I was still in so much shock at nearly meeting my maker, I didn’t even know how to respond and managed to say nothing.
“Are you all right?” he asked in a much softer tone as he tipped my chin up and appeared to inspect me.
“I’m fine,” I said at last, accepting his outstretched hand when he offered it. “Thank you.”
He immediately tucked me in beside him, wrapping his arm around me. He held his gun arm straight out before him as we started down the hallway, toward the foyer. “I already called the cops so they can deal with whoever is in your house,” he continued, moving as quickly as he could in the direction of the front door. “We just need to get outside.”
I didn’t say anything, brooking no argument with him. When we reached the front door, I felt relief already washing over me. He pulled me closer beside him, opened the door, and we were suddenly blinded by headlights. I shielded my eyes with my arms against the garish attack as I heard a man yell.
“Drop the gun!”
Completely confused and still unable to see clearly, I heard the sound of Ryan dropping his gun as he yelled, “I’m the one who called you!”
“Get down on the ground!” the officer responded, apparently not hearing him or not caring.
“What’s going on?” I asked Ryan, turning to face him as I tried to understand why they seemed to think he was the intruder. But Ryan’s attention was completely on the three patrol cars, each of which had two officers, all of whom were aiming their guns at Ryan. He held his hands up behind his head and stepped away from me, dropping down to his knees.
“Get down on the ground completely!” the officer yelled.
“He isn’t the one you’re looking for!” I called out to the man, but no one seemed to care what I said. I don’t even think they bothered to glance in my direction.
“Spread your legs and put your hands out to your sides,” the officer continued barking at Ryan. I turned my attention back to Ryan and watched as he obeyed the officer, spread-eagling his body, face down against the grass.
When I felt a strong hand wrapping around my upper arm, my first instinct was to try to free myself.
“Easy,” I heard the officer say in a deep voice as he glanced down at me and smiled warmly. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
He was clean-shaven and handsome with dark-green eyes and black hair. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties and was nearly as tall as Ryan, maybe six-four, if I had to guess. He escorted me to the far side of my house, away from the lights of the squad cars and the other officers. I glanced over my shoulder to watch an officer cuffing Ryan while another one searched him, presumably for more weapons.
“He isn’t the one you’re looking for,” I said again, my voice sounding more desperate. “He’s my friend from down the street. I asked him to help me.”
“It’s okay, ma’am,” the officer answered, his green eyes as warm as his smile. “This is just protocol—he’s not under arrest.”
“But,” I started, shaking my head. “Why are they…?”
“We’re just detaining him for questions. Once we check out the house and he answers all our questions, we will let him go.” I studied his honest expression for a few seconds until I felt convinced he was telling me the truth. Then I simply nodded. “Now would you mind answering some questions for me?” he asked, his voice much softer. His smile lent him a boyish, charming quality. I was more than sure he was playing the part of “good cop,” but I couldn’t say it bothered me.
I glanced over to make sure Ryan was okay and noticed he’d been placed in the back of the car. “Are you sure they aren’t arresting him?” I asked the handsome officer, seeing “Officer Gunner” on his nameplate.
“No, like I told you, they just want to ask him some questions,” Officer Gunner responded, offering me another heartfelt smile. “Now, can you tell me if anyone else is still in your house?”
I shook my head, and then nodded. “I mean, I don’t know. I heard footsteps on the second floor, just above me, and I texted Ryan and now here we are.”
“So you never saw anyone enter or leave your house?” he asked, his eyes piercing beneath their deep green. I shook my head as he continued, “Are there any garages or sheds, anything like that on the property where someone might be hiding?” I shook my head again as he smiled down at me. “And you’re sure you heard footsteps?”
I frowned at him, even going so far as to raise one brow. “Yes, I’m sure.”
We were interrupted by the appearance of another officer. Officer Gunner smiled down at me and excused himself. The two of them spoke for a few seconds before he returned and announced they were going to check the house to make sure it was clear. He led me to the patrol car where Ryan was still handcuffed, seated in the back, and looking decidedly annoyed. “When are you goin’ to release me?” he demanded.
Officer Gunner smiled lazily at him. “When the time is right.” Then he offered me a bemused smirk before stalking off to join the other officers who were getting ready to check the house.
“I said you were innocent,” I told Ryan, shrugging all the while.
“We’ll let him go soon,” a female officer announced, appearing on the opposite side of the squad car. She gave me a quick smile before watching the officers approach the house, their guns drawn but pointed down at the lawn. She glanced over at me again. “They just have to make sure everything’s okay inside, and that your stories match up.”
“That our stories match up?” I repeated, at a loss as to why they wouldn’t.
She shrugged and glanced back at Ryan with distrust. “Sure, he could have threatened to hurt you if you didn’t do as he said.… We never know what’s going on in these sorts of situations, so it’s best to assume everyone is guilty and go from there.”
I nodded, figuring it made sense, but whatever happened to being innocent until proven guilty? Especially since the neighbors were now gathering along the street, wearing a wide array of colorful robes, pajamas, and furry slippers. They looked like a pack of zombies who just raided the sleep section of J. C. Penney.
Fifteen minutes later, the officers emerged from my house empty-handed. They didn’t find anything or anyone, and from the expression on most of their faces, I wondered if they thought I’d just imagined the whole situation.
“We’ll complete a report, and if anything happens again, give us a call,” Officer Gunner announced, mostly to me, even though he was standing between Ryan and me. Another officer was busy releasing Ryan from his handcuffs.
“Okay,” I said as I exhaled deeply and tried to figure out what it meant if no one was in my house.
“Just be sure to lock all the windows and doors,” Officer Gunner continued. “And if you’re still uncomfortable, consider getting a dog, maybe motion lights or a security system.”
“Thanks, Officer, but I can take it from here,” Ryan interrupted with a definite frown, apparently ill at ease with the way the officers had treated him; or maybe it was the flirtatious smile the handsome policeman was still in the process of giving me.
“Thanks, Officer Gunner,” I said with a sincere grin, although I couldn’t get my mind off what in the hell I heard if it hadn’t been footsteps.
You heard footsteps, Peyton! I shouted at myself. You know you heard them!
“If you’re still too shaken up, you might consider staying with a friend tonight,” Officer Gunner continued, his smile going beyond suggestive.
“She can stay with me,” Ryan interrupted.
I didn’t say anything because I really didn’t know what to say. I was tired—no, I was beyond exhausted. In the course of the last hour, I’d uncovered a mystery that took place nearly one hundred years ago; my house had been broken into, even though no one seemed to believe me; and now Ryan was inviting me to stay the night at his house?