“Why is the house such a mess?” Juni asked. “You should be the one in troub?—”
“Get back in the car, sweetie.” Maren did her best to keep her voice even as they backed away from the house.
“What’s wrong? Why is the house a mess?”
Because we’ve been robbed and they might still be in there.
From the little Maren had seen of the front room, someone had gone through and torn the place apart.
“Let’s just get back in the car and I’ll explain then.”
Maren’s hand shook as she opened the car door, looking over her shoulder and praying that some armed creep didn’t come tearing out her own front door after them.
This is a nightmare.
She got into the car, turned the ignition, and backed out onto the street. Juni was silent, obviously understanding that this was not right.
“Mare?” she said quietly, breaking Maren’s heart.
“It’s okay, sweetie. We’re all right. But, I didn’t make that mess, okay? Someone else did. That’s why we’re not going inside. I’m going to call the police now, but we’re safe, that’s the important thing.”
“Do you think they got Mr. Kibble?”
“I don’t think they were interested in a teddy bear, sweetie. I’m sure everything in your room is just fine,” she said as she hit speaker and keyed in 911 on her phone while she made a mental list of all her jewelry, the spare change jar, and, oh shit, the extra credit card in the freezer. Were crooks smart enough to look in freezers for credit cards? Of course there were—everything was online these days. If Maren wanted to rob a house, all she would do is watch videos for an hour about the top ten places to stash your belongings and she could be a master thief.
“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?”
“Hi there, how are you?”Stupid!“I mean, my house. I think it’s been robbed.”
“Can you give me your address and phone number?”
Maren rattled off her address and phone.
“Are you in a safe place right now, ma’am?”
“Yes, yes, I’m in my car and I’m parking down the street.” Maren turned in the middle of the street then pulled over and parked so she was facing her house. “I was only gone two hours, tops. I had to pick up my dau—my niece from afternoon preschool and then we ran some errands?—”
“Someone is on their way to you. Stay in the car. Did you see anyone in the house?”
“No. I opened the front door and the front room’s been ransacked. I closed it and we got back in the car.” Maren’s voice was shaking, dammit. She did not want to lose it in front of Juni. She glanced in the rearview. Juni was holding her drawing and whispering to it.
“Are there any weapons in the house?”
“No. Well, kitchen knives? But no guns or anything.” Now she could hear sirens in the distance. She kept her eye on the house for what her older brothers would call ‘squirters’ but no one ran out the front door.
Doesn’t mean they aren’t going out the back, which is how they must have gotten in.
No one came out of her house.
“What vehicle are you in, ma’am so they can identify you?”
“I’m in a white Subaru, just three doors down, across the street.” A police car turned onto their street and drove past her. “One of your guys just went by me.”
“Good. I want you to stay in your vehicle until you’re approached. Your front door is unlocked?”
“Yes, they don’t need to knock it down or anything.” Maren watched Juni look up from her drawing. She looked at Maren first, then at their home. “Are you okay, Junebug?”
“Who are you talking to, ma’am?”
