I nodded. "We'll stay away."
"I'll take your statement, and then I suggest you get some rest. I doubt they'll be back tonight."
"We can send you some information about securing your property," added Officer Nixon. "You might want to consider an alarm system as well as cutting back the shrubbery in the yard too. You can't stop a burglar if he’s intent on getting inside but you can do plenty that might ward him off."
"Thanks," I said.
The two police officers were gone in under fifteen minutes, leaving Nate and me alone in the artificially, but thoroughly lit house. "If you don't mind, I'd like to crash on the couch tonight," said Nate. "I could drive home; but I really don't like the idea of leaving you alone here, and besides, I'm beat."
"I don't think I can sleep anymore tonight but I can get you a blanket and a pillow. Or you could have one of the guest rooms if you don't mind waiting for me to make up a bed."
"The couch is fine."
I glanced up. "I have to go upstairs for the blankets," I said, hesitating. How pathetic would he think I was if I asked him to come with me?
"There're a couple of blankets on the couch and I can use a throw pillow. Come on, let's relax. I can see you shaking even though you're trying not to," said Nate. I reached for him, taking his hand, and we walked to the living room, flopping onto the big couch. Nate drew a couple of blankets from the back of the couch and arranged them over us. I shivered lightly. "None of this is changing your mind about sticking around town, is it?" he said softly.
I didn't answer, remembering all my recent thoughts and the most jarring one of Nate and Danielle with a gaggle of little children running around this house. My house. "I'm not going to be scared out of my house," I told him. "I came here to do a job and I intend to get it done." But did I still want to sell it?
It was nice seeing my parents and knowing they weren't too far away. It was even nice to see Tammy, although I missed watching her children grow up for too long. Did I want to go away and come back only to find they'd grown another few inches with each visit? And everyone in Calendar was so receptive to my presence. Much as I loved Mallory, Jill and my life in Chicago, it felt terrific to reconnect with Tia, Danielle and Melissa without any need for a phone or an internet connection. Seeing Nate again, even after that first initial awkwardness, was wonderful too. Plus, Aunt Edie's friends were glad to see me again. Once the house was all repaired and fixed up, I decided I would throw a party for them all. I wanted to celebrate the rejuvenation of the mansion but I couldn’t decide if it would be a going away party… or a coming home celebration?
I'd been so sure when I first arrived here that this would only be a temporary visit, but now, as I snuggled next to Nate on the couch, his body felt so warm and his strong arm was wrapped so securely around me, I wasn't sure.
Chapter Fifteen
I woke snuggled next to a man radiating volcanic heat. I smiled blissfully, tucked my arms around him, nudged my head against his shoulder, and closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. I hadn't felt this peaceful, or this comfortable, or this serene, in far too long. I felt secure and safe, cosseted in these warm, masculine arms.
A moment later, my eyes flew open and I sat bolt upright.
"What is it?" Nate's eyes flashed open. "Is someone here?"
"We fell asleep!"
Nate rotated his head and blinked. "That's what people do when they're sleepy. This is very cozy," he added with a tired smile.
"We're friends," I hissed, aware that his legs were entangled with mine, and the blanket was securing us together.
"Yep," said Nate. He closed his eyes again.
"Friends don't snuggle," I said, poking him in the ribs so he didn't get too cozy and fall back to sleep.
"Umm-hmmm," mumbled Nate.
"You and I don't snuggle," I said, standing up and pulling the covers accidentally with me. This time, when Nate opened his eyes, he did so with a yawn. He rubbed his eyes and stretched.
"Think we just did."
"It's not a good idea!"
"Keeping warm?"
"You know exactly what I mean! I bet you don't snuggle with your guy buddies!"
Nate pulled a face. "Not lately I don't!"
"See!?"
"Their hair doesn't smell quite as pretty as yours," added Nate. He gave me a satisfied smile that did nothing to appease my bad mood. But why I was in such a funk, I had no idea. A few minutes ago, I was in a state of ecstasy.
