“Yes,” Jenna replied.
Jenna heard the roar of the chopper as it took off, and with ultra shaky fingers she began flicking on the lights as she showed the constable to her bedroom.She stood in the bedroom doorway as the constable entered the room.
She winced as glass fragments crunched under the police officer’s boots.The sharp crackle made her flinch.It was a reminder of how violently her safe space had been breached tonight.
A moment later the officer was retrieving latex gloves from a ultra-small duffel bag Jenna hadn’t even noticed she was carrying.It was followed by a plastic bag.She bent over and picked up a giant fist sized rock.Attached to it, tied with twine, was a white paper.
Jenna’s gut hollowed out as the constable silently read the note.Her brows pinched and a small frown tugged at her mouth.
Shit.Someone had thrown a rock through the window, along with a message.
“The rock and note could have fingerprints.So I will be taking these as evidence,” she said as she gently placed the items in the plastic bag.
“What does the note say?”Jenna asked.
“Just two words.It says, ‘expect more’.Looks like someone is interested in giving you a hard time.”
Expect more.
The phrase thudded through her like a punch, knocking the air from her lungs.Oh lovely.That meant whoever had done this was coming back.Stress was all she needed for her baby.
The thought of immediately selling her little ranch and moving to the city zapped through her.It would be the easiest way out of this situation.Her gaze drifted toward the window, toward the land she loved, and the idea of leaving it sliced through her with unexpected grief.
Jenna’s breaths were coming way too fast now as the constable continued walking around the room, inspecting the shattered window and the surrounding floor.
When she found nothing else, she asked if she could investigate outside around the house and check out the vehicles in her parking lot to make sure no one had tampered with them.
Just lovely.Maybe her truck and Tim’s truck had had bomb’s planted on them.
Jenna gave permission and she stayed inside, taking the opportunity to get dressed.The constable was gone a long time and when Jenna finally peeked outside, she spied the constable making a plaster of the dirt in an area of her parking lot.
She must have found some tire tracks.
Another time when Jenna looked out her window, the constable was on her hands and knees shining a flashlight beneath Tim’s truck and a few moments later she’d been inspecting beneath the horse trailer.
Checking for bombs?
Wow, this was getting way too complicated.Maybe she really should just move and get herself the security of a condo.Maybe she was being naïve in wanting to stay out here in the peace and solitude of the North Ontario wilderness?
When the constable knocked at her door, Jenna was nursing her third cup of coffee.She offered the constable one, but the woman declined, asking Jenna if she had something around that could be used to board up her window.
As Jenna flicked on the floodlights to the barn and they headed over there, the policewoman explained she hadn’t seen any issues with the two trucks or the other vehicles in the parking lot, but she’d taken a plaster of the tire tracks that the wind hadn’t gotten to.She believed the tracks belonged to the suspect car, as those tracks didn’t fit any of her vehicles in the parking lot and were the only ones that seemed rushed on the way out.
Once inside the barn, the constable asked if she could take a look around, just to make sure everything was in order.Jenna accompanied her, soothing the horses, as they checked the stalls, the feed room, the tack room, the workshop and then the hayloft on the second floor.
They didn’t see anything unusual.
Then they grabbed nails, a couple of hammers, plywood about the size of the window and a tarp.Within minutes the bedroom window was sealed with wood and the tarp covered it.
It wasn’t too long after when the pilot of the helicopter radioed back.He let the constable know he hadn’t been able to find anyone out on the road with the thermal technology or searchlights, and he was on his way back.
He said it was possible the perp or perps had gone down one of numerous logging roads and were now hiding somewhere off his search grid.
The woman constable offered to stay with Jenna until daybreak, but Jenna declined, not wanting to take away resources in case someone else needed them.
Besides, she had her gun, and a rifle, which made her feel a bit better.Okay, much better.
After the chopper returned and picked up the constable, Jenna took steps to secure her home.She decided to leave the outdoor lights on and checked on the rest of the doors and window locks.
