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Suzie gave a snort. “You need your friends more than you need the police.” Katrina decided now was probably not the best time to mention that Spencer might also be moving in. “You think this was the same guy who was in your kitchen the other day?”
“I don’t know.” Katrina’s mind refused to process that line of questioning. It was as though her thoughts couldn’t connect and were bouncing around in random directions. “All I know is that my living room looks like a herd of cattle stampeded through it.”
“Hold o
n a second.” Suzie engaged in a muffled conversation before continuing. “Rusty said don’t worry. He’ll be over tomorrow morning with his brothers to help repair the damage.”
For a second or two, Katrina’s throat tightened so much she couldn’t talk. At some point, Suzie had stepped up from friend to family, becoming the sister Eliza had never been. It was a sweet feeling, but also a painful reminder of all the things her life had been missing. When she did speak, her voice was husky. “Tell Rusty thanks.”
“What’s the point of four grown men sitting around a hardware store all day?” Suzie’s voice was breezy. “One of them can take care of the business while the other three come and straighten out your place. Now, are you sure you don’t want me to keep you company tonight?”
“No. By the time the police have finished up, it’ll be late. I’ll see you at work in the morning.”
It took a few more minutes to convince Suzie that she would be okay. By the time she ended the call, Katrina felt more tired than ever. When she looked up, Spencer was leaning against one of the fence posts, watching her. Although his expression was neutral, his eyes were shadowed.
“Are you okay?” He shook his head. “Stupid question.”
She scrubbed a hand over her eyes. Somehow, the concern in his voice made her feel more vulnerable. “I, uh...” She searched for a distraction. “I just spoke to Suzie. Her boyfriend is Rusty Linehan. You know, from Linehan’s Hardware Store? He’s coming over tomorrow with some of his brothers to try to straighten the place out.” She frowned. “If that’s okay.”
He came to sit next to her. “It’ll be fine. My colleagues are on their way now to take fingerprints and take crime-scene photographs. Once those things are done, we can start to clean up.”
We. She sneaked a look at him from beneath her lashes. “Did you mean what you said? About moving in?”
“Yeah.” He leaned back, stretched his long legs and crossed his booted ankles. “I know a strange guy sleeping in your spare room is not what you signed up for when you reported Eliza missing, but we need to find out what’s going on here.”
“And is this standard police procedure?” She threw him a challenging look. “When a Mustang Valley citizen is in danger, one of your officers goes to live with them?”
“No.” He appeared unfazed by the question. “But you are a special case.”
“Why?” Suddenly, the answer to that question mattered almost as much as finding out who was behind the break-in.
“I’m not sure.” Her heart started beating faster as he regarded her thoughtfully. “But that’s one of the things I intend to find out.”
* * *
Property crimes were not generally the highest priority for MVPD. But because Spencer himself had called in Katrina’s break-in to Chief Barco, they gave it greater importance. Even so, by the time the investigation team had finished processing the scene, it was late.
Although Katrina reassured him that she was fine, Spencer had concerns about her emotional well-being. There was a lost look in her eyes, and she fiddled constantly with her cell phone as she spoke to his colleagues. It was as if she was expecting a call that never came.
The living room was still a mess and he decided it could wait until morning. If the Linehan brothers were planning to deal with it, the best plan of action would be to leave it to them. Linehan’s Hardware Store had been established on Mustang Boulevard fifty years earlier by Clinton Linehan. After being extended and modernized by his son, Clinton’s four grandsons now joint owned the thriving enterprise.
In the meantime, there were other issues to deal with.
“If you make coffee, I’ll feed the dogs.” He steered Katrina in the direction of the kitchen. “Then we can order takeout.”
She stared out of the window. “I’m not really hungry.”
“When did you last eat?”
An impatient frown flitted across her features. “I don’t know. Breakfast, maybe?”
He took her arm and led her to the table. “Sit down.”
“I thought you wanted coffee?”
“I’m a multitalented guy. I can make coffee and give the dogs their dinner.” He watched her face as she checked her cell. “Are you expecting a call?”
“Not really.” She slid the phone into her pocket. “I keep hoping Eliza will get in touch. A young woman called me today. Her name is Christie Foster and she’s an AAG member. She said she knew Eliza. We met in the park, but when she started to tell me what had happened to her, she got scared and ran off.”
