Chapter Twenty-Two Harriet
Chapter Twenty-Two
Harriet
After greeting the police in hysterics, my mom finally calms down enough to locate the key and unlock the office door.
“Stay here.” Officer Delgado disappears into the room with his partner, Officer Raskin, at his heels.
“Window’s shattered,” Raskin calls. “Looks like somebody kicked it in. My guess? They entered that way, but they’re long gone now.”
Delgado reappears around the corner, motioning to my mother. “Mrs. George, if you could come in here and take a look around? We need to know if anything’s missing.”
My mother hesitates. “Are you sure they’re gone?” she asks with a tremble in her voice.
“Yes, ma’am,” Delgado says. “No one here but the two of us.”
She walks in, and Nic and I follow.
My breath catches. Behind George’s desk is a gaping hole where the window used to be. Shards of broken glass are strewn across the carpet like shrapnel.
Someone did this. Someone was in here while I was washing my face on the other side of the wall.
My mother heads to the desk, opening drawers, rifling through his papers. I hold my breath; did she know about that letter from Patterson? What if she realizes it’s gone?
“Anything missing?” Raskin asks after a moment.
My mom straightens, shaking her head. “I don’t think so, but I can’t say for sure. I don’t know exactly what was in there.”
I guess George’s shadiness is working in my favor. I turn back to the cops, ready for them to start their forensic examination of the room.
But Raskin just nods. “Great. In that case, my partner and I will draw up a report, and then you can get back to your night.”
He can’t be serious. “A report? What about fingerprinting the room?”
“Ma’am, long time ago, the department decided processing standard B and Es for latent prints wasn’t worth the time or resources. Most burglars these days are smart enough to wear gloves.”
I glare at him. Did he really just ma’am me? I’m only twenty-six years old. “You’re kidding, right? My stepfather was just murdered right outside this house! Whoever broke in is probably the person who killed him!”
My mom looks at me like I’m Benedict Arnold. “The person who killed him? What are you saying, Harriet?”
Officer Delgado scratches his balding head. “Ma’am, you are aware the person who killed Mr. George is behind bars?”
“First of all,” I say, my voice shaking with frustration, “she is just a suspect. She hasn’t been charged with anything. And second, don’t you think this break-in means you have the wrong person?”
“Harriet!” my mother cries. “That girl threatened George! She ran from the police! You seriously think—”
Delgado puts a hand on my shoulder, and it’s all I can do not to shake it right back off. “Look, Ms.…”
“Baker,” I say through gritted teeth, stepping away from him.
“Right. Ms. Baker.” He stuffs his errant hand into the pocket of his pants.
“As much as we appreciate your theories, Sara Allbright is set to be arraigned in two days. At which point, she will be charged. The fact that she hasn’t been yet is simply a formality.
What happened here tonight has all the signs of a straightforward break-in.
Mr. George was a successful businessman with a high net worth, and the case has been all over the internet.
Somebody saw an easy target—a house with no man around—”
My eye starts twitching yet again. At this rate, I’m going to develop a permanent tremor.
“—and decided to see what they could grab.” He hacks a cough into his fist. “Or it could have been one of those true-crime weirdos who like to play detective. Think they’re smarter than the police. It’s stupid and dangerous, but there you have it.”
“Are you really not going to do anything?” Nic speaks for the first time. His voice is so soft I can hardly hear him even though he’s right next to me.
Delgado turns. “What’s that, son?”
For the first time, Nic steps into the light of the room. “Someone broke in—smashed the window, scared the shit out of Harriet. And all you’re going to do is fill out a report? That’s fucking ridiculous!”
“Son, let me remind you, you’re speaking to an officer of the law,” Delgado says. “Watch your tone.”
My mom lets out a screech, pointing at Nic. “I knew I recognized you! Out in the hall, I thought I was mistaken. That Harriet wouldn’t go that far…” She turns on me, eyes ablaze. “You let him into my house? After what his sister did? Is this how much you hate me?”
Hate her? I’m used to her histrionics, but this is over the line, even for her.
“He came over to help me!”
“He’s the one who broke in!” my mother screeches.
Nic takes a step backward, shock blooming across his face.
“Someone breaks into George’s office, and right after, he appears out of thin air?” my mother continues. “That’s no coincidence. He probably did it to throw suspicion off his sister!”
“Mother!”
My mother ignores me. “Arrest him!” she shouts.
I can’t take any more of this. “Stop it. I called him! Okay? I got home, heard some noises, and called him—”
She recoils. “You called him?” she says, like that’s the most offensive thing she’s ever heard.
“—and he offered to come over.”
“For all you know, he was already here! I want him arrested immediately!”
“I was in my apartment when she called,” Nic says in a flat voice.
“Not to mention,” I add, “do you really think he would have answered if he was lurking around outside?”
Officer Delgado clears his throat. “While the timing is certainly coincidental, what we need to do right now is get our paperwork in order so we can leave you to your night.”
“But—” my mother says.
“We understand your concerns, Mrs. George. We really do. But we can’t arrest him—”
My mom starts to argue, and he holds up a hand.
“Although we can’t arrest him, we’re happy to escort him off the premises if you’d like that.”
“Are you serious?” I say. “I invited him here!”
Nic’s jaw is tight, his expression stormy. “It’s fine, Harriet. I’ll see myself out.”
“Nic, I’m so sorry—”
But before I can finish the sentence, he’s gone.