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As we drive down my road, I see the interest flare in Gianni’s eyes at the size of the houses. Even in the dark, you can’t miss the grandeur of the properties. Most of the houses are hidden behind huge leylandii hedges or conifer pines, all hiding the wealth within the grounds. The buildings comprise giant bungalows and older houses, many of which have been extended several times. Most have long, circular driveways with three or four cars parked in front of double garages.
Normally, I would’ve explained that this is my parents’ house to ensure I don’t come across like some rich kid sponging off their mom and dad. But Gianni has annoyed me, not only through his comments but now with added guilt. I’ve never felt so bewildered, so trapped in a mix of emotions. How can one person make me angry, hurt, and despondent yet stir such arousal in me that I don’t feel human? I hadn’t wanted him to leave tonight when he’d entered the restaurant, but now I need to get away from him.
I point out my parents’ house, and Gianni slows the car, the shrill squeal of the alarm already hurts my ears. I expect him to stop and let me jump out, but instead, he pulls into the driveway. He arcs the car around, following the flow of the driveway, and stops by the large front door. I get out of his car quickly, eager to sort the alarm out. I turn to thank him, but he’s opened his door and is making his way out onto the driveway.
“Thank you for the lift… I’m going to…” I point to the house, half running as Gianni meanders on the driveway, looking the house up and down before making his way around the corner of the house, the security lights flashing on as he disappears.
I don’t have time to worry about what he’s doing as I hurriedly open the front door and dash over to the control panel on the interior wall. The box lights up as soon as I swipe the security fob against the sensor. The alarm stops, but I still hear ringing in my ears as if the ghost of it still vibrates through the house. I check the sensor panel, wondering which motion detector has been triggered. The alarm is Frank’s department, so I am not sure what I’m looking at. When Gianni appears behind me, I am studying the blinking lights.
“You’d better come and see this,” he urges.
“What is it?” I ask as I follow him out of the house. His strides are long, and I struggle to keep up with him in my heels. The tone of Gianni’s voice has me worried.
We move around the front of the house, passing the large potted olive trees my mom has added to give the house a Mediterranean feel. I struggle to keep up with Gianni, who seems to know the grounds of my parents’ house better than I do. He leads me down the side of the house, where broken glass crunches under my shoes.
Gianni stops, and I stand next to him. We both look at the small window nestled on the side of the house. It has been smashed with something, creating a gaping hole with jagged pieces of glass sticking up like ragged teeth.
“Shit.” I bend to pick up some of the glass from the ground.
“Don’t touch anything.” Gianni puts his hand out to stop me. “We must call the police. It looks like someone has tried to break-in.”
“Yes, that’s what it looks like,” I agree, still crouching beside the broken glass.
“What room is on the other side?” he asks.
“It’s a utility room,” I reply, my mind already working this over. “There’s nothing of value in there, and the window isn’t large enough for someone to climb through.”
“But it is at the side of the house, not overlooking any of your neighbors, and I bet…” Gianni pauses as he cranes his head up at the rest of the building, “… it’s not covered by any of your security cameras.” I follow his gaze. He’s right.
“My dad probably wouldn’t have installed cameras here because the window is too small to climb through. A burglar would have to pass the cameras at the front to get to the window anyway, so they’d still get caught on the camera.”
“Do you have access to the camera footage?”
“No, Frank has an app on his phone, but I don’t.”
“Frank?”
“My brother. He is also the brains behind this security system.”
“And your brother is where?” Gianni inquires. I let out a sigh, checking my watch as if this will help me locate Frank.
“He could be anywhere,” I reply. Gianni waits for me to expand. “He’s a freelance photographer. He could be out taking photos of anything. Or he could be out with his mates or in bed with a woman or a man.” I rise from my crouched position, assessing the broken window.
“Frank sounds like fun,” Gianni comments. I can’t read his face. I’m not sure if he’s being sarcastic or genuinely thinks Frank is some sort of party guy. Frank is pretty cool as big brothers go, but not without his faults.
“Depends what you define as fun.” I rest my eyes on Gianni. What’s his idea of fun?
“I’ve walked around the rest of the house, and I can’t see anyone, so whoever it was is gone now. The alarm and your neighbor’s dog probably scared them off.”
“More likely, the neighbor scared them off. Mrs. Dennis is far more frightening than her pug, Winston.” Gianni doesn’t even flinch at my joke, and I’m not sure why I’m surprised by this.
I rise to my full height, my heels pinching my toes. I pull down the hem of my dress as Gianni’s eyes are suddenly on me with an intensity that makes me feel naked.
“I’d better call the police.” I turn to go back to the front of the house. I’m sure he will leave now, but instead, he follows me to the front door. I face him, my hand on the door. Do I thank him for the lift or invite him in for coffee? Even in my head, it sounds ridiculous. Why would Gianni want to come and have a cup of my coffee? This isn’t a social call. Besides, as he mentioned in the restaurant, he has somewhere to be. I’m about to bid him goodnight, but the odd feeling I had in my stomach when I realized he was leaving at the restaurant returns. Instead, I say nothing and enter the house.
I walk down the hall and into the open-plan kitchen, where the under-counter lights reflect off the black gloss cabinets and white-tiled floor. The units sit majestically under the full-length skylights, complemented by the bi-fold doors that lead onto the enormous garden at the rear of the house. The kitchen is one of the house’s focal points and cost a small fortune to install. Gianni appears, taking in his surroundings as I move around the large island to the glass doors. I peer through them into the garden.
“I’ll check the garden,” Gianni says from beside me, also looking through the black glass. I move to the edge of the doors and press a switch that turns the exterior lights on, illuminating the vast garden.
