Page 55 of Nothing to Fear

“I haven’t used it for—why my apartment? Why this floor and—”

“There will be a complete and thorough investigation.”

And he seemed damn adamant about that. Defiantly so. Strange, no, suspicious was a better word. People didn’t look out for her, they didn’t get worked up and—

“…a nightmare…” the feminine voice stalled her thoughts.

When she whipped around, it was confirmed, Alice Breckenridge was in her apartment… with her husband.

Their eyes met and Alice immediately rushed over.

“Alice,” she said, somewhat in shock as the woman pulled her into an embrace. “What are you doing here?”

“This detective called and I’m glad he did.”

“Detective?” she asked, her attention tracking to the thorough guy she’d just been addressing. Ah, see, now his behavior was less suspicious. The word “Breckenridge” probably changed a lot of outlooks. “How did you know to call them?”

“Saw the card sticking out of your purse.”

Somewhere on the floor by the door still. Outrage compelled her to say something, but the notion vanished when crime scene techs, white suits and all, barreled in full of purpose.

“What is going on?”

“Detective Chapman will keep track of everything for us.”

The world was—she couldn’t quite believe this was reality. “What?”

“Call me direct,” Benedict said, handing the detective a card. “We want to know who’s behind this. Use all your resources.”

“Was it random?” Alice asked, arm still tight around her. “Have there been other break-ins?”

“Not in this area. We’re not tracking anyone particular around here, but this is a concerning case.”

“How so?” Alice asked, genuine in her concern.

That worry was touching and completely foreign. It was almost… maternal.

“The degree of disruption,” Benedict said, scanning a discerning eye across the scene. “The electronics are still here, so it wasn’t about money.” His attention stopped on her. “Unless you had a significant stash somewhere that may have appeased them?”

Her head shook. “No stash.”

“Initial thoughts?”

Benedict and Chapman wandered off, surveying the chaos. Alice drew her to the side of the room to let the techs pass.

“Would you like to pack a bag of your own things? Gather your essentials. Anything personal or sentimental. I’ll arrange for everything else you might need brought to the house, new attire, toiletries—”

“The house?”

“Yes,” Alice said. “Oh, you can’t stay here tonight. Have you called Darroch?”

“No! God, no.” So his mom didn’t know about any phone phobia or trauma, interesting. “He doesn’t need to know about this.”

“No, I understand. There’s no need to worry him, of course. Tomorrow is a big day for him.”

And that lit her intrigue again, but it wasn’t exactly appropriate to ask, not in that room at that time, given the circumstances.

“I appreciate your generosity,” she said instead of peppering the woman with questions about her son. “There’s really no need—”

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