Chapter 9 #2
Her fingers tightened around the butcher’s knife. How long had the person been in her house? And how had they gotten in?
She wasn’t sure how many minutes passed before Noah returned, maybe one, maybe five. He walked straight over to her and slipped the knife from her fingers before setting it on the foyer table.
“They’re gone,” he growled, veins popping out in his neck. “You only have split-rail fencing between you and your neighbors. They could have come and gone from any direction.”
Addie swallowed. It was true. Her yard was ridiculously open and easy to access from any of her neighbors’ properties.
He watched her carefully. “I called Jesse. He was in his patrol car and close, so he won’t be long.”
“Someone was in my house,” she whispered, still not able to wrap her head around it.
He touched her arm. “I’m here, and I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
She nodded, but it didn’t change the fact that she felt violated and scared and sick all at the same time.
“We should get some more clothes on you.”
Clothes? She hadn’t even been thinking about clothes. But Noah was right, in a few minutes, Jesse would walk in. She should at least put pants on.
Gently, he gripped her arm and led her to her bedroom. She took out the fluffiest leggings she owned and pulled on an oversized sweatshirt.
Ten minutes later, Jesse and a female deputy named Claudia stood in her living room.
She sat on the couch beside Noah, and that shake in her fingers had now trickled into other parts of her body.
Her hands. Her knees. Even her jaw felt like it was trembling.
Or maybe it was just cold combined with exhaustion.
She was tired. Apparently, having someone break into your house did that to you.
“So you didn’t see anyone?” Jesse asked.
Addie shook her head. “No. I changed after my shower and went into the kitchen. I heard the floorboard creak from the laundry. That’s when Noah got to my door.”
“I didn’t see anyone out there,” Noah said between gritted teeth. There was so much anger in his voice. “But we heard the back door open and close.”
Jesse glanced at the back door before looking back at them. “Was the lock—”
“Unbroken,” Noah said.
Jesse’s attention shifted to her. “Did you leave it unlocked?”
“No. I always lock my doors. My father drilled that into me since I was a kid.”
“Does anyone else have a key to your house?” Claudia asked.
“No—” She stopped and frowned. “But I lost my key a couple weeks ago.” Oh God, was that how they’d accessed her house? Had someone else had a key to her home this entire time?
Her skin started to crawl.
Noah slipped an arm around her side. He didn’t say anything, but his strength and warmth were everything. She leaned into him, needing his support.
“Who would have had the opportunity to take the key?” Jesse asked.
She lifted a shoulder. “I realized it was gone after work one day. But I leave my bag in the office. I should have seen someone go in there.”
“Who takes over for you when you have breaks?”
“Cass. But she wouldn’t do this. Maybe she left the desk unattended at some point and someone went in there? That cabin doesn’t have bathrooms, so she could have stepped out. Or sometimes we have to take groups outside and show them how to get to their activities.”
That had to have been the case. Because this couldn’t be someone who worked at the park. Statistically speaking, she knew it was most likely the case, but she didn’t want to accept that.
“We can do a check on everyone who works there,” Jesse said, as Claudia wrote something down on her notepad.
“Has anything else happened before this?” Jesse asked.
Noah stiffened beside her. He was right. She should have told Jesse. “I’ve felt like someone’s been watching me. And when I got home a couple weeks ago, I thought I saw a shadow beside the house.”
“And on your run,” Noah added.
She nodded. “Last week, I went for a run along the trail before the park opened. I heard someone behind me.” Something else flickered in her memory.
“Someone also texted me telling me to get out of town, but it was from an unknown number. And I woke up to find hairs in my bathroom sink that morning. Short, black ones. I thought they were from the plumber who’d been by, but maybe… ”
Oh, Jesus. She really was going to be sick. Because did that mean they had accessed her bathroom while she’d been sleeping?
Deep breaths, Addie.
She lowered her head into her hands, and it was only the gentle rub of Noah’s hand across her back that kept her from completely losing it.
And what had been the intruders plan tonight? What would they have done if Noah hadn’t shown up?
Jesse crouched in front of her. “Addie, it sounds like you have someone stalking you. Maybe trying to scare you out of your home. Until we find out who it is, you shouldn’t be alone. Is there anywhere you can stay tonight?”
“She can stay with me.”
Addie looked up at Noah. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to refuse his offer to help, or suggest she drive back to Bozeman. She did neither of those things. Because she wanted to stay with Noah. It was where she felt safest. “Thank you.”