one-handed and grinned. “Hey, you’re pretty good.”
“College job at an all-night diner. Just the basics.” He tossed the shells in the trash. “Frankly I’m worried about you staying alone at that cottage, if Ollie really saw someone lurking by your windows at night. You’ve had a threatening phone call and now your laptop is missing. Whoever this guy is, he’s escalating.”
“But if he’s actually broken into the cottage, surely he saw that I have nothing of great value to steal. Don’t those people usually go after fancy electronics and such?”
Jack pulled a bottle of canola oil from the cupboard and measured some into the bowl. “Maybe it’s something else. Maybe…your grandfather was known for something. Coin collections. Or his aversion to banks, so he hid his cash in odd places.”
She laughed at that. “Not Gramps. He’s a firm believer in CDs and T-bills.”
Max shuffled into the kitchen sleepy-eyed, but his face brightened when he saw Erin and the puppy. “You came!” he exclaimed, running over to the corner. He dropped to his knees and hugged Charlie’s neck.
But instead of joyously licking the child’s face and bounding into dizzying circles, the pup cringed and drew back.
“Look at that.” She studied the cowering puppy,and a sudden realization made her feel sick to her stomach. “He was in the cottage when we went to the church potluck dinner, and I left him loose when I got back because he’s been doing well with his housetraining. Ever since, he’s been different—terrified, reclusive. I’ll bet my intruder came while we were gone.”
She called softly to Charlie. He whined, but when she called again, he belly-crawled across the floor to her. When she ran a hand over his body, he yelped when she touched his side.
Max’s eyes widened. “Is he hurt?”
She gently examined his ribs. “There’s no heat or swelling, but I’ll bet he’s bruised, right here.” She
“Did someone take it?”
“I think so, but that’s what’s strange. I had jewelry in plain sight on the bureau, along with some cash, and those things weren’t touched. Why would someone want an old laptop and not nab the twenty dollars?”
“I lost my laptop in my house once. It was lying on the carpet and got nudged under a sofa. Another time, I found it on an end table under a pile of newspapers.”
“Well, I looked everywhere twice, and mine isgone. But when I call this in, the sheriff is going to think I’m just imagining things again. What proof do I have that it was ever here?” She bit her lower lip. “Even Isabelle thinks I’m worrying over nothing, yet more and more things keep happening. If only I’d had a recording of the phone call, it would be something to go on.”
Jack turned sharply to look at her. “You got a phone call?”
“A heavy breather at first…then he mocked my inability to prove I’d had any trouble whatsoever.” She opened the cupboard and pulled out a frying pan, turned on the stove and the oven, then dumped a package of ground beef into the pan. “I know he was trying to scare me, but he was right. No proof. And of course, the caller ID said the number was unavailable.”
“You need a security system.”
“And a security light or two behind the store. I’ve already called the power company, but they can’t get at the light for another week or two.” She opened several drawers until she found a plastic spatula, then started breaking up the browning ground beef. “Want to stir up that box of brownies?”
He nodded, checked the box and retrieved three eggs from the fridge, then washed his hands at the sink. “What about the security system?”
“A guy is coming up from Red Lodge on Wednesday.” She watched him neatly crack each egg one-handed and grinned. “Hey, you’re pretty good.”
“College job at an all-night diner. Just the basics.” He tossed the shells in the trash. “Frankly I’m worried about you staying alone at that cottage, if Ollie really saw someone lurking by your windows at night. You’ve had a threatening phone call and now your laptop is missing. Whoever this guy is, he’s escalating.”
“But if he’s actually broken into the cottage, surely he saw that I have nothing of great value to steal. Don’t those people usually go after fancy electronics and such?”
Jack pulled a bottle of canola oil from the cupboard and measured some into the bowl. “Maybe it’s something else. Maybe…your grandfather was known for something. Coin collections. Or his aversion to banks, so he hid his cash in odd places.”
She laughed at that. “Not Gramps. He’s a firm believer in CDs and T-bills.”
Max shuffled into the kitchen sleepy-eyed, but his face brightened when he saw Erin and the puppy. “You came!” he exclaimed, running over to the corner. He dropped to his knees and hugged Charlie’s neck.
But instead of joyously licking the child’s face and bounding into dizzying circles, the pup cringed and drew back.
“Look at that.” She studied the cowering puppy,and a sudden realization made her feel sick to her stomach. “He was in the cottage when we went to the church potluck dinner, and I left him loose when I got back because he’s been doing well with his housetraining. Ever since, he’s been different—terrified, reclusive. I’ll bet my intruder came while we were gone.”
She called softly to Charlie. He whined, but when she called again, he belly-crawled across the floor to her. When she ran a hand over his body, he yelped when she touched his side.
Max’s eyes widened. “Is he hurt?”
She gently examined his ribs. “There’s no heat or swelling, but I’ll bet he’s bruised, right here.” She
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