On my doorstep stood a man I’d never met before.
"Rebecca Merriweather?" he asked.
"Yes."
He showed me a police badge. "Do you mind if I come in for a moment?"
I forced myself to smile at him. Under normal circumstances, that would not have been a hardship, considering he resembled a younger Tom Hanks. Not too much younger—I took him to be about my age. “Of course.”
"Thank you."
I looked outside, where I saw a police car standing. "I thought you usually come with a partner."
“She'll be here in a minute. We can wait outside if you prefer that."
I paused. "I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"
"Not to worry, Ms. Merriweather." His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes in an endearing way.
"I don't know your name," I said.
"It's Detective Stone."
"Ah, Louisa mentioned your name."
Did he blush? Possibly, though it was hard to tell under his tan.
A woman strode purposefully toward us. While he was wearing jeans, a tailored shirt, and a jacket, she wore a police uniform.
"Everything's all right," she panted. "I found the dog."
I gazed at them both, confused. "A dog? Is that why you’re here.”
“Never mind that. How about we sit down for a moment?" she said. "Unless my partner has already told you everything."
"Nope."
I noticed the proud tone when she uttered the word partner.
Either she was brand new to the department, or she was new to being sent out with a detective.
"Do come in," I said. "Can I offer you a coffee or a tea, or is that not allowed?"
They politely declined refreshments as I took them through to the library.
It felt more official than having them invade my private rooms upstairs.
"That's lovely," the young policewoman said as she glanced around. "It's exactly the way your aunt had it."
"There might be changes in the future," I admitted, "but for now I'm glad if I can manage to get the business up and running again to serve the community."
"I'm sure glad to hear that," she said. "Me and my mom are keen readers."
"Oh, I didn't catch your name."
She tapped on her name badge.
"Miss Lopez," I said.