I glanced outside the window and winced when I saw a crime scene van parked outside. "Get up! The police tech guy is here and I don't want him getting the wrong idea about us. Don't tell anyone about this!" I waggled my hand at the couch.
"Tell anyone about what? You mean our exciting night?" Nate winked and my stomach flipped.
"I wouldn't call an attempted break-in and getting terrified an exciting night."
"Oh, that bit," teased Nate. "I bet half the town heard all about the attempted burglary the minute Nixon and Ortiz went out to get breakfast."
The repetitive knocking at the front door stopped me from trying to come up with a smart answer. I needed one that would encompass whatever the police officers might surmise about Nate being here in the early hours. Instead, I turned on my heel and stomped to the door, wrenching it open and glowering at the surprised technician. Expecting to find a guy outside, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a woman in a police issue jacket. I ignored whatever Nate was doing and occupied myself by taking her to the broken door. I was hanging around and probably slightly irritating her as I watched her work. She didn't take long to examine the door and the broken glass, dusting for prints and conducting her other searches.
When Nate stepped out with a pair of coffees for the technician and me, I calmed a little bit. I took mine to the kitchen, giving the technician a little more space. "Thanks," I said, hardly able to look at Nate as I sipped the coffee. I was oddly thrilled to discover he made it just how I liked it. He remembered after all this time. I chanced a look at him and found him watching me with an enigmatic expression on his face. "Sorry," I mumbled.
"What for?" he asked softly.
"For freaking out when I woke up."
"Was it that bad? Waking up next to me?"
"No," I said, my voice so quiet I might as well not have spoken.
"Vanessa, I..." he started.
"Vanessa?" yelled a louder voice. My dad came jogging into the kitchen with my mom hurrying behind him.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever Nate was about to say, it couldn't be said now. I didn't know why that relieved me so much. Maybe it was because he was about to tell me about Danielle and him. I didn't want to hear it. Or that he agreed we shouldn't have fallen asleep, and snuggled together like two perfectly fitted jigsaw pieces. When I was next alone, I decided I would have to analyze those thoughts, and decide which one I really didn't want to hear. Except, I already knew. I didn't want to hear that he'd been dating Danielle and something sparked between them. Even if it were a thing of the past, I didn't want to hear him say he'd fallen for anybody else. And I didn’t want him to say that's why he wanted to buy this house, so he could start his family here.
I didn't want to hear any of that now. In a matter of only a few days, I’d fallen madly in love with Nate all over again.
Nothing changed over the years that I was away. Nate was always my best friend and over the course of a couple of years, it became a deep and unrequited love. It remained that way right up until the moment I decided to leave town after graduation. I had a secure job offer. Then Nate blew up everything I thought I knew. I couldn't do that again. I was leaving soon... wasn't I?
"Honey, why is there a police car outside? And why was a police car seen outside here in the early hours of the morning?" asked Mom, reaching for me.
Nate gave me a look as if to say 'What did I tell you?'
"Tammy saw Officer Nixon at the Coffee Corner Café and she called us."
"She didn't call me!"
Nate bit back a laugh and swallowed a mouthful of coffee before offering to make my parents a cup.
"Thanks," said Mom like it was completely normal for Nate to be so at home in my kitchen. "And thank you for looking after Vanessa so well."
"She didn't need any looking after," said Nate. "I was just her backup."
"All the same," said Dad as he hugged him, "we really appreciate it. Did you find anything?" he asked the technician as she stepped inside. She was holding her dusting kit in her hand and the empty mug in the other.
"No fingerprints unfortunately," she said, handing her cup to me. "No fibers either. It will be impossible to pin this on anyone at this rate. I know that's disappointing but the main thing is, they either gave up or they were scared off. You can contact Calendar PD for insurance purposes and feel free to go ahead and repair the damages. It's only a window pane. The lock looks new but I noticed a couple of scratches on it. It might be that they attempted to pick it before smashing the window to see if they could reach a key inside the door."
