nice enough to offer to babysit, so the least we can do is try to get back before Jack wakes up.”
The floorboards above us creaked. Leah froze, a box of low-carb cereal bars in her hand. “You heard that, right?” she whispered.
Dena nodded.
“It could be nothing,” I said softly. “Houses creak.”
Dena was staring intently at the ceiling. “You’re right,” she said. “It could be nothing. It also could be something—or someone.” She pushed herself away from the counter and walked into the dining room.
I could hear the crackle of tinfoil packaging as Leah inadvertently crushed the bars within the box she held. She put her free hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. “Something’s off. I can feel it.”
Dena poked her head back into the kitchen; her face betrayed her alarm. “Come here!” she demanded.
We followed her into the living room. Every pillow on the couch had been removed and was on the floor.
We heard a noise again. This time it sounded like soft footsteps, headed in the direction of the stairwell.
We all exchanged looks, and for the first time in our lives we were all on the same page. We ran toward the front door, knocking over a lamp in the process. I thought I could hear the footsteps descending the stairs but I didn’t dare turn around and find out if I was right. Instead, we tumbled out into the cold night air and ran to my car. I jumped into the driver’s seat and Leah got in next to me; Dena got in back. No one came out after us but I wasn’t going to wait around and give the person more time. I put the car in gear, slammed my foot on the gas and screeched out of my parking spot.
“What should we do?” Leah asked. “Should we call the cops?”
I checked the rearview mirror and confirmed that we weren’t being followed. “I don’t think calling the cops is a good idea.”
“Are you serious?” Dena yelled. “We could have been killed back there!”
“We don’t know that,” I said. “It could have been just some kid looking for a TV to snag.”
“Under the sofa cushions?” Dena asked.
“Maybe he was looking for the remote control.” I checked the rearview again. In a matter of minutes I had put several blocks between us and the house. “Whoever was upstairs didn’t follow us.” I slowed the car down to a more moderate speed. “Maybe he was more afraid of us than we were of him.”
“Let’s call the police and let them figure out how scared the intruder is,” Leah suggested.
“But the intruder isn’t going to sit around and wait for the police to show up.” I pulled the car over to the side of the road. “He’s probably long gone by now, and if we call the police it’s going to look like we’re trying to deflect their attention away from you, Leah, and that will make you look more guilty than ever.”
“So what are you suggesting?” Leah asked. “That we just sit here and allow some stranger to go through my things?”
“Like I said, the intruder probably left by now.”
“No, no, no.” Dena shook her head furiously. “I know what you’re thinking and you can just forget it. I am not playing Nancy Drew with you again.”
“I wouldn’t dream of playing Nancy. I’ll play my own literary heroine, thank you very much,” I retorted. “Besides, there are three of us, and it’s not like we don’t know how to handle ourselves.”
“But we’re unarmed! Unless…” Leah pivoted in her seat so she could see Dena. “Do you have any S&M toys with you today?”
“Not so much as a nipple clamp.”
I squeezed the steering wheel a little tighter and tried not to think about what nipple clamps would feel like. “Why don’t we go back and stake the place out. If we see any signs that there’s someone there, we’ll call the cops. If not, we’ll go in and investigate.”
I pulled a U-turn and headed back in the direction from which we had come. Leah was staring at me as if she were seeing me for the first time. “I used to
The floorboards above us creaked. Leah froze, a box of low-carb cereal bars in her hand. “You heard that, right?” she whispered.
Dena nodded.
“It could be nothing,” I said softly. “Houses creak.”
Dena was staring intently at the ceiling. “You’re right,” she said. “It could be nothing. It also could be something—or someone.” She pushed herself away from the counter and walked into the dining room.
I could hear the crackle of tinfoil packaging as Leah inadvertently crushed the bars within the box she held. She put her free hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. “Something’s off. I can feel it.”
Dena poked her head back into the kitchen; her face betrayed her alarm. “Come here!” she demanded.
We followed her into the living room. Every pillow on the couch had been removed and was on the floor.
We heard a noise again. This time it sounded like soft footsteps, headed in the direction of the stairwell.
We all exchanged looks, and for the first time in our lives we were all on the same page. We ran toward the front door, knocking over a lamp in the process. I thought I could hear the footsteps descending the stairs but I didn’t dare turn around and find out if I was right. Instead, we tumbled out into the cold night air and ran to my car. I jumped into the driver’s seat and Leah got in next to me; Dena got in back. No one came out after us but I wasn’t going to wait around and give the person more time. I put the car in gear, slammed my foot on the gas and screeched out of my parking spot.
“What should we do?” Leah asked. “Should we call the cops?”
I checked the rearview mirror and confirmed that we weren’t being followed. “I don’t think calling the cops is a good idea.”
“Are you serious?” Dena yelled. “We could have been killed back there!”
“We don’t know that,” I said. “It could have been just some kid looking for a TV to snag.”
“Under the sofa cushions?” Dena asked.
“Maybe he was looking for the remote control.” I checked the rearview again. In a matter of minutes I had put several blocks between us and the house. “Whoever was upstairs didn’t follow us.” I slowed the car down to a more moderate speed. “Maybe he was more afraid of us than we were of him.”
“Let’s call the police and let them figure out how scared the intruder is,” Leah suggested.
“But the intruder isn’t going to sit around and wait for the police to show up.” I pulled the car over to the side of the road. “He’s probably long gone by now, and if we call the police it’s going to look like we’re trying to deflect their attention away from you, Leah, and that will make you look more guilty than ever.”
“So what are you suggesting?” Leah asked. “That we just sit here and allow some stranger to go through my things?”
“Like I said, the intruder probably left by now.”
“No, no, no.” Dena shook her head furiously. “I know what you’re thinking and you can just forget it. I am not playing Nancy Drew with you again.”
“I wouldn’t dream of playing Nancy. I’ll play my own literary heroine, thank you very much,” I retorted. “Besides, there are three of us, and it’s not like we don’t know how to handle ourselves.”
“But we’re unarmed! Unless…” Leah pivoted in her seat so she could see Dena. “Do you have any S&M toys with you today?”
“Not so much as a nipple clamp.”
I squeezed the steering wheel a little tighter and tried not to think about what nipple clamps would feel like. “Why don’t we go back and stake the place out. If we see any signs that there’s someone there, we’ll call the cops. If not, we’ll go in and investigate.”
I pulled a U-turn and headed back in the direction from which we had come. Leah was staring at me as if she were seeing me for the first time. “I used to
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