“I’ll go with you to help set up.” Julianne took his hand. “What is it, Tom?”
Seth didn’t hear Tommy answer, and as soon as he was out of earshot, he explained the situation to his mother.
“Oh, dear. A break-in?”
“I’m assuming it wasn’t you who went into the house, because you’d have no reason to touch those things. And besides Celia Ford, you’re the only one with another key.”
“Of course, it wasn’t me. Did she check the rest of the house?”
“Gid said not to.”
Julianne came back out just as Gideon walked through the door. “Hey.”
Seth checked the wall clock. “You’re early.”
“Yeah, I made calls from the car. I got a bad feeling about Julianne’s house, so I came over right away.”
His brother’s bad feelings usually were spot on. Even when they were children, he sensed when things were wrong.
“Thanks, bro.”
“I’m going in first.” To her he said, “Is there any chance he’s still in there?”
Her eyes widened like saucers. “I have no idea. If he was, he probably left because we got home.”
“How far did you go into the house?”
“The kitchen.”
He whipped out black plastic gloves and snapped them on. “I’ll be back.” She noticed the gun on his belt. “Don’t worry, this is routine.”
While he checked the house, Mama made some melted sandwiches, which Tommy loved.
Seth and Julianne waited.
Gideon was back in ten minutes. “No one’s there.”
“What next?”
“We call Forensics to do an assessment.”
“I’d guess I can’t go into the rest of the house to see what’s disturbed?”
“Sorry, we have to protect the crime scene. Anything you can tell me that you did upstairs? Like leave the bathroom messy? Throw your clothes around?”
Seth snorted. “Are you kidding? She washes down the shower and tub before she goes to work.”
“I know drawers and closets should be closed and I made the bed. Oh, I left a nightgown on it.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am. It’s was pink, um, and frothy.”
He said, “You all are going to have to wait this out.”
* * *
Julianne vowed to keep it together. She trusted Gideon like she’d trust an older brother. He sipped his coffee at the window, keeping an eye out for the crime scene team.
“Do you guys have any questions?” he asked, glancing over to where they sat at the table.
“How does this shake out, Gid?” Julianne kept her voice even though she was queasy inside.
“Any crime scene is approached in a logical and organized manner. First, the police officers barricade the place off with tape. The first one in starts a security log of the people who come and go.
“The investigator will do a walk-through to get a big picture of the break-in. Then the nitty gritty starts. The HCPD uses video equipment to document the parts of the house where the perpetrator was. Another takes photos.”
“Why both?” Seth asked.
“Sometimes cops can see things better than the video does. We do sketches, too.
“Then they do the things you’re familiar with. Shoe prints fingerprints, tool marks for entry, blood spatters if there are any. DNA or prints might be taken off the handles of drawers he or she opened.”
“Why—”
“I have to go.” He angled his head outside. “A police car pulled into Julianne’s driveway.” He left by the back door.
Seth turned to Julianne. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m upset.”
He shook his head.
“What?”
“Inside, maybe. But you’re so cool in a crisis.”
“Yeah, initially. I fall apart after it’s over.” She frowned. “Do you think they’ll be able to find who did this?”
“I’m assuming they’ll have to interview you about potential suspects.”
“Suspects?”
“Anybody you know that might break in to your house.”
“Oh, God, you think this is about me?”
He put his hand over hers. She linked their fingers, needing something to hold on to. “I don’t know, honey.”
Julianne tried to think about some of the less-than-safe things she’d done in the last year but that just upset her more. She stood. “Let’s go sit with Tommy and Carmella. I like spending time with him.”
The four of them were involved in a hot game of Go Fish when Rafe walked through the door. “Tommy?” he said stopping. “You’re playing that game with people other than me?”
Tommy’s face beamed. “Hi, Dad!”
And Julianne melted. The palpable love between them filled the air, eclipsing thoughts of the break-in. And suddenly, Julianne wanted to be a mother more than she ever thought possible.
But the good feeling was dispelled when Gideon came back inside. Rafe, who Seth had filled in out on the back patio, squeezed Tommy’s shoulder. “Tom, go on up to the playroom Nana set up for you. You can use one of the videos games. Before Tommy obeyed, he gave his father a big hug.
They sat in the kitchen again. Gideon said, “They’re still working over at your house, Jules. But they’ve found the method of entrance. A pry tool on the back door leading to the garage.”
“And I left the door to my house from the garage open.”
He looked to Seth. “Didn’t you tell her not to do that after I gave you a briefing about home safety?”
“Um, no. I wasn’t in much contact with her then.”
“It’s not up to him to protect me. Actually, I’ve been thinking about getting an alarm system put in.”
“I did that,” Carmella told her.
“I’ll do it, too.” She turned to Gideon. “What else are they finding?”
“No obvious fingerprints. But they’re testing everything.”
“Did he get upstairs?”
“Two drawers are ajar. Um, one is your underwear drawer.”
She froze.
“You’ll probably have to identify if something’s missing.”
She could only nod.
Seth said, “Gid, what does that mean that he went into her drawers?”
“It could mean he’s some kind of pervert.”
“Or?”
“He knows Julianne.”
* * *
Seth awoke to screams. He bounded off the mattress, rushed out of his room and down the hall. Julianne was thrashing in Alessia’s old bed. He hurried over and leaned down. Gently he shook her. “Shh, shh, Jules, you’re having a bad dream.”
Her arms flailed.
“Julianne, wake up. It’s Seth.”
She bolted upright, and they bumped heads. “Ohhh…” Her eyes flew open.
“Ouch.” He straightened and rubbed his forehead.
Her hands braced on the bed, she looked around. “What happened?”
After she laid back, he dropped onto the mattress at her side. “You were yelling.”