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“Yeah,” Martin explained. “Everyone here seems to have an opinion on who the burglar is – you wouldn’t believe the old grudges that are coming out now and accusing each other.”
“Have you called the police?”
Martin sighed. “Our local law-enforcer is… how can I put this delicately?”
Astrid interjected. “You don’t need to be delicate, dad. Our sheriff is useless at best, and at worst corrupt.”
Martin nodded. “He does seem more interested in lining his own pockets than getting his hands dirty with any actual police work.”
“Sounds like half my old police colleagues,” Jake said.
Martin’s attention was seized by a ruckus behind him, so Jake glanced at Astrid. He could see she was tense, and not just because he was here. “Is Simon around?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I can’t see him.”
Jake opened his mouth to ask what he looked like, but Martin rejoined their conversation. “Anyway, the local sheriff says he’s looking into it – for what it’s worth. This sort of thing just doesn’t happen around here. It’s shaken everyone – you can hear how agitated they all are.” Martin frowned, raising his voice above the sound of the angry crowd. “Jake, did you say you were a cop?”
“I was. Do you mind if I look at the scene of the crime, sir? Maybe I can help?”
Astrid raised an eyebrow at the prospect of him seeing her childhood bedroom.
Martin opened his mouth to reply, but a young woman stepped over. She was stunning – blond, curvy, and covered in make-up. Not Jake’s type, but certainly her clingy red dress made her stand out in the crowd.
Jake realized he was staring with his mouth open. He could feel Astrid’s eyes burning into him.
The young woman was captivated by him too. “Who’s this?” she asked, looking Jake up and down.
“Jake,” he said. “You must be Emma – Astrid’s little sister. Right?”
“Oh, you’ve heard all about me, then?”
“I sure have.”
Emma glanced at her sister. “Hello, Astrid.”
“Emma.”
Martin frowned at Jake. “So you think you might be able to help us?”
“I’m not promising anything, but maybe something will stand out for me.”
Martin glanced at Astrid. “You okay with that, Astrid?”
“He seems pretty perceptive,” she said. “It won’t do any harm, I guess.”
“Okay,” Martin said. “Come this way.”
Chapter Ten
It was strange for Astrid being back here. She’d lived at home when she’d been studying at college, so she’d only been away for six weeks in NYC, but already this place seemed like a dream to her. It was so open and quiet. And it was possible to see the sunshine and blue sky above, because the buildings were restricted to three-stories maximum. They were made of a natural-looking red brick – not steel and glass – and the stores in this town were all independents, run by people she knew on a first-name basis – there were no corporate brands for miles. It was both refreshing and terrifying in equal measure.
Jake’s presence here was warping her sense of reality. He was like a Hollywood superstar who’d been airdropped into normal life. The air around him seemed to glisten with an expression of his inner-confidence and physical attractiveness. People would stop and stare – and not just because he was a stranger in town.
Astrid smiled automatically and relaxed as they walked up the driveway to her childhood home. It felt good to be home in this old two-story building, set in its own grounds – it was like taking the phone off the hook of real life for a while. There was plenty of space to spread out here – unlike her crammed apartment back in the City. But as they stepped inside, she remembered how mentally restricted she’d felt living here – somehow being anonymous in the City was quite appealing. Perhaps it was just because she was worried that somewhere around town Simon was lurking…
In the homey kitchen, Astrid hugged her mom – sinking into her arms and realizing how much she’d missed her. Her mom – Sally – was in the middle of making a pie, and trying not to get too drawn into the latest town scandal. She was usually very calm and level-headed, but even she double-taked when she saw Jake – clearly impressed by the specimen Astrid had brought home from the big city.
“Shall we go up to your room then?” Jake asked Astrid, with a smirk.
