“You really think this weirdo is gonna try to go to the crime scene?” Jennings asked.
“No clue, so I’ll have whoever’s on duty on that side of the park put some extra cones and barriers up, not that those would stop them entirely,” I told them.
“Shit,” Jennings muttered.
My sentiment exactly.
7
“Calories don’t count when you’re on your period. You’re losing enough blood throughout the day tomake up for the cake, pie, and cookies you just ate for breakfast.”
—It’s science
Iris
After thoroughly embarrassing myself in front of Hector a few days ago—with extra help from my coworkers and the evil snake—I was thankful for a busy day at work to help distract my mind.
All I had thought about the last few days was Hector. Mostly my awkward moments, but also how good it had felt when he’d wrapped his arm around me when I’d stumbled near the snake. I’d felt his hard body up against my back, his muscular arm wrapped around me—tight, but not too tight—and my whole body had shivered as his scent also surrounded me.
My body had reacted not only with the shivers racing through me but also my nipples hardening—thankfullywith him behind me, he couldn’t see them. But then he’d practically lifted me away and shoved me to the side as if merely holding me made him uncomfortable. I wasn’t a skinny woman, so I’d had that reaction from a few other men before, but having Hector jerk away from me bothered me more.
Today was a prep day at work for the big event in two weeks with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, so that had helped to keep my mind off Hector—mostly.
Hours later, I had finally made it home. I had just pulled up to my apartment complex building and saw my elderly neighbor, Nancy, with her dog, Cocoa, walking down the sidewalk.
“Hi, Nancy. Hi, Cocoa,” I greeted as I got out of my car.
Cocoa immediately started barking at me and raced over on her tiny little Papillon legs to greet me.
“Oh, hello dear,” Nancy responded with a smile. “How has work been lately?”
I knew it was a simple question, but the truth was, I didn’t have an answer I felt like sharing. I didn’t want to tell her all the details, though. Partly because she was a sweet old lady and I didn’t want to worry her, and partly because I had just spent the past few days dealing with a crazy podcaster, embarrassing myself in front of the sexiest man I had ever met—multiple times—and also dealing with my mom and aunt calling to get the scoop about the incident at the lake.
“Busier than usual,” I told her, sticking witha truth,but not the whole truthkind of answer. “Got anything exciting planned for tonight?”
“Oh, not tonight,” she said, continuing at her slow but steady pace next to me while we walked over to our first-floor units. “Tomorrow is bingo with the ladies, and this weekend my son and his family are coming to pick me up and take me to lunch.”
“That’ll be fun,” I told her.
She had three sons, but only one lived nearby, so she mostly lived by herself, though she never seemed bothered by that. She had a revolving door of friends and family who always came to visit.
“If you’re not too tired, why don’t you come over tonight and crochet with me on the patio?” she offered. “I’ve got cookies. They’re fresh, homemade, and double-chocolate chip.”
I chuckled at her use of food to entice me to come over. “You had me at cookies, Nancy.”
Her unit was across the hall from mine, so I turned to my door before responding. “Give me about thirty minutes to wash up and grab a real bite to eat, and…” I said as I put my key in the door, only to notice it was unlocked.
As I pushed the key to turn it, it was enough to nudge the door open, meaning it hadn’t been closed all the way. The Type A personality in me always checked twice when I left, so I knew this wasn’t a mistake on my part. Pushing the door open but staying rooted where I was, I noticed my throw pillows were on the wrong side of my couch.My blanket, which I had always neatly folded over the arm of my L-shaped couch—as feng shui dictated—was now askew on top of the throw pillows.
A small gasp left my mouth as I took a look around the space.
“Iris, dear,” I vaguely heard someone behind me say, but I was frozen in shock.
My place wasn’t tossed, but someone had definitely been in here. By the looks of it, they were searching for something.
“Iris, what’s wrong?” I heard Nancy ask next to me.
“I think someone’s been in my apartment.”
