“You think it was him?”
“Timing is right.” She ran a hand over her hair, managing to snag a few strands free from the highly sprayed braid. “I need to get over there and meet the officer on site.”
“Go. I’ll let Lieutenant Axton know what’s happening, then I’ll check in with the assistant principals, and I’ll swing by.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
He stepped into her personal bubble, eyes locked on hers. “I need to. You may be a kick-ass police officer who could put me down on the ground with your little finger, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need people to show you that they care about you and want to support you however they can.”
“You’re needed here.”
“I have assistant principals. They’re fully capable of handling the last hour or so of the dance.”
Expecting her to push back, he was surprised when he saw some of the tension leave her shoulders, followed by a nod of her head. “Thanks.”
The single word was the most welcome thing he’d heard from her. She was leaving the door cracked open to him, and he’d be damned if he didn’t take the opportunity to walk through it if she was allowing him access.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Be safe.”
When he reentered the gym, he immediately headed for Lieutenant Axton, who was playing hockey goalie at one of the alternate exits and keeping students from slipping out. “Did you know they released her father?” he growled.
“When she mentioned the station was calling her, I figured that’s what had happened.”
“Yeah, well, now that asshole just broke into her house. She’s headed there to meet someone from the station to reset the alarm.”
“Did they catch him there?”
“No, but who else would it be?”
Quint grunted. “You need to talk to her. She came back to the station this morning to add to her statement from last night.” He worked his jaw, as if restraining himself from saying too much. “You headed there?”
“As soon as I check in with my assistant principal.”
“Good. She’s tough, but break-ins can make even the strongest people feel vulnerable. I’ll swing by on my way home, make sure all is quiet.” He handed Lucas one of his cards. “Call me if you need me.”
“Thanks.”
His eyes slid through the crowd, watching for Ezra. He didn’t see him, but nearly every kid was on the dance floor, so he was probably buried somewhere in the bodies. Taking out his phone, he sent his son a quick text that he had to leave, but not to worry, and if he needed anything, to call him. Eventually, he’d see it. Normally, he would have told him exactly where he was going, but since it involved Elyxandre, he didn’t want to take the chance that another student might see the message. Ezra was pretty savvy, and if he saw that both of them were missing, he might get the wrong impression, but he also might think it had something to do with the school, and he’d know not to panic or say anything.
A quick conversation with Raymond that he was leaving the students in his hands, and a quick search of the employee records for her address, and he was on his way to Elyxandre. Each mile, his anger grew that someone was harassing her. This needed to stop before it got worse.
A GIFT OFFERED
ELYXANDRE
When she arrived home,there were two squad cars along the curb. She pulled into the driveway, then took a fortifying breath before exiting her SUV. The lead officer approached and apologized for dragging her away from the dance.
“Can’t be helped. Where did they enter?”
“Kitchen sliding door. Threw a patio chair through the glass. I did a walk-through to make sure no one was injured inside. No one was here. However, there is a hell of a mess inside. Tore through the front half of the house, then stopped. It’s pretty trashed, but I don’t see any gaping holes where major electronics are missing. Do you have a computer? I didn’t see one.”
“I do, but it’s been locked up this week in my safe because I haven’t had time to do any work at home.”
“Do you have any weapons in the house other than your service pistol?”
“I have my personal handgun, which is also in my safe. Then I have a rifle, but it’s in a safe in my vehicle.”
“Okay. I did see the safe in the closet, and it doesn’t appear to have been tampered with. Too big for a single person to movewithout assistance, so that’s good. I need you to walk through and see if anything’s missing, but keep in mind, you might not be able to tell right away. I’d appreciate it if you would check your safe to confirm it hasn’t been broken into, and then confirm that your rifle is still locked in your vehicle’s safe to make sure that’s good.”
