Page 81 of The Clover Chapel (Jamison Valley 2)
“Come on, Wife. Let’s watch a movie. It’s time you were introduced to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
I had actually heard of that film before. Paul Newman and Robert Redford? He’d get no objections from me.
The second my cell phone stopped ringing downstairs, Nick’s dispatch radio kicked on.
“Milo, this is dispatch. Got another call from Emmeline Austin’s security company. Her alarm’s been tripped and she didn’t answer when they called.”
“Roger. I’ll go over now. Gimme the address.”
“Fuck,” Nick cursed and shot out of bed.
“Oh my god,” I gasped. “Do you think it was another break-in?”
“I don’t know, Emmy. But we need to get over there.”
“Right. Should we call the station so they know I’m not home?” Nick’s phone was already at his ear. Following him to the closet, I threw on some clothes and mentally prepared for whatever I might find at home.
“Why is this happening?” I asked Nick as he sped to my house. The clock on the dash read 3:16 a.m.
“I don’t know but it’ll be okay,” he said, lifting my hand to his lips.
“I hope you’re right.”
Milo had beaten us to the house. The lights on his cruiser were flashing and he was standing in the drive watching our approach.
“Fuck. I hope he didn’t come racing down here with those lights on and fuck up any chance of catching this guy,” Nick clipped.
“I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.”
He grunted. “I wish we would have been here tonight. I would have loved to catch this guy in the act.”
I felt exactly the opposite but kept quiet. Wishing we’d been here was asinine. A dangerous and potentially armed criminal had been here not long ago. I felt lucky we hadn’t been here.
Two break-in attempts just a month apart could not be random. Someone was targeting my house. Maybe they were targeting me. Who knows what could have happened if we had been here?
“What’d you find?” Nick asked Milo as we congregated by the cruiser.
“Nothing. The front door was wide open when I came up. Whoever broke in was long gone by the time I showed,” Milo said.
“Did you check the area?” Nick asked.
“Yeah. Tracks in the snow lead around the side of the house and then south into the trees. I didn’t follow them far. Jess is on his way. He might want to hike out there tonight. I’m guessing he’ll wait until first light,” Milo said.
“Fuck,” Nick hissed. “I’m going with you guys when you check them out.”
“Sure thing, Nick.”
“Did you clear the house?”
Milo nodded. “First thing I did. Place is empty.”
“Emmy, go ahead and disarm that thing.”
I used my phone to silence the blaring alarm.
“Come on. Let’s get inside before you get too cold,” Nick said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up the front steps.
Nothing was like the first break-in. Whoever came in had not been careful and quiet. The handle on the front door was broken and hanging loose. My table in the foyer was knocked over. S
