“Yeah. Okay.” She looked over at her house, then back with a nod. Worry had created small creases near the corners of her mouth and deepened the lines between her brows.
Clint hated that she was going through this. Especially after everything else she’d dealt with today.
The second police vehicle to arrive was a Suburban, and Clint knew immediately that it was Officer Gabe Harrison and his K-9 partner, Loki. Even better. If someone were hiding in the house, they wouldn’t stay hidden long with the talented dog on the scene.
Clint rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Please be careful.”
He waited long enough to see that she’d rolled her window back up before jogging to where Gabe was preparing Loki. The dog barely registered Clint’s presence as he focused on his trainer and friend. Once Loki had on the correct collar and lead, Gabe allowed him to exit the kennel in the back of the vehicle.
Together, the three of them approached the front of the house. It was a single-story building, which would make it easier to search. Just like Leslie had told him, the door was open just enough to see the light from inside. Cautiously, Clint pushed it open with his foot.
Gabe raised his voice as he spoke, “This is the Destiny Police Department. We’re coming in with a K-9 officer. If there’s anyone in here, I need you to announce your presence for your safety.”
Silence.
Clint led the way into the house with Gabe on his six. One by one, they searched each room, closets included, until both officers were satisfied that no onewas inside.
Gabe got a ball out and tossed it to Loki, praising him for a job well done. He patted the dog’s rump. “There was glass on the floor of the second bedroom right beneath the window. I bet that’s how they gained access. If it weren’t for that and the open door, I never would’ve known someone broke in.”
“Agreed.” Clint went back to inspect the front door. “I’m going to take a closer look at that window and the back door.”
The back door was still locked. So were all the windows except for the one in the second bedroom. His boot crunched on the broken bits of glass beneath the open window. He moved the curtains aside with his flashlight to reveal a hole in the bottom pane. No doubt someone had busted the hole and reached through to unlock the window.
He made his way back to the living room where Gabe and Loki were waiting.
“Looks like you were right. The intruder came in through the spare bedroom window and must have left through the front door.”
Gabe frowned. “Well, if anything was stolen, it’s not obvious. The TV and DVD players are still here. I’m pretty sure I noticed a laptop in the bedroom. Nothing looks disturbed or damaged.”
They reached out to dispatch and gave an update on the situation and requested a forensics team.
Clint jabbed a thumb at the front door. “I’m going to let Leslie know and have her come in and look around. We’ll need forensics for that window. See if there are any fingerprints left behind. Same with the front door.”
“Sounds like a plan. If you’re good here, Loki and I will get back out on patrol.”
“Yep. Thanks, man.” They shook hands, and Clint gave Loki’s ear a rub.
Outside, the streetlight cast just enough of a glow on Leslie’s car to illuminate her face. She rolled the window down as he approached.
“You did the right thing calling. Someone did break into your house. They were likely long gone before you got home.” He hated the look of fear that flashed across her face. Her home was supposed to be her safe space, and it’d been violated. It was likely a random hit, but he knew she’d be worried about it until the intruder was caught. “Aside from the window they broke to gain entry, nothing else looks like it’s destroyed or obviously missing. If you’re up to it, it’d be helpful if you came inside and had a look around.”
“Yeah. Of course.” She followed him inside, her arms crossed tightly across her chest as though she were cold.
It was the beginning of November, and the evenings were finally starting to cool off after an unusually hot summer. No doubt that contributed to the chill Leslie was experiencing, but most of her response was likely related to the events of the day. The poor woman had to be exhausted after everything she’d been through.
“Go through the house, check any hidden valuables you might have as well, and let me know if there’s anything missing or out of place.”
She gave a distracted nod, her attention already on her surroundings. As much as Clint wanted to stay close by in case she needed anything, he waited in the living room to give her space.
While she was looking around, it gave him a chance to really take in the look and feel of the house. It wasn’t fancy, but the simple style resulted in a place that was comfortable. Welcoming. Colors were pretty neutral, but it wasclear her favorite color was a light purple because accent pillows, candles, and pictures all sported the same shade.
The most impressive area of the house, however, was the far side of the living room. The wall was lined with bookcases except for the very center, where an oversized accent chair and matching ottoman sat. It was the perfect reading nook. He imagined Leslie curled up there well into the night with the floor lamp nearby, casting just enough light to read by.
Along with more books than he could count, there was also an extensive Funko Pop! figure collection. They were organized by sets or type and set up between or in front of books, whichever seemed to fit the best.
The cast from Lord of the Rings was arranged together on one side of a shelf next to the books, while characters from the show Friends were set up in another location. A shelf with adventure books held many of the cartoon characters from Disney’s Robin Hood movie. After glancing at the entire collection, there wasn’t a single figure that Clint didn’t recognize.
