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"A guard. Cameras at all entrances and exits."
His eyes scanned the area as he turned into the main entrance. There were police cruisers flanking the entrance, red and blue lights flashing. The guard who normally worked the gate was sitting on a stool, just outside the guard house, the small enclosure to keep him out of inclement weather. He shook his head as he spoke to police, clearly he was distraught and likely worried he'd be out of a job.
Rafe slowed his SUV and rolled the window down. An officer approached the vehicle and Rafe held his ID Badge up for him to see.
"Hi, Officer. I'm Rafe Martin. It's my house that was broken into."
The officer looked at the badge, then at him. He paused for a few moments, then nodded. "You can go in Mr. Martin. I'll radio ahead and let officers on the scene know you're on your way."
Rafe nodded and slowly pulled forward between the gates. He swallowed the lump in his throat. The betrayals and violations just kept coming.
He glanced briefly at Addy, who stared out the windshield looking for anything that seemed off. Though, honestly, she'd never been here, so how would she know, unless it was obvious.
He turned onto his street and the police vehicles had blocked his home from both sides. Lights flashed and he assumed his neighbors were rather irritated. And, likely nervous too. They felt so secure in this neighborhood. As if this was the safest place on earth. Of course, a person would like to feel that way about their home.
He pulled to the side of the street and put his vehicle in park. He shut it off and looked over at Addy. "You can stay here if you like."
She smiled and it was just what he needed. "I'll come with you."
She opened her door before he opened his and he knew she wouldn't wait for him to help her down from the vehicle, but he could take her hand and walk her in.
He moved swiftly to her side of the vehicle and took her hand in his. He squeezed as they neared his home, more to reassure himself than her. He, for the most part, vacillated between being angry and being scared. He'd spent plenty of time and money getting his house the way he liked it and the first time Addy saw it, he hoped it wasn't trashed.
An officer approached them as they moved across the front lawn. "Officer, I'm Rafe Martin. This is my house."
"Mr. Martin, we're glad to see you're alive and well. With all the blood we weren't sure of the condition we'd find you in."
"Blood?" His heart raced and the thrumming in his ears nearly drowned everything else out. "What blood?"
The officer stepped back and motioned toward the house. "You should go in and see for yourself Mr. Martin."
He tightened his hold on Addy's hand then stepped toward the house, dread filling his stomach with each step.
He moved through the entrance first, not caring that he wasn't being gentlemanly. Not sure what they would see, he felt it should be him first in this instance.
Inside, the foyer and living area looked just as he'd left it. Nothing much seemed out of place. His steps were slow and deliberate as he moved into the living room. The fireplace he so appreciated looked straight and tall as it had when he'd last been here. The pictures of Brent and Brooke were right where he'd left them. No blood to be found.
Moving to the right, the kitchen lights were all on, and officers stepped through the room. Fingerprint dust was on the hard surfaces. The counters, the refrigerator, the oven, the microwave, and his coffee maker. The floor also had a few spots where fingerprint dust had been taped off. He thought it was weird there'd be fingerprints on the tile floors.
An officer nodded to him. "Chief is in the office, Mr. Martin."
Rafe nodded and pulled Addy to the office with him. His throat dried out and he had that eerie feeling one gets just before bad news is heard. Stepping into the office, he saw three police officers snapping pictures, dusting for prints and taking samples from the desk, the credenza, and his bookshelves.
"Mr. Martin. I'm Chief Mueller. Do you have any idea where all this blood came from?"
"No." He sounded like he was in a tunnel. His own voice sounded far away. "Whose is it?"
"We were hoping you'd be able to shed some light on that for us."
"I can't. I don't know what the blood came from. I also don't know who came into my home. How were you notified that my home had been breached?"
"We received a call at the station."
"From who?"
"We don't know. I only know a call came in that someone was in the house and there was a lot of yelling then a man, who looked similar to you, ran out the back door and ducked between the neighbors’ yards and ran down the back street."
"What time was that?"
