“Mind if I take a look around?” Matthews asked.
“I’d appreciate it,” Bradley said.
Deputy Matthews pulled a flashlight from his utility belt and his Smith & Wesson from his holster. “Stay here.”
After the deputy walked off, Lauren flopped down onto the couch in the living room, a cozy rectangular space in a country motif, with lace curtains, navy and white sofas, and a well-used fireplace. Bradley settled onto the edge of the sofa next to Lauren.
“Your Colt is licensed, isn’t it?”
“It was my daddy’s. I don’t know. I’ve had it locked away for several years.”
Bradley rubbed at his forehead. “All right, we’ll worry about that later. Meantime, you want to talk about what happened tonight?”
Lauren turned away.
“When the deputy comes back here, assuming he hasn’t found anything, he’s going to want a more complete explanation.”
“I don’t know where to start, it all seems so crazy.”
“The beginning is always best.”
Lauren’s face flushed and tears began to well up in her eyes. “I can’t handle this, Mr. Bradley, I’m coming apart.”
“Nick, Lauren. Call me Nick.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “If you just tell me what you know, maybe I can help.”
“Okay,” Deputy Matthews said, walking down the hallway, “the place is clear. Now, what was the first indication that there was an intruder?”
Lauren looked at Matthews and pushed away the tears with her fingers. “It’s the flowered sheets in my bedroom. Michael and I hate them, we never use them, but they’re on the bed.”
“Is Michael your husband?”
“Yes, he’s missing.”
“Oh, you’re Lauren Chambers — I’ve got it,” Matthews said, bobbing his head. “I saw a notice on the briefing board tonight when I started my rotation. Okay, go on. The sheets.”
“They weren’t there before, when I woke up this morning. There were solids on the bed, and I could smell Michael on the pillowcase. Then when I went to the refrigerator, the milk carton was empty, and I just bought it yesterday. And the parking brake in my car when I left the Neighborhood Watch meeting was set so hard I almost couldn’t get it unlatched—”
“I’m a little confused, ma’am,” Matthews said. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but what was it that made you think someone was in your house tonight?”
Lauren sniffled and looked at the deputy with wide eyes. “Don’t you see? The sheets. Someone changed the sheets on my bed.”
Matthews chuckled. “My wife always complains about the house chores. She’d be glad if someone changed the sheets—”
“You think this is funny?” Lauren said, her voice rising an octave.
“No, ma’am. I’m sorry. You’re right, I shouldn’t be joking at a time like this.” Matthews glanced sideways at Bradley, who was focused on Lauren. “Was there anything else?”
“Isn’t that enough?” Lauren said, stifling an urge to cry again, but failing.
Bradley reached over and pulled her close against his shoulder. “Deputy, how about getting Dr. Chambers a few tissues?”
Matthews frowned, then walked off, his stiff boots clunking against the wood floor as he went in search of a box of Kleenex.
“Lauren, you’ve gotta calm down. He’s not going to listen to you if you yell at him.”
She nodded and looked up to find Matthews approaching with a tissue box in his hands.
“Thanks,” she said, pulling one out and wiping her eyes. “This has just been a tough time, with Michael gone. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”
“Not a problem, ma’am. I understand.”
“I’ll be right back,” Bradley said, “I’ve got to go use the bathroom.”
Lauren looked at Matthews. “I told Deputy Vork about a car that was following me last night, but he didn’t seem to think it was important. Then my dog was in the house when I know I’d left him outside. The next morning, he was outside when I’d left him in the house with me the night before. With what’s been going on, I think that person who was following me is doing these things, to drive me from my home.”
“Now why would that person, assuming for a moment there is such a person, be doing that? What would he accomplish by driving you from your house?”
“Domination, power. I’m a psychologist, Deputy.”
“So who is this person?”
Lauren looked down and shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Why would he be trying to dominate you?”
“Some criminals get off on that. Like rape, it’s all about power—”
“But we’re not talking about rape here.”
Lauren shrugged again, then looked up to see Bradley returning to the living room carrying a glass of water. He placed it on the coffee table in front of Lauren, who picked up the drink and took a sip. Staring into the cup, she said, “Rape could be his next step.”
Matthews shook his head. “Ma’am, I don’t mean to downplay—”
“Deputy,” Bradley said, “can I have a word with you for a moment in the kitchen?”
Matthews nodded.
Bradley placed a hand on Lauren’s shoulder. “Will you be okay here for a few moments?”
Lauren shrugged off his hand. “I’ll be fine.”
“I think she’s gone off the deep end,” Matthews said. “And you know I have to run that Colt.” He looked at the kitchen table, where the gun had been lying. But it was no longer there.
“First things first,” Bradley said. “I agree she’s upset, emotional. Her husband’s missing, so to me, her reaction is perfectly understandable given the circumstances. But I do think there’s something really wrong here. There are too many coincidences—”
“What, that she thinks she put her dog in one place, but he’s really in another? She can’t remember that she finished a carton of milk? Or that her bed sheets are changed and she doesn’t recall doing it?”
“I admit it sounds strange on the surface, but what if she’s telling the truth?”
“I don’t doubt she’s telling the truth, Mr. Bradley. I just think she’s under a lot of stress with her husband gone, and she isn’t quite in touch with things. I’m sure she’d be the first one to admit it’s taking a mental toll on her.”
Bradley shook his head. “What if what she’s telling us actually happened? Suppose whoever’s responsible for her husband’s disappearance is also behind what’s been going on here?”
“That’s a huge leap, first of all. We don’t know why her husband hasn’t come home. Could be he’s screwing around behind her back. Or he could be buried under a snow bank somewhere in Colorado.”
“Those are possibilities, I agree. But if none of those scenarios are the real deal?”
“What would you like me to do, Mr. Bradley? We don’t have the manpower to post a twenty-four-hour watch on her place.”
“I just don’t want you to wait until she disappears like her husband before you decide to do something.”
Matthews regarded Bradley for a moment. “Fair enough. You got me. I’ll put in a request for hourly drive-bys to make sure everything looks okay. Will that do?”
“Only your department can say if that’s sufficient, Deputy. But I can tell you I’m sure Dr. Chambers will appreciate anything you can spare.”
Matthews nodded, bid his good-byes to Lauren, and left.
“Hourly drive-bys aren’t going to do much, are they?” Lauren asked.
Bradley, standing by the front door, leaned forward and peered out the peephole. “If you’re asking whether I think it means you can feel safe and secure, no, I wouldn’t go that far.”
Lauren nodded, then looked at the dog. “Tucker’s my best security system.”
“Except that someone’s been in your house and Tucker hasn’t stopped him.”