At her front door, since Steve still had the key, he unlocked and opened the door. She held her breath, dreading what she would find inside. He’d warned her that things were a bit disorganized.
She set down her bag of new goodies and wandered through the downstairs rooms. Not so bad, she decided. Nothing a little straightening wouldn’t take care of.
“Did they take anything with them—besides my devices?” She turned to the man following along behind her. “I saw some of the agents carrying boxes.”
“They took a number of files from your office and a few photo albums. Not that much really. What any investigator leaves a scene with is always telling. They obviously didn’t find the stashof goods or files they had hoped to discover. For now, we can consider that good news.”
Allie surveyed the entry hall then glanced up the stairs. “I keep trying to wrap my head around what’s happening, and it’s just not working. It feels like a bad dream. Like I should wake up any time now, and it will all be over.”
“Completely understandable.” He nodded. “I’m heading to my place for clothes and a few other things I need. I’ll be back in a couple hours. Get some sleep. We’ll start breaking this down when I return.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate this, Steve.”
He gave her a quick hug. “This will be just a bad memory before you know it.”
She had her doubts, but she could hope. The surge of warmth she felt with his arms around her was certainly something she would not soon forget.
Foolish, Al. You definitely need a life.
When he’d gone, she secured the three deadbolts and climbed the stairs to see the damage there. Her office was on the second floor, so she would charge her new phone and laptop and get them activated as well. The sooner she could do something constructive, the better.
He had suggested she sleep, but Allie wasn’t sure she would be doing that again anytime soon.
At least not until she understood what was happening here.
She stood at the door to her grandparents’ room and felt sick at how the agents had pilfered through their things. But it wasn’t until she reached her parents’ bedroom that she wanted to throw something. They had taken the room apart, one piece at a time. The furnishings and the things in those furnishings hadn’t been touched since the car crash. But those damned federal agents had come into the house and gone through their belongings withno care for their sentimental value to Allie. The items in this room were all she had left of her parents.
Once she’d calmed down and set her new devices to charge, she headed for the shower. Losing herself in a long hot shower would be a relief right now.
Her mind wouldn’t slow down even with the hot water sluicing over her skin. She tried to relax, to find that Zen place that would allow her to think clearly and focus on the details of what was happening. So she closed her eyes and thought of the man who’d spent the last several hours with her.
She hadn’t seen him in what? Fifteen years? He was still just as handsome as she remembered. Maybe more so. And smart. Really smart and kind. Back in high school, he was one of the nice guys while others his age had been busy showing off. Not Steve.
A bit of time was required and a whole lot of hot water, but the effort to focus on anything but the FBI and their murder accusations eventually started to work. Her shoulders and neck and then the rest of her stopped fighting the need to relax.
When she turned off the water and stepped out into the cool air, she felt much better. She brushed her teeth, dressed in her favorite sweats and climbed into her bed. She hadn’t meant to sleep, only to relax, but suddenly she just couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.
Thoughts of that hug she and Steve had shared followed her into sleep.
A sound pokedat Allie. She told her eyes to open, but they refused. She was so tired. She needed to sleep just a little while longer.
Then the sound crept deeper into her consciousness.
A buzzing…like the doorbell.
Why would anyone be at her door? She never had visitors. Only deliveries.
But the buzz came again, and her eyes fluttered open this time.
Someone was at her door. She sat up. Her head felt fuzzy, and she had to think a moment before she could find her way back to the here and now.
Murder.
The video of her going into a patient’s room.
Steve Durham.The Colby Agency.
The FBI was investigating her.
