Sarah Woods Mystery Series (1-6) Boxed Set by Jennifer L. Jennings
Authors: Jennifer L. Jennings
Ads: Link
he wanted to or not. On the way, I phoned Max and left a message asking him to call me back. I had so much to tell him, and hoped he’d be able to go with me to meet Carter. Was it even likely, I wondered, that Carter would show up? What did he look like? I was beginning to feel I was in way over my head, but couldn’t deny the adrenalin rush I was feeling.
After stopping for cheeseburgers around four o’clock, Brian and I proceeded to Marshall’s and T.J. Max, from which we exited about two hours later with a cart-full of treasures. For me, a new outfit with matching shoes, silver hoop earrings, a wool jacket, and some lingerie I found on sale. For Brian, some highly sought after sneakers and a few shirts. It was after six when we headed home.
“ See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I joked, as we pulled up in front of the house. “Hanging with your mom for a few hours, getting in a little retail therapy.”
“ Not so bad, I guess.” He shrugged and smiled at me.
“ Somewhere in a distant galaxy, far, far into the future, this day will be a source of fond memories.” I patted him on the knee.
“ Sure,” he said, opening his door.
Brian helped me carry the fruits of our shopping to the back door. When I went to unlock it, I noticed it was already open. I thought I’d locked it when we left, but couldn’t be sure. As soon as we walked in the house and I looked around, I knew something was wrong. My desk, which was situated between the kitchen and living room, and which I always kept impeccably neat, was in disarray, the two bottom drawers of my filing cabinet were ajar, and my laptop, which I usually left open, was closed.
We dropped our bags on the floor.
“ We need to call the police, now!” I said, trying to remain calm.
“ Why? What happened?”
“ Someone broke in, Brian. Just call.”
As Brian dialed 911 on his cell phone, I listened for sounds of someone in the house, then walked down the hall and checked our bedrooms. The police cruiser arrived just as I was beginning to feel I might have jumped the gun.
I opened the front door to their knock, and two officers entered.
“ You reported a break in?” one asked, looking around the room.
“ Someone was here,” I said, beginning to doubt myself. “They went through my desk. Maybe they were looking for bank numbers or financial information. Maybe it was identity theft?”
“ But nothing stolen?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
I felt my cheeks flush. “Well, it’s hard to say. They may have stolen information.”
“ Look, ma’am, unless we have proof that some kind of crime was committed, we can’t file a report. Now do you know for sure if anything was taken from your house?”
“ No, I guess not,” I said.
After some further questions and admonitions, the officers left, and Brian and I stood looking at each other.
“ I can’t deal with this right now. Call me paranoid, but I know someone was in this house. I’m going to call Gabby, see if we can crash at her place tonight. It’ll be like a slumber party.” There was a hollowness to the enthusiasm I was trying to generate, but Brian, although he looked skeptical, must have sensed my fragility and made no objection.
“Fin e ,” he said, walking towards the bathroom, “I’ll get my toothbrush.”
Chapter 24
Gabby picked up my overnight bag with one hand and Brian’s backpack with the other. “Why don’t you guys take my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch,” she said, walking towards her bedroom.
“ No, Gabby. We’ll make do in the living room.”
“ No way. I haven’t forgotten that you let me stay at your house for two weeks when I got kicked out of my last place and had nowhere to go.”
So we followed her to her bedroom.
“ Hold on a sec,” she said, holding up a hand just as we were about to enter, “let me make sure I don’t have any ‘toys’ lying around.”
“
After stopping for cheeseburgers around four o’clock, Brian and I proceeded to Marshall’s and T.J. Max, from which we exited about two hours later with a cart-full of treasures. For me, a new outfit with matching shoes, silver hoop earrings, a wool jacket, and some lingerie I found on sale. For Brian, some highly sought after sneakers and a few shirts. It was after six when we headed home.
“ See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I joked, as we pulled up in front of the house. “Hanging with your mom for a few hours, getting in a little retail therapy.”
“ Not so bad, I guess.” He shrugged and smiled at me.
“ Somewhere in a distant galaxy, far, far into the future, this day will be a source of fond memories.” I patted him on the knee.
“ Sure,” he said, opening his door.
Brian helped me carry the fruits of our shopping to the back door. When I went to unlock it, I noticed it was already open. I thought I’d locked it when we left, but couldn’t be sure. As soon as we walked in the house and I looked around, I knew something was wrong. My desk, which was situated between the kitchen and living room, and which I always kept impeccably neat, was in disarray, the two bottom drawers of my filing cabinet were ajar, and my laptop, which I usually left open, was closed.
We dropped our bags on the floor.
“ We need to call the police, now!” I said, trying to remain calm.
“ Why? What happened?”
“ Someone broke in, Brian. Just call.”
As Brian dialed 911 on his cell phone, I listened for sounds of someone in the house, then walked down the hall and checked our bedrooms. The police cruiser arrived just as I was beginning to feel I might have jumped the gun.
I opened the front door to their knock, and two officers entered.
“ You reported a break in?” one asked, looking around the room.
“ Someone was here,” I said, beginning to doubt myself. “They went through my desk. Maybe they were looking for bank numbers or financial information. Maybe it was identity theft?”
“ But nothing stolen?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
I felt my cheeks flush. “Well, it’s hard to say. They may have stolen information.”
“ Look, ma’am, unless we have proof that some kind of crime was committed, we can’t file a report. Now do you know for sure if anything was taken from your house?”
“ No, I guess not,” I said.
After some further questions and admonitions, the officers left, and Brian and I stood looking at each other.
“ I can’t deal with this right now. Call me paranoid, but I know someone was in this house. I’m going to call Gabby, see if we can crash at her place tonight. It’ll be like a slumber party.” There was a hollowness to the enthusiasm I was trying to generate, but Brian, although he looked skeptical, must have sensed my fragility and made no objection.
“Fin e ,” he said, walking towards the bathroom, “I’ll get my toothbrush.”
Chapter 24
Gabby picked up my overnight bag with one hand and Brian’s backpack with the other. “Why don’t you guys take my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch,” she said, walking towards her bedroom.
“ No, Gabby. We’ll make do in the living room.”
“ No way. I haven’t forgotten that you let me stay at your house for two weeks when I got kicked out of my last place and had nowhere to go.”
So we followed her to her bedroom.
“ Hold on a sec,” she said, holding up a hand just as we were about to enter, “let me make sure I don’t have any ‘toys’ lying around.”
“