I didn’t move as he walked back to the van and climbed in.Ididn’t move when the old thing hunkered to life or when it pulled straightthrough the empty spot in front of it, turning left to head out of the parkinglot.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
In a daze, I shoved my groceries into the trunk of my carwith jerky, quick motions, and then I climbed in behind the wheel.I didn’teven think for one second about what to do next.There was no way I was notgoing to call the police.Forget that.Before I left for dinner, I had shovedColton’s card in my purse.My mind raced.It made sense to call him because heknew what was going on.Calling 911 meant I’d have to tell them everything allover again.
As I pulled my cellphone out of my purse with a shaky hand,its unexpected shrill ring startled a tiny shriek out of me.Jesus.I lookeddown at the screen.It was a local number I didn’t recognize.Normally Iwouldn’t answer, but for some unknown reason, this time I did.
I placed it to my ear and croaked out, “Hello?”
“Abby?”
My free hand landed on the steering wheel.I recognized thevoice immediately.“Colton?I—”
“Thank fucking God you answered,” he said, cutting me off.“Where are you?”
I blinked slowly, completely thrown off.“I’m…I’m sitting inthe parking lot of the grocery store near…near Mona’s.”
“I want you to listen to me, okay?”There was the sound of acar door slamming and an engine keying on.“I want you to go inside and staythere, okay.Do not go home.”
Chapter 6
I had kind of done what Colton had demanded.I’d goneinto the grocery store and waited near their pharmacy, and when I spottedReece, his younger brother, prowling through the sliding doors, I knewsomething really bad had happened.
Reece, a deputy with the county sheriff’s office, had beenin his uniform.I saw Reece around town a lot and knew he was seriously datingone of the bartenders over at Mona’s, a girl we’d gone to school with, but forhim to be the one to show up sent a chill over me.
“Something has happened at your house,” he’d said, and thatwas all he would tell me.
He was supposed to wait with me until Colton could get fromthe city, but I wasn’t having that.How could he just say something hadhappened at my house and then just expect me to stand around and wait?That wasmyhome.After much arguing and more than a handful of concerned looksshot in our direction, Reece agreed—or relented—to escort me home.
Stars had started to dot the sky as we walked outside, allthe while Reece muttering, “Colton’s going to kick my ass.”
One look at Reece told me that would be easier said thandone.Yeah, Colton had an inch or two on him when it came to height, but Reececould hold his own.
In his county cruiser, he’d led me the short distance to myhouse.My hands had ached the entire drive and the moment I pulled into myparking space, I’d wanted to cry.
I hadn’t.
Not when I’d climbed out of the car and saw the two officersstanding by my open front door.I hadn’t cried when I saw the shattered frontwindow.And right now, as I stepped around Reece and went inside, I couldn’tlet the weight of everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hoursget to me.
The TV, which sat near the window, was knocked over,shattered on the floor.Lying next to it was a huge cement block.I had no ideahow someone could throw that thing through a window.
“Nothing else appears damaged,” Reece said when I lookedover at him.His hands rested against his duty belt.“But we’re going to needyou to look around to make sure nothing has been stolen.”
Drawing in a shaky breath, I nodded as I tried to processwhat I was seeing.There was no way this wasn’t related to what happened lastnight or the smarmy guy outside of the grocery store, but I still had a hardtime believing it.Not because I was ignoring the evidence right in front of myface.
“Both the neighbors on either side of your townhouse weren’thome,” Reece explained.“No one else heard anything.When your neighbor on theright came home and saw it, she immediately called the police.”
I needed to thank Betty, the elderly woman he must’ve beenreferencing.Coming home to this, on top of everything else, would’ve beenhorrifying.
“Are you okay, Abby?”Reece asked, stepping closer.“I knowit can be hard to deal with the fact someone has done something like this toyour house.”
“I imagine you see this a lot, huh?”I worked my fingerstogether, hoping to ease the blood flow back in them as another officer scoopedup the heavy cement brick with gloved hands.Something occurred to me rightthen.“How did Colton know about this?”This was so not his jurisdiction.
Reece watched the other officer carry the block out of thehouse.“He mentioned what happened last night when I saw him this afternoon—hementioned you.”A half grin appeared, nearly identical to Colton’s.“Which isodd because he normally doesn’t talk about witnesses or the fact that he sharedcrepes with one this morning.”
My hands stilled and my eyes widened.
“I was the second officer to respond,” Reece continued, thesmile slipping away.“Once the neighbor next door said your name, I calledColton.”
