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“Why would a thief go to the trouble of erasing the footage? It would have been much easier just to smash the cameras. Besides, nothing was missing.”

“So who was it?”

The question had gnawed at her the entire night. At last she accepted there was no way she would feel comfortable in her own home until she knew who Betty had seen creeping around, and more importantly, who had erased her security videos.

“This morning I was determined to find out. That’s why I’m late.”

Marcel pressed a hand against the center of his chest. “Good Lord, Livia, you have me on the edge of my seat. You should do a podcast.”

“I love podcasts, but it’s not nearly as fun when it’s happening to you,” Livia muttered.

Marcel ignored her complaint. “Keep going.”

Livia shivered as she grudgingly recalled the unnerving details of the morning.

“I got ready for work and drove away from the house like usual, but then I circled around the block and parked on the corner. I could see the house through my neighbor’s hedges, but my car was out of sight.”

“Sneaky. I like it.” Marcel applauded her ingenuity. “Did you catch the thief?”

“About an hour later, I saw Jacob walking down the street. I couldn’t believe it. He just strolled up the sidewalk and used the key I gave him to go inside like he owned the place.”

“He walked to your house?” Marcel demanded. “I thought he was staying in a hotel near the airport.”

“I don’t know where he left his car. I assume he didn’t want anyone to notice it in the driveway.” A tight smile curved her lips. “Unfortunately for him, he’d underestimated Betty’s obsession of keeping track of the neighborhood.”

“Did you confront him?”

Livia cringed at the mere thought. She might be a feral, ruthless opponent in business deals, but in personal relationships? Hell, no.

“Don’t be silly. I did what any other mature woman would do: I snuck into the backyard and peeked through the window.”

“Good choice.” Marcel looked riveted. As if Livia really was repeating what she’d heard on a podcast. Not revealing the painful events of her morning. “What was he doing?”

“He was in my bedroom, going through my dresser drawers. He looked like he was searching for something.”

“Through your drawers? Seriously?” Marcel looked suitably scandalized. “What was he looking for? Money? A gun?” He grimaced. “Ew. Maybe he’s one of those weirdos who smells women’s panties.”

Livia had stood on her back porch, peering into her bedroom with a numbed sense of disbelief. She’d already accepted that there was no legitimate reason for Jacob to be sneaking into her house at that hour. But the sight of him rifling through her drawers had still shocked her.

“I don’t know what he was looking for. It’s not like I hide anything with my undies.”

“What happened next?”

“I was about to go in and confront him when I heard the front door of my house open and a stranger walked into my bedroom.”

“Holy crap. A woman?”

“No, it was a man.”

“Ah.” Marcel waggled his brows. “Intrigue.”

“There was intrigue,” Livia agreed. “But not like you think. He wasn’t there for a hookup with Jacob. The stranger walked into the bedroom and shoved Jacob against the wall like he was threatening him.”

“Did Jacob know him?”

Livia took a second to sort through her memories. The last thing she’d expected was for some stranger to appear in her bedroom and attack Jacob. The whole encounter had taken on a strange, dreamlike quality.

“Jacob at least recognized him,” she finally said. “They looked like they were arguing, but Jacob wasn’t trying to fight back. I think he was trying to convince the man of something.”