One of the officers shifted his stance and looked between the two of us.
“Ma’am,” he said, “we just need to confirm what’s going on here.”
I rubbed my forehead again and glanced toward the apartment where Markie was still yelling his interpretation of events. I would invite the cops to have this discussion there, but I needed my apartment to be my safe place. This would taint that.
“INTRUDER. BAD DOG.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
The officer’s attention moved back to Liam.
“Sir, can you explain why you were inside the apartment?”
He didn’t rush the answer or try to soften the situation. His shoulders stayed tight and his hands rested on his knees in that careful, contained way he used when he knew he had already made a mistake.
“Like I said, I brought her flowers,” he said.
Both officers blinked.
I stared at him.
He glanced toward the stairwell behind us. “And chocolate.”
The second officer tilted his head slightly.
“And how did you end upinsidethe residence?”
“There were several packages outside her door,” he said. “One of them was blocking the hallway, and anyone walking past could have taken them.”
He paused again.
“I was concerned about that.”
The officer nodded slowly.
“I used the spare key she keeps outside.”
I felt my shoulders tense at that, not with anger, but awareness.
The officer looked at me again. “Ma’am, are you comfortable sorting this out with him or would you like to press charges?”
“Yes,” I said.
That part was not in question.
“Yes, you’d like to press charges, or?”
“No! I mean… yes, I’m comfortable sorting this out myself. Thank you, officers.”
“INTRUDER. BAD DOG.”
The second officer glanced toward my apartment. “Is that the bird?”
“Yes,” I said. “That is the bird.”
“Well,” he said calmly, “he seems very committed.”
That was accurate.
