Damien snorted.“That’s interesting.”
Marcus laughed.“Yeah.She’s a research assistant and Ph.D.candidate.Smart woman.She worked all night and was going back to work today.”
Damien winced.“Really?Is she reliable?”
“We caught someone.Maybe not three guys, but we caught one.That makes me think she’s more reliable than not.”
“Good point.”
An officer called Marcus’s name.He held up a finger before turning back to Damien.“I need to go.Enjoy your coffee.”
“Thanks.Good luck, Marcus.”
Marcus nodded and headed across the alley to the officer standing by the door.
Damien watched them talk for a minute, then walked into the coffee shop for his caffeine fix.
Harmony had never been sohappy to see her bed in her entire life.She was exhausted.After working through the night, the excitement of her morning, and working another full day, she needed all the sleep she could get.
Her boss, Doctor Griffiths, let Harmony being late slide when she produced the business card from the police captain.Doctor Griffiths still wanted to see the police report when it was available, but at least Harmony didn’t get in trouble.
Her stomach growled loudly, and Harmony groaned.All she wanted to do was sleep.She was so tired and had been running on caffeine and adrenaline.But if she didn’t eat something, she knew she’d be up in a few hours and feeling even worse.
Harmony groaned and pushed herself upright again.Her legs protested.She wobbled, catching herself on the edge of the bed.She paused, focusing her energy, and tried again.
She made it to the kitchen and opened her empty refrigerator.Unless expired half and half and condiments counted as food.To her growling stomach, they did not.
She pivoted to the pantry.Pasta but nothing to put on it.Peanut butter but no bread or jelly.Can of soup?That wouldn’t hold her long enough.
She went back to the freezer, hoping something would appear that she’d forgotten about.Ice cream would be good but probably wouldn’t keep her asleep all night.
“Victory!”Harmony cried when she spotted a freezer-burned bagel.She snatched it from the bottom of the drawer, then hesitated and grabbed the ice cream, too.
She tossed the bagel into the toaster, cursing herself for not thinking to split the two halves apart before she froze it, and grabbed a spoon.She opened the ice cream and leaned against the counter.The vanilla had just the right amount of sweetness, and the chocolate and peanut butter ribbons added a good balance.The chocolate-covered pretzels provided a crunch and a touch of salty to give her that sweet and salty combo that made her stomach happy.It was ice cream perfection as far as Harmony was concerned.
The toaster oven dinged.She set the ice cream down and pulled out her frozen on the inside, burning on the outside bagel.She split it apart and flipped the insides down so they would toast, then went back to her ice cream.
She carried the container to her curbside-rescued couch and turned on the too small TV she didn’t watch enough to warrant something bigger.
A sitcom she wasn’t familiar with played on the channel she’d last watched.Harmony laughed at the hijinks of the characters and left the channel on as she finished her ice cream and retrieved her bagel.She slathered peanut butter over the almost-burnt bagel and knew she needed to go to the grocery store soon or she really would starve.
The sitcom ended, and the news came on.The top story was the break-in she witnessed.
A man in a fancy suit smiled at the reporter next to him.There was something in his gaze.Something… Harmony couldn’t figure it out.
“Mr.Pickens, thank you for speaking to me today.I know you’ve had a tough day.”
The man in the suit, apparently Mr.Pickens, nodded.“I have.I never thought I’d be going through anything like this.”
“In your business, you have top security.Do you have any idea how someone got inside?”
Mr.Pickens shook his head.“None.I have gone over everything, and it’s a mystery to me.”
“What would you say to the woman who reported the break-in?I heard you wanted to meet her.”
Mr.Pickens looked into the camera, and Harmony gasped.His eyes… She couldn’t explain it, but it felt like he was seeing her.Like he was looking right at her.
“I would tell her thank you.I’d like to.She saved my life.If it weren’t for her, I don’t know what would have happened.I know the police have her information, but they haven’t spoken to her to get her permission to share it.I’d like her to know how much I appreciate her.I’d like to give her a reward for what she did.”
