What? Of course. Just as well, or she would have gone on to detail that she’d been kicked out of the house. She kept her gun at her side. Just in case. She had no plans to hike along the trail through those dark woods, then down the steps at night. Getting a bar again near the porch, Cressida called the Cedar Trails main number to ask Remi for help.
Bright white lights from an approaching vehicle lit up the drive, and emergency lights suddenly flashed as well. She hadn’t expected such a fast response in this large countythat was only covered by a sheriff’s department almost an hour away.
The vehicle screeched to a halt on the circular drive, and someone jumped out and rushed forward, his familiar protective demeanor flooding her with relief and warmth.
“Cressida! What on earth? Are you okay?”
I am now.
Braden Sanders to the rescue.
8
He gripped his 9mm Smith & Wesson at his side. When he’d gotten her message, his pulse skyrocketed. This incident was the perfect example of why he needed to stay closer to the bay instead of going into the county seat. The town of Forestview might not be close enough.
Cressida blinked up at him, relief clear in her gaze and the drop of her shoulders.
“I got your voicemail. Then I heard a call for assistance on the radio. Are you okay? Where’s the intruder?”
She gestured over her shoulder. “Someone crept to the back of the house. I knocked on the door and spoke with Madeline. We heard a noise—sounded like glass breaking. But she didn’t think it was anything to worry about and shut me out.”
Braden approached the double doors and rang the doorbell. “This is Detective Sanders of the Timberbrook County Sheriff’s Office.”
A few seconds ticked by. Braden waited patiently. The place was big, after all. Finally, the door opened to reveal a tall, slender woman who glanced first at Cressida beforeher gaze landed on him. She appeared visibly perturbed. Not shaken by a supposed intruder.
In case she hadn’t heard, he introduced himself again. “And you are? I need your name for my notes.” He kept his tone warm and friendly but held that edge of authority. This woman exuded the kind of air that told him she might want to challenge him.
“Madeline Chase,” she said. “I work for Mrs. Monroe.”
“We received a report of an intruder.”
“It was a false alarm, Detective. There’s no intruder here.”
“Is Mrs. Monroe available? I’d like to speak with her.”
“She isn’t, I’m sorry. She’s out of town.”
“Ms. Valentine, who’s standing behind me, reported seeing someone creeping around your house, then she heard glass breaking inside.”
“It was just a vase. I left it too close to the edge of the table in my rush to stop her from knocking one more time.”
Braden kept his features neutral. The woman was definitely perturbed.
“Would you mind if I checked your perimeter to make sure whoever was lurking is gone?” Might as well give Cressida the benefit of the doubt.
“You’re wasting your time. We have security cameras,” Ms. Chase said, “but go ahead.”
“With motion detectors?”
She blinked, hesitating a second. “Of course.”
Most of them did. He’d wanted to test her knowledge. “Have you looked at the security feed? Was an alarm triggered?”
“Detective, as I said, you’re wasting your time.”
On you.“You have a good evening.” Braden dismissed her with a nod and turned his back to her before she could shut the door.
“Oh, Detective,” she called after him.
