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As the police officer headed for the door into the house, she unbuckled the restraint strap on her gun holster. Rested her hand on the grip as she opened the door into the sunroom.
Barnes disappeared from sight, and Sierra glanced at the side mirror. The other side mirror. The rearview mirror. No movement in the darkness.
She lowered her window a crack, just enough to hear outside the car. Straining to listen, she heard nothing. Not even a night bird calling. She was close enough to the woods to hear owls, but they were silent tonight.
It seemed like an eternity but was probably less than five minutes before Barnes emerged from her house. “You’re clear,” she said. “But make sure all your doors and windows are locked. And if you hear anything unusual during the night, call 911 right away.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I will.”
Barnes nodded at her. “Have a good night, Ms. Baker. Sorry about what happened. I’ll do my best to get to the bottom of it.”
“Thanks, Officer Barnes,” Sierra said. “I appreciate that.”
Sierra waited until Barnes’ patrol car had backed down her driveway, then exited her car. Once inside the house, she double-locked the door. Checked every window and the front door. All locked.
She poured water into a glass and gulped it down. Then she retrieved her cell phone from her pocket. She needed to make sure Jack was okay.
No one but her parents knew she had a brother at Northwestern. Not even Alex. She’d been tempted to tell her law partner often, but she couldn’t take the chance. The only way to keep a secret was to tell no one. Not even your best friend and partner.
She pulled her secure cell phone out of her bag and scrolled to Jack’s contact information. Hit the icon to make a call. Held her breath until Jack answered.
“What’s up, See? Everything okay?”
“Are you all right, Jack? Safe?” Sierra spoke too fast, her words tumbling over each other.
“I’m fine. In my apartment. Hell’s going on?”
“Thank God,” she said, exhaling hard. “A weird thing just happened to me.” She described what had happened with the nameless cop. “I’m okay, safe in my house, but I’m going to call Mom and Dad. Make sure they’re okay. Just needed to check on you first. Sit tight until I get back to you.”
“See, it’s almost eleven o’clock at night. I’m not going anywhere. I’m a growing boy. I need my sleep.”
For the first time since Sierra saw the squad car in her rearview mirror, she smiled. “Don’t give me that crap, Jack. You’re just starting to work now. You’re a night owl, like all the other nerds.”
“Figure of speech, Sis. I’m not going to bed, but I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good. Stay put until I talk to Mom and Dad.”
She disconnected the call and tapped her parents’ contact information. Her mother answered on the third ring. “Fran… Sierra,” she said, stumbling a little at the name, just as she always did when caught off guard. “Are you okay, honey?”
“I’m fine, Mom. Just checking on you and Dad.”
“We’re both fine. Finishing our wine and reading by the fire. Nothing exciting going on.” She sucked in a breath. “Why? What’s happened?”
“Just a strange traffic stop. A cop pulled me over. He wasn’t wearing a badge or an ID tag, and he tried to force me out of my car. But I’m fine. Home and safe. I checked with Jack and he’s safe, too. Go back to your books and your wine. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Do you need anything?” her mom asked. “Should we send a bodyguard? Do you need to get out of town?”
“Everything’s okay, Mom,” Sierra insisted. “I’m just a little jumpy. Alex is off on a… a business trip and I’m handling the office by myself. I stayed too late, and now I’m tired.” She doubted she’d sleep tonight.
“Okay, honey, go get some sleep. I’ll talk to you in a few days.”
“Will do, Mom. I love you.”
“Love you too. Talk soon.”
Sierra ended the call. Took a deep breath and looked out the window at the dark night. What had that police officer wanted with her?
Would he come to her house tonight?
