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Max peered around her, then instantly sprang into action. “Stay right here.” He checked the bathroom, the tall armoire, and under the bed, to make sure the intruder was no longer inside. Then Max eyed the mess of ravaged furniture and clothing, broken vases and lamps.
Bayli’s beloved books were scattered everywhere. She could barely process it all. Was in a bit of shock while her driver continued to move forward, calling the police. Then Christian.
This brought her around. “He’ll be completely enraged when he sees my place trashed.”
“Don’t touch anything,” Max instructed.
“I wouldn’t even know where to start.” Tears stung h
er eyes. Everything she owned that wasn’t at Christian’s apartment, of course, had been destroyed. Her CDs, the small single-disc player. Her dishes. Even her shoes.
She carefully navigated around the piles on her floor and crossed to the bed. The jewelry box she’d kept on a shelf she’d installed herself was overturned, the cheap costume pieces strewn over the rumpled comforter and sheets that had been shredded. She did a quick mental inventory. Something was missing.
Her gaze dropped to the floor again. Then her eyes squeezed shut, though tears seeped out of the corners as her heart broke.
Her lids fluttered open and she sank to her knees, her fingers sweeping the air an inch or so above the remnants of the crystal bracelet her mother had given her.
“Damn it,” she choked on a sob.
She usually always wore it but had left it here after changing out the tote bag she regularly took to Christian’s. She’d been doing laundry that day and had taken the bracelet off and put it away for safekeeping. Now it was nothing but microscopic shards.
“Unbelievable,” she whispered in agony. Her fists clenched. “Who would do this? Who would ruin all of my stuff?”
Max was still doing a visual inspection that led him to the Roman shade covering the window. He drew it back and swore under his breath.
“Well, I can’t say who,” he told her, “but I can tell you they broke in through your window. They used the fire escape to get up here.”
“This is insane. There’s nothing in this apartment worth robbing me over. And for God’s sake, why wreck everything? Because there’s nothing here worth robbing me over? Did it piss them off that they were able to get in and then found absolutely nothing of value to anyone other than me?”
“I don’t know,” Max said with a shake of his head. His tone was low and full of empathy as he added, “Seems as though they’d get a few bucks by pawning those clothes and shoes. But that would leave a paper trail. Plenty of crooks get busted because they hock the things they steal.”
“So best just to tear it all apart? What the hell were they expecting to find from someone in this building? You don’t rob the poor, right?”
“They were likely looking for some electronics.”
“I don’t even have a TV!”
Bayli wanted to scream. But what good would it do?
The police eventually arrived, not looking remotely surprised by the break-in, not in this neighborhood. Nor were they overly enthused to take her statement and survey the damage. Until Christian and Rory showed up. The female officer got a little starry-eyed over Rory, and her male partner wanted a recommendation for a steak marinade.
Christian took Bayli out into the hallway and pulled her into a tight embrace. She cried on his shoulder. It was one thing to feel violated over having her private space turned upside down, her pretty new clothes destroyed. But her bracelet … that couldn’t be replaced. It had been a tangible connection to her mother. Something Bayli could admire and touch. It had also represented a fond memory when she had so few of them from her childhood.
Now it was gone.
“I’m so sorry this happened to you,” Christian said.
“Some of the things in there meant a lot to me.”
“I’m sure. Again … I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
She felt his own agony—for her. It made her feel worse, because she’d dragged him and Rory into the bleakness she’d been trying to escape.
The police said they’d investigate; Rory provided some more information, including letting them in on the spider delivery. This intrigued the officers more than the ransacking. They exchanged contact numbers with Rory and said they’d call. Christian and Rory took Bayli back to Christian’s apartment.
“I need a shower,” she said as Rory helped her out of her coat. “I feel creeped out again.”
She headed upstairs and stood under the spray for a while, trying to find some perspective. Bayli was usually a silver-linings kind of gal. But it was difficult to see around the glaring loss of her bracelet.
