Page 65 of Under His Sheets
“Mon dieu, Randall!” Josette and Sasha came running up. “What is happening? Who are these people that came to your flat?” Josette asked.
The police officer held them back and they spoke rapidly to him in Spanish. My head was spinning.
“Mr. Sutter, we need you to tell us if anything is missing,” the cop with Fermin said.
I nodded and he led the way while the other cop kept the girls back. I waved to them and I wondered…why wasn’t Camille with them?
Inside, my flat was trashed. Even though I didn’t have many things, there had been a couple of house plants that I’d picked out with Sasha, that were now crashed on the floor. Fermín had provided the basic furniture in the place, and now it was all torn up and shredded.
“Fermín, I’m so sorry?—”
“No, Randall, I’m glad you were not here.” He said in a low voice only I would hear, “I tried to call Alonso?—”
“I know. He just dropped me off.”
Fermín looked at me, puzzled, and then nodded.
I was questioned about where I’d been. I explained that I’d been asked to perform at a gathering at Paolo Ferrer’s home and then I’d stayed overnight in Barcelona with a friend. I couldn’t help it, I glanced at Fermín. What would he say about me seeing his cousin? I wanted Alonso to tell the family when he was good and ready, not have them find out like this.Ifhe was good and ready.
“You have not been here since yesterday afternoon then?”
I shook my head.
“Bé. Senyor Segura, what time did the break-in occur?”
“Early this morning,” he said. “About seven o’clock.” It was now close to nine. “My tenants in number two-two-six alerted me that the door was open and senyor Sutter was gone.”
“We usually go to brunch on Sundays,” I murmured.
“Please, senyor. Can you look in the bedroom as well?”
I walked into the room and my stomach dropped.“My laptop is gone.”
And it was like the band robbery all over again. Like before, I had everything backed up to the cloud, but I had original songs that I’d recorded over the years which were saved to the cloud that could be accessed if they hacked my system. If anyone got past my security, they’d have access to my most private thoughts and creations.
“Anything else?”
I shook my head.“I have nothing else.”
I walked over and picked up my favorite cardigan, which lay in the middle of the bed sheets on the floor, and wrapped my arms around it. It was literally the only thing of value I had left in this world.
I was tired of people taking things from me.
My instruments, my band, my sense of security, my Alonso.
The phone Alonso gave me buzzed in my pocket.
You okay?
No, I wasn’t. But instead of being afraid, I was livid.
They trashed the place. They took my laptop.
“Senyor Sutter, are you missing anything else?”
“No,” I said to the officer.
“Bé. If you can please wait outside while we finish processing the scene?”