I thanked her and escorted her out, returning to my parents. "I don't think you should stay here anymore," said Mom. "I really must insist that you come and stay with us. You can only come here during the day when other people are around. What if they had actually gotten in? You could have been shot just like Terry!"
"We know Terry wasn't here for any good reason," I said. "I don't think I'm being targeted, not like he was."
"You are if you're in the way," said Dad. He ran a hand over his head and muttered, "I’m going to lose the last of my hair. "
"Vanessa and I are going to map out an alarm system today," said Nate. "I'll patch the door and order the glass so it will be secured."
Mom shook her head, unconvinced.
"Mom, don't worry," I said. "I'm fine. Really."
"I'll argue with you later," said Mom. "Since we're here, what can we do to help?"
"I don't know. Nate? What are today's plans?" I asked. My list was upstairs and my head was in too much of a whirl to think about what still had to be done.
"One of my guys will arrive in the next few minutes with the back hoes, and we can start ripping up the front yard," said Nate after he checked his watch. "Someone could supervise that? Gus, if you have your power tools, you could start blazing a path to the garage. We need to check out its condition before Vanessa can decide if she wants to make any repairs on it while we work on the house, or leave that job to the next owner."
My parents both nodded eagerly, glad to be of use. I gave Nate what I hoped was a grateful, appreciative look. Although I couldn't argue with my parents' concerns, it was a good idea to distract them. I didn't want to move out of the house — and the very idea that someone could chase me out through fear was awful — but I had to admit I wasn't sure I'd sleep at all tonight if I stayed here again. First, a murder; then an attempted break-in. It was as scary as when I was mugged at gunpoint. I stifled a yawn. I was already tired and the day hadn't even gotten started.
"Danielle is going to help me clean the attic," I told them, remembering the plans we made just as the little, black cat I'd seen before strolled in. I smiled and bent down to stroke it and it purred happily before turning its little head to the door. Another equally small cat, this one black and white, walked in, taking its time to examine everyone.
"Oh, they're just kittens!" exclaimed my mom.
"This one came in before," I said, still stroking the black cat. "I guess I forgot all about it. This must be his, or her, buddy, or maybe it’s a littermate."
"I wonder if they were living in that jungle that used to be your yard," said Mom. "You'll have to call Animal Control to pick them up."
"Why?" I asked, blowing kissy faces at the kitten.
"So they can get rehomed at the shelter."
"Aww, but Mom, can't I keep them?" I asked, putting on my whiniest, most infantile, pleading voice.
"And take them to an apartment in Chicago?" Mom raised her eyebrows. "They need to live in a nice house with a yard for them to play in."
"We should keep them inside," said Nate. "We're going to rip up their jungle home. It won't be safe for them with so much heavy machinery around."
"What if there're more kittens?" I asked, worried. Squishing a kitten with heavy machinery was not included on my to-do list.
"Once your Dad starts hacking a path, the noise will scare out anymore. We'll cut the shrubs and bushes back in chunks and I'll make sure my guys sweep the area for any lost baby animals."
"I think I saw some cat food in the pantry," I told them. "Was Aunt Edie feeding stray cats?"
"Probably, but she also ordered livestock grain and there definitely weren't any pigs or goats or lambs around," said Dad.
Sadness welled inside me. "Poor Edie," I murmured as I scooped up the kittens.
Dad tucked an arm around my shoulder and squeezed. "She was always happy," he said. "Don't forget that. Now let's get to work and make this house proud again."
With Nate's workmen arriving and Mom assigned with the job of overseeing them as they dug up the front yard, I carried the kittens away, keeping them safely ensconced in the painting room with a bowl of water and another bowl of food. Dad left to tackle the backyard, leaving Nate and me alone. Before it could become awkward again, Nate pulled out a notepad and asked if I were ready to get started on the home alarm system. Frankly, I'd never been readier for anything.
