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“I’ll send a deputy. Stay on the line with me,” Dana said.
“I’m okay. Just please send an officer right away.”
It would probably be Montgomery, and his sheer size would deter any intruder. She headed for her truck and locked herself inside while she waited. The phone in her hand teased her to call Jon, but she resisted. When a call came in, she assumed it was the sheriff’s office, but her spirits lifted when she saw Jon’s name on her screen.
She swiped it on. “Jon? I think there’s someone in my house. A deputy is on his way.”
“Where are you?”
The sound of his deep, steady voice brought tears to her eyes. “I’m in my truck with the doors locked. I’m unarmed.”
“You should go where there are people. Is anyone roaming around the campgrounds?”
“Yes, a few people are still up. I came to the truck so I’d see the deputy when he arrived.”
“He can text you when he arrives. I don’t want you by yourself. I’m on my way. Stay on the line with me.”
“How can you get here? Your car is being checked out.”
She heard his feet stop. “You’re right,” he said. “Martha keeps her keys on a hook by the back door. I’ll borrow hers.”
“Without asking?”
“She’s asleep. I’m sure she won’t mind.”
The sound of his running feet came over the phone again. She hung on as he moved through the bed-and-breakfast to the kitchen.
“Found the keys. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Any sign of the deputy?”
“Not yet, but he could have been on the other side of thecounty for all I know. Dana didn’t say how long it would be until he arrived. I’ll go find people.”
At least he’d called, which meant he wasn’t running from the conflict like he had last time. She found comfort in the fact that maybe, just maybe, they could find their way through the maze in front of them.
Twenty-Eight
Deputy Doug Montgomery hefted his bulk out of his SUV and yanked on his pants. “You’re making a habit of calling for backup, Annie.”
“Not because I want to.” Annie had called dispatch several weeks back over an intruder, but that man was dead. Whoever was terrorizing her now was a new adversary.
She walked with Doug toward the cottage. “My power is out too.”
Doug swerved to the left. “Let me check your box and see if he’s thrown the main.” He flipped on a high-powered flashlight that lit up the yard like a floodlight.
Annie turned off her phone’s flashlight. It was like a tiny night-light compared to Doug’s beam. She followed the bouncing light across the grass to the side of the house. The breaker-box cover stood open.
Doug shone his flashlight on the interior. “Main breaker’s been thrown. I think you need to get a lock for this box, Annie.”
“I’ll do that tomorrow,” she promised.
He had her hold the light for him while he turned the power back on. The light in the kitchen came on, and its amber glow lifted her spirits.
Footsteps sounded from inside the house, and Doug ran faster than she would have thought a guy his size could move. She followed him around to the front, which was the entry they seldom used. A dark figure burst from inside and jumped off the porch before dashing into the thick forest at the property’s edge.
Doug gave chase, but he soon returned panting. “Lost him. He’s a spry one. Let’s go in and see what he was doing.”
She followed him up the porch to her gaping front door. Leaning past him, she switched on the lights. The place was a mess. Lamps were overturned and broken on the floor, rugs pulled up, and every drawer emptied. She moved from the trashed living room to the kitchen and found the same mess.
Her bedroom was the worst. All her clothes were pulled off hangers, and even her jewelry was lying on the floor. The bathroom toiletries were upended on the floor and in the sink, and her cleaning supplies were out from under the cabinet.
