“I brought the mug books over like you asked, Sir,” he tells me.
The fact that I called him this morning completely slipped my mind.
“Good. I don’t think Lori would have been comfortable leaving her grandmother here to come to the station.”
“Do you have a description of the suspect that we can put out?”
“No, not yet,” I answer and watch as he checks the time. “The girl slept in late. She was up all night.”
“Oh, yeah, I get it.” Bush nods his head.
I bring him into the living room and tell Lori, “Deputy Bush is going to go through the mug books with you. Let him know if you recognize anyone in the photos. I’ll be right back.”
I excuse myself and go to the bathroom for a moment to compose myself. If we hadn’t been interrupted, I’d be tasting her sweet pussy about now.
Bush brought the books for the entire county. I watch from across the room as Lori scans every page. She’s not going to find him in there. I’m sure of it. Every so often he asks, “Anyone?” and she shakes her head. She finishes checking the last of the four books and shrugs her shoulders.
“I’m sorry but I don’t recognize any of them. It was dark, and I didn’t get the best look at him. He could be in there, but nobody jumps out at me.”
“That’s alright. It was a shot in the dark anyway.”
“Do you have the statement ready? I can bring it to the station and get it typed up for you,” Bush suggests.
“No, we were just getting into that when you got here,” I reply and an awkward smirk rises on Lori’s lips. “Let’s just finish that up right now so Deputy Bush can take it with him. Is that alright, Lori?”
“Yes. It’s better to get it done while Nana is resting.”
“Alright. Tell us everything you remember about the incident last night.”
“Well, once I put Nana to bed, I went to my room. I was in bed for about three hours when I heard noises coming from downstairs. It sounded like furniture being slid across the floor. I guess maybe the guy bumped into something in the dark. I waited to see if I heard anything else, and that’s when I noticed the silence. My fan had gone off. I got up and tried the light switch, but the light didn’t come on so I grabbed my phone and ran to Nana’s room to call for help. I didn’t want her in there alone…”
“Take your time, sweetheart. When you’re ready, tell us what happened next.”
She takes a deep breath and continues, “I heard the man come up the stairs and the floorboards creak in the hall. I knew he was coming toward the room so I tried to whisper into the phone. But then he came into the room, and that’s when I started screaming at the operator. He came toward us, and I pulled the bat out from under the bed. I guess Nana kept it there for protection. I swung it at him and he laughed. It was a creepy, deep laugh. He said, ‘Put it down before you hurt yourself.’ I remember that. That’s when I held up the phone and told him the police were on the way. He said he’d be finished by the time you got here and laughed again. He left the room, closing the door on us, and I could hear him open the rest of the doors up here. I don’t know what he was looking for. That’s when I got up and dragged Nana to the bathroom. The next thing I knew, I was swinging my bat at you. I didn’t even know that he was gone.”
“He went out the backdoor when he saw us pull up,” Bush tells her.
“So, to your knowledge, nothing was taken from the house and he didn’t hurt you or threaten you?”
“I didn’t notice anything missing, but I haven’t been in this house in almost ten years. I couldn’t tell you where Nana keeps all of her valuables. Maybe he found what he was looking for and this is over now.”
I don’t want Lori to know that the man came back last night, but I shake my head. “There’s no way to be sure of that, and we don’t have anything to go on. I think it would be best for me to stay here and keep an eye on the place for a while.”
“Well, me or one of the other deputies can do that. You’re the sheriff. This isn’t your job, Sir.”
I think he’s trying to be helpful, but I can’t stop the twitch of anger I feel. Not my job? Protecting Lori is my job and mine alone. I pull him out of Lori's earshot and tell him, “I’ve got it. You have other things to tend to.”
“Are you sure?” he asks. “I mean, I’m single. I wouldn’t mind spending a little quality time with the girl. Maybe she’ll find an interesting way to repay me.”
He grins from ear to ear, but that stupid grin fades as soon as he sees the expression on my face. Who the fuck does he think he is? Does he really think he has a chance with my girl?
“You think that’s funny? What the fuck is wrong with you?” I growl.
“I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just kidding. I mean, you have to admit, she is beautiful.”
I clench my fists, doing my best to keep them from flying up and crushing his face. “She is beautiful and out of your league. Keep your distance or you and I are gonna have a problem. You understand me?”
“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry.”