We walked through the house and he pointed out where I would need to get sensors for the doors and windows. He also showed me which corners would be more suitable for a movement sensor and where he thought a camera would work better. Mostly, I just agreed and nodded.
"You're been very quiet," said Nate. He tucked the pencil behind his ear and waited.
"I'm a little overwhelmed with so much information. I know it's a copout, but I think you know what you're doing better than I do on this one. Can you pick what you think works and just give me the price?"
"If you're sure you trust me?"
"Very much so," I decided.
"You just want to go play with the kittens, don't you?"
I bit back a smile. That thought had crossed my mind. "They are so cute."
"Go play with them and relax. I'll find you when I'm done."
I had twenty minutes of happy play with the kittens while they pounced on spots of lights and begged for their ears to be rubbed. Nate found me and gave me his list, which I hastily approved. He announced he would pick up the alarm system and a few other materials, saying he would have done it prior to getting here if I hadn't given him a three a.m. start.
"Do you want to go home and rest first?" I asked. "I feel so guilty about waking you."
"Don't feel one bit guilty. I'm glad you called. I've gotten enough rest but I'll turn in early tonight if I feel tired later. See you when I get back. Bye, kitties," he added, scratching their backs when they hopped all over him.
I gave the kittens a little more attention before I left the painting room, shutting the kittens in behind me. I wasn’t ready to start searching the whole house for them if they escaped and I would never forgive myself if they got squashed by the backhoe or something else operated by one of Nate's workmen. I snuck a glimpse out the front, and was pleased to see that a quarter of the yard was already pulled up. Another workman was raking all the debris into a huge mound.
Tia called before she went to work, having heard the commotion. She assured me she'd come by after work and hang out. When Danielle arrived mid-morning, I was more than happy to see her. Unlike everyone else, she was oblivious to the night-time event.
"I bet we find some exciting stuff in those boxes," she told me as we hurried up to the attic. "Maybe Edie had something special hidden in there."
I thought about the fine layer of dust coating every box and surface. "I don't think she's been up there for decades."
"Perhaps we’ll find an ancient a
rtifact she picked up fifty years ago in a thrift shop or a priceless jewel or maybe even a treasure map."
"You have an over-active imagination!" I couldn't help laughing, so glad Danielle was as enthusiastic about helping me sort through the boxes as she was about lightening the mood. Even better, I didn't have to replay the previous night or answer any questions about what happened.
"I know. Where shall we start?" We paused at the top of the attic staircase, looking at the huge array of multi-sized cartons. I was glad I hired Nate to do the repair work, leaving me plenty of time to go through the boxes. Even with Danielle's help — and I was determined not to monopolize her leisure time — it could take two weeks for us to investigate every single box. "At the beginning?" I asked, pointing to the box at our feet.
"That's as good a place as any," agreed Danielle. She threw her jacket over the banister and dropped to her knees, reaching for the box. She peeled back the card flaps and peered inside. "Books. That's an easy one. Unless they're ancient, first editions."
"I think they're trashy novels," I said when I pulled out the first one. Then a second and third. "Who knew Aunt Edie was into such racy pulp fiction?"
"We can have a yard sale with whatever you don't want to keep," said Danielle as we emptied the box. "Ten cents a book? A dollar for ten?"
"That's not much of a discount."
"Say it fast enough and someone will think it is!" She giggled.
"Let's stack the junk over on this side and anything worth keeping on the other," I said. "Otherwise, we'll get lost and not know what we've opened or examined."
"Good plan."
We worked methodically for an hour, opening box after box. Aunt Edie stored all kinds of things. Books, magazines — a big collection of vintage Vogue magazines that I was sure any collector would want — painting supplies, both used and unused, and mismatched crockery. There was a lovely side table that I decided to take downstairs and polish, and a box with a collection of silver frames that looked like the ones in Edie's study. Sorting through it all and chatting with Danielle kept my mind off the previous night's events.
Alibi in April (Calendar Mysteries Book 4) Page 14
