“I don’t know.” My jaw clenched. “I was in the shower.”
The words tasted like failure.
August looked at Fox, then back at me.
Graham’s attention had shifted to Palmer, to the blanket around her shoulders and the way she trembled.
Reid moved past us toward the shattered window.
August stepped closer. “How did they get inside? The alarm system should’ve gone off immediately.”
“It did,” I said tightly. “Just not fast enough, I guess.”
Fox glanced around the room, sharp and calculating, before his eyes flicked to Palmer and then back to me. “Was anyone hurt?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Fox nodded, then turned toward August. “It’s possible they used a jammer.”
His hands fisted at his sides. “What?”
“They could’ve jammed the Wi-Fi signal long enough to delay the system. The kind we use has a cellular backup, though. It wouldn’t have lasted long, but it would’ve bought them a few minutes before the alert went off and dispatched the police.”
A shudder worked its way up my spine.
“Did you see who it was?” Graham asked Palmer, his voice soft.
Palmer shook her head. “No. I heard the front window shatter, and I ran. I hid immediately.”
Her fingers gripped the blanket, and she seemed ashamed.
“You did exactly what you should have done,” Graham assured her.
“He wasn’t in here long,” Palmer continued. “The alarm went off, and I heard him crashing through the house.”
August’s brows drew together. “Did he say anything?”
“No.”
Graham stepped closer. “Did he even search for you?”
She hesitated, then shrugged. “I don’t think so. But I couldn’t really see what was going on.”
Reid returned from the living room, body rigid. He addressed the officer still standing there. “Do you have any more questions for her?”
The officer slipped his notebook back into his shirt pocket. “No, I think we’re good.”
Reid clapped him on the shoulder. “We can take it from here. If you guys don’t need anything else…”
The officer nodded. “We’ll check in with dispatch and send extra patrols down this street.” He gestured toward the shattered window. “You might want to board that up tonight.”
“We will,” Reid said.
“Stay safe,” the officer added before heading toward the kitchen, where his partner was finishing up inspecting the damage.
A moment later, the two of them stepped out into the cold night.
Silence settled heavily over the house.
