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Authors: Julie Miller
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visible. But she’d investigate the hidden places behind the bushes and landscaping later. Right now, she needed to get Spike into the air-conditioning with a wet towel and some cool water to drink. He didn’t seem bleary-eyed and shocky. Hopefully, he’d stayed in the shade or made himself at home with a friendly neighbor. But she wasn’t taking any chances with her dearest companion.
Elise inserted the key into the back door, feeling another glimmer of relief to discover the knob and dead bolt were both securely locked.
Once inside, she carried Spike straight to the kitchen and set him down in front of his water bowl. While he greedily lapped up the reviving liquid, Elise set her things on the counter and turned on the faucet to wet down a kitchen towel. “Feeling better, sweetie?”
Spike nosed the food in his dish—a good sign that he wasn’t feeling the ill effects of the heat, she hoped—before going back for another noisy, messy drink. Elise turned off the running water and wrung out the towel before stooping down to wrap it around the dog. “Easy—”
A loud noise banged overhead.
Spike barked a warning and lurched from her grip. But Elise grabbed him before he could get away from her. She picked him up, wet towel and all, and hugged him against her racing heart. “Spike?”
Elise looked up as the dog tipped his nose to the ceiling and barked again, a cautious little yap followed by a squeal of alarm and a high-pitched growl in his throat. It was enough of a distress signal for Elise to push to her feet. She grabbed her keys from the counter, looped her purse over her shoulder and retreated toward the back door at the sound of footsteps on the floor above her.
Footsteps running from her bedroom.
Someone was in her house.
Chapter Four
“Ma’am, I’m sorry. I just don’t see any signs of forced entry.” Denton Hale pointed to the television, jewelry box and smart tablet on Elise’s dresser and bedside table. “And you yourself said that nothing’s been taken.”
Elise’s head was throbbing with too much stress and a lack of food. She held herself together by hugging her arms tightly around her waist and glancing over at Spike, who was curled up next to the pillows on her bed. She schooled her patience and tucked her hair behind her ear before turning back to the uniformed officer and articulating every last word. “He was in my house. I heard him running down the stairs and out the front door.”
She’d said the same thing a dozen times in the past half hour, to both Hale and his partner. She’d said it when she’d met them at the front sidewalk, said it again in every room they’d gone through together. A man was in her house. She was certain it had been a man by the heavy tread of his step.
A man who sent her flowers and stole her key?
Or some other threat, altogether?
“You didn’t get a look at this guy?” Officer Hale asked.
“No. I didn’t want a confrontation with him in case he was armed or wanted to hurt me.” If the man hadn’t made a noise... If Spike hadn’t barked... She rubbed at the goose bumps dotting her bare arms and tried to block out the horrible what-ifs swirling in the back of her mind. Harming her could very well have been what the intruder had wanted since theft didn’t appear to be the motive. “I called 9-1-1 on my cell and went to the Kecks’—the retired couple next door.”
“The front door was locked when we came in, Elise. May I call you that?” She didn’t care. She just wanted him to believe her. “None of the locks have been tampered with, and there are no broken windows.”
“So he locked it when he ran out. I told you the key was missing.”
“Are you sure?” Officer Hale pulled his gloved hand from where it rested on his thick utility belt and touched her elbow. His eyebrows arched with a sympathetic smile. His tone patronized as if she was an imbecile—or a desperate woman who was making this all up to get some
Elise inserted the key into the back door, feeling another glimmer of relief to discover the knob and dead bolt were both securely locked.
Once inside, she carried Spike straight to the kitchen and set him down in front of his water bowl. While he greedily lapped up the reviving liquid, Elise set her things on the counter and turned on the faucet to wet down a kitchen towel. “Feeling better, sweetie?”
Spike nosed the food in his dish—a good sign that he wasn’t feeling the ill effects of the heat, she hoped—before going back for another noisy, messy drink. Elise turned off the running water and wrung out the towel before stooping down to wrap it around the dog. “Easy—”
A loud noise banged overhead.
Spike barked a warning and lurched from her grip. But Elise grabbed him before he could get away from her. She picked him up, wet towel and all, and hugged him against her racing heart. “Spike?”
Elise looked up as the dog tipped his nose to the ceiling and barked again, a cautious little yap followed by a squeal of alarm and a high-pitched growl in his throat. It was enough of a distress signal for Elise to push to her feet. She grabbed her keys from the counter, looped her purse over her shoulder and retreated toward the back door at the sound of footsteps on the floor above her.
Footsteps running from her bedroom.
Someone was in her house.
Chapter Four
“Ma’am, I’m sorry. I just don’t see any signs of forced entry.” Denton Hale pointed to the television, jewelry box and smart tablet on Elise’s dresser and bedside table. “And you yourself said that nothing’s been taken.”
Elise’s head was throbbing with too much stress and a lack of food. She held herself together by hugging her arms tightly around her waist and glancing over at Spike, who was curled up next to the pillows on her bed. She schooled her patience and tucked her hair behind her ear before turning back to the uniformed officer and articulating every last word. “He was in my house. I heard him running down the stairs and out the front door.”
She’d said the same thing a dozen times in the past half hour, to both Hale and his partner. She’d said it when she’d met them at the front sidewalk, said it again in every room they’d gone through together. A man was in her house. She was certain it had been a man by the heavy tread of his step.
A man who sent her flowers and stole her key?
Or some other threat, altogether?
“You didn’t get a look at this guy?” Officer Hale asked.
“No. I didn’t want a confrontation with him in case he was armed or wanted to hurt me.” If the man hadn’t made a noise... If Spike hadn’t barked... She rubbed at the goose bumps dotting her bare arms and tried to block out the horrible what-ifs swirling in the back of her mind. Harming her could very well have been what the intruder had wanted since theft didn’t appear to be the motive. “I called 9-1-1 on my cell and went to the Kecks’—the retired couple next door.”
“The front door was locked when we came in, Elise. May I call you that?” She didn’t care. She just wanted him to believe her. “None of the locks have been tampered with, and there are no broken windows.”
“So he locked it when he ran out. I told you the key was missing.”
“Are you sure?” Officer Hale pulled his gloved hand from where it rested on his thick utility belt and touched her elbow. His eyebrows arched with a sympathetic smile. His tone patronized as if she was an imbecile—or a desperate woman who was making this all up to get some
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