Chapter 10
TEN
I can barely take it in, and find myself wandering from room to room, checking everything is in its place, and maybe desperately hoping my laptop will magically turn up in a different room but, of course, it doesn’t. I think of the photos on my laptop and my heart sinks, although thankfully I had the foresight to have most of them printed out and delivered by post, via an app. Mostly family photos that I treasure, especially as Mum and Dad are no longer together. I also keep a notebook, thankfully, reminding me of things that need to be done before the party.
I try to tell myself that worse things happen, and I am about to call the police when I hear banging on the front door and my heart thumps. Surely the burglars wouldn’t return. And they would hardly knock at the door, would they? Peeking through the frosted glass, I think I can make out the couple next door. I really ought to get one of those Ring doorbells with a camera. In fact, I will order one tomorrow in light of what has happened.
‘I think this belongs to you.’
Standing on the doorstep is my giant of a neighbour from a few doors down, Martin, holding my TV in front of him.
‘And this.’ His diminutive wife, June, is clutching my laptop.
‘My things! But how? I don’t understand.’ I almost cry at the relief of seeing my possessions, especially the laptop that I use to organise my life.
‘Well it was Tony that alerted us,’ Martin tells me as I guide him and June inside, feeling overwhelmed and suddenly a bit shaken.
‘Tony?’ I ask shocked as Martin places down the TV and strokes Tony under his chin, whose head looks tiny next to Martin’s giant hands and muscled tattooed arms.
‘Yes, he jumped onto our window ledge. In fact, he launched himself at the window like a missile, didn’t you, fella?’ says Martin to a purring Tony. ‘He nearly gave us a heart attack. When I went outside, he was miaowing like crazy and pacing around,’ Martin continues. ‘Then he raced around the back of the house, with us in hot pursuit.’
‘I said something was wrong, didn’t I, love?’ says tiny blonde June, dressed in her grey tracksuit with pink stripes down the legs.
‘You did. We followed him through the back gate, and saw the thieving bugger on the road, hurriedly loading your TV into his car, so I grabbed it back,’ says Martin, sounding affronted. ‘I mean, I didn’t know it was your stuff at first, but then I saw your back gate wide open and put two and two together. And with Tony acting the way he did…’
‘Oh, Martin, thank you, are you okay?’ I ask, concerned, as Martin is well into his sixties, although thinking about it he keeps himself very fit. He has also told me on many occasions that he used to do a bit of boxing back in the day.
‘Of course I am, he was no more than a kid,’ he reassures me. ‘Probably just some little opportunist thief who noticed the house in darkness. You must be careful at this time of year, love,’ he advises. ‘You should leave a light on in these dark evenings.’
‘Gosh, yes, I normally do leave a lamp on,’ I tell him, feeling annoyed with myself that I hadn’t done so before I went out.
‘It did unsettle me a bit,’ says June. ‘I hope it was a one-off, as we have never had anything like that around here in the past, have we?’
‘No, that’s true. Hopefully Martin is right about it being opportunist thieves at this time of year. Honestly, I really can’t thank you both enough.’
‘I can board your broken window up for now, but you will need a glazier. And the police,’ advises Martin. ‘Although I suppose it’s good that at least the thief never managed to get away with your things in the end.’
‘I know, thanks to you. If there is anything I can get you?’ I ask, already thinking I will buy them a nice bottle of wine or something.
‘Well, if there is ever any more of that fudge going begging, I wouldn’t say no,’ Martin says with a wink.
June nudges him then, and says he is supposed to be watching his sugar intake.
I’m half tempted not to bother with the police as it’s true I have my things back after all, but I guess there will be a thief out there ready to pounce on another unsuspecting victim and I don’t want that on my conscience.
An hour later, the police have taken a statement and Dad is coming around first thing in the morning to sort the window out, bringing his friend who can source a cheap window for me.
As they leave, I notice Eileen outside chatting to June. I don’t want her worrying about thieves in the neighbourhood, but it seems June has already filled her in as I approach them.
‘That’s awful,’ says Eileen, twisting her gold cross necklace. ‘I’d been thinking about getting an alarm fitted, I might just do that now.’ She frowns.
When Martin and June leave, Eileen asks me if I would like to spend the evening in her spare room. ‘Just until your window is fixed tomorrow.’
‘Thank you, Eileen. I think I’d like that.’ I smile. ‘And I will order us both one of those security doorbells if you like.’
I have no doubt Dad will tell Mum about the break-in, unless I ask him not to as I don’t want her worrying. Then again, I wonder if my parents even share news about me with each other anymore.
‘Yes, please order one for me, Lauren. And it will be nice, you staying over. We can have a large brandy. For the shock.’ She winks.
Eileen’s guest room is as neat as the rest of her house, and the bed comfortable, but I toss and turn as I go over the events of the evening. My first thought was to go to Mum’s but I didn’t want her worrying about me. Besides, she’s meant to be on the demonstration outside the Co-op tonight. I texted her earlier from the gingerbread evening, and she told me the protest was cut a bit short due to the freezing weather, and that she was on her way to the protest organiser’s flat for coffee. At least there were no police involved this time.
My thoughts turn to the burglary and I fume with anger when I think of the audacity of the thief. Imagine if I had a child and their presents were set out under the tree? Christmas would be ruined for the family if the presents were stolen.
I suspect Martin was right though thinking it an opportunist thief who noticed a house in darkness and took a chance. He obviously hadn’t banked on Martin, or indeed the neighbourhood watch in the form of Tony the cat. Who knew a cat could be as good as a dog in protecting property?
Sleep doesn’t come easily, the pleasantness of the evening I had been enjoying earlier at the gingerbread evening now soured. And despite my anger I can’t help feeling a little vulnerable, which is a feeling I really don’t like at all. I also think of Tony, out for the evening. I kind of wish he was here right now, curled up at the foot of my bed as he sometimes is when he chooses not to go out all night. But then I can’t really expect that if I am in Eileen’s house. I will buy him his favourite tinned salmon tomorrow as an extra special treat.