12 #2
‘Nothing’s actually been taken,’ Lyssa corrected him, before Carter could back him up.
‘All my jewellery is still in the box. The television’s still here, so is my laptop.
I’d have gone spare if that had disappeared.
But things aren’t right. My notebooks aren’t in order for one thing.
And before you say it’ – she held up a hand – ‘I’m not untidy like you, Jason, and I need to keep my notes in numerical order when I’m doing research, so that I can find things in a hurry.
I always number them and keep them from the latest to the earliest. And two have been transposed in the pile. ’
She saw Carter nod in understanding. As a perpetual student, he too was fussy about keeping his research things neat and tidy, but Jason looked a bit sceptical and glanced at Freida, who was still watching her friend with a small scowl on her face.
‘So, you think – what? Somebody’s searched the place, rather than stolen anything?’ Freida asked.
At this, Lyssa realised how absurd it sounded. She shrugged helplessly. ‘I know, I know! It’s crazy, right? I mean . . .’
But she didn’t get to finish the sentence as the doorbell sounded. With a sigh of impatience at the unwanted interruption, she walked quickly to the door and opened it, then took a swift breath as Neville Rickman smiled back at her.
‘Hello, I hope I’m not intruding?’ he asked.
Since she was so tall, not many people could peer over her shoulder, but Neville was one of those who could – and did so now.
‘I can always come back later,’ he said, beginning to back away as he spotted the trio already there.
‘No, no, come in,’ Freida called out quickly, flashing him a smile.
Freida’s speculative gaze went to Lyssa, then to her caller, then back once more to Lyssa.
‘I just thought I’d let you know, someone’s been prowling around inside the building,’ Neville said, his quick eyes not missing the startled looks everyone began shooting at everyone else.
‘I got back early from a meeting, and as I came in I thought I heard someone coming down the stairs. I thought it was probably you, as you’re the only one who works from home, but when I made a noise, the footsteps suddenly stopped.
It immediately struck me as furtive somehow. ’
He slowly moved forward, and Lyssa stood aside to let him pass.
‘Well, naturally, that pricked my curiosity,’ he continued, ‘so I walked to the bottom of the stairs, and the footsteps actually retreated back upwards. And that really rang alarm bells. So then I made a big deal of walking to my door and opening it, going inside and then shutting it loudly. But then I waited for a bit, and sneakily opened it. But by then, it had occurred to me that I might have been over-reacting, and it was probably just someone who didn’t want to be seen after visiting one of our neighbours for a bit of, er . . .’
‘Nooky? Forbidden passion? Illicit love in the afternoon whilst one’s nearest and dearest is away toiling at the mill?’ Jason drawled. ‘How delightfully tacky. I bet it was that sour-faced woman in flat 8. She looks the sort to have a secret toy boy.’
‘Shut up, Jason,’ Carter said mildly, watching Neville closely. ‘Don’t tell me you had an attack of very British conscience, and closed your door again and didn’t look?’ he demanded.
Neville smiled. ‘Perhaps I’m not much of a gentleman,’ he conceded with a rueful grin, ‘but I have to admit that I looked all right. And saw two men come down and very quietly make their way out the front door.’
‘Wow – two!’ Jason said, impressed. ‘Definitely the woman in flat 8.’
Everyone ignored him.
‘Had you seen either of them hanging around here before?’ Carter asked.
‘No – and there wasn’t anything obviously suspicious about them,’ Neville said. ‘Apart from the fact that they’d gone out of their way not to be seen.’
‘What – they weren’t dressed in black-and-white striped shirts, wearing black eye masks and carrying a bag marked “Swag” over their backs?’ Jason asked, but even he didn’t sound particularly jocular now.
‘I’m afraid not,’ Neville said. ‘They were dressed in suits and ties, and one looked barely out of his teens. But I didn’t like the look of them even so, so I thought I’d just go around and drop a note through everyone’s door’ – at this point he waved his hand, which did, indeed, hold a sheaf of white notepaper – ‘and ask them to check that nothing’s been taken.
But I heard voices from inside here, so . . .’
He shrugged, then looked from Lyssa to the others and back to Lyssa. ‘Is everything all right?’ he asked quietly.
‘No, it isn’t,’ Freida put in, before Lyssa could respond. ‘We’re pretty sure someone’s been in here.’
Neville took an automatic step towards Lyssa, then stopped himself. ‘You should call the police,’ he said immediately. ‘And change your locks. Do you have an alarm system fitted?’
‘No,’ Lyssa admitted. She’d always thought of her home as being in a safe neighbourhood and, being surrounded by other flats, she’d always felt reassured to have other human beings close by – just in case. Now though, she was beginning to feel as if she might have been rather na?ve.
‘We haven’t got one either,’ Carter confessed, seeing her expression. ‘Perhaps we should get one too. Lyss, I can arrange it, if you like?’
Lyssa nodded reluctantly. Although she didn’t much like the idea of living in a fortress – and she was sure to forget the alarm code or not set it properly or what have you.
How embarrassing it would be if it went off, making an awful racket, and she couldn’t figure out how to shut it off!
This was the sort of thing Kyle would have seen to and taken on . . .
She mentally pushed the thought aside. ‘Yes, I suppose it’s for the best.’ She sighed. She didn’t like the thought of having to do it, but it was better than feeling like this. Invaded. Frightened. Unsafe in her own home.
‘Good idea,’ Neville said. ‘I can recommend a really good system – and a security company as well if you like.’
‘Does your flat have a burglar alarm?’ Lyssa asked, curious.
Neville gave a brief, rather hard sort of a smile and a firm nod.
‘Oh yes. And a proper bolt and chain on the door.’ So saying he turned and looked at her own front door, which was still standing slightly ajar behind him.
‘I see you don’t have one of those either.
I think it would be just as well if you did.
Sometimes burglary gangs “canvass” a place before actually doing it over, and that might be what’s going on here.
The last thing you want is to be at home when they come sneaking in, and not having any means of physically barring your door. ’
Lyssa nodded. ‘OK. Thanks.’
Neville nodded, then glanced at Carter. ‘I’ll text you the name of the company and some recommendations as to what options are best for here?’
The two men exchanged nods and knowing looks.
Lyssa walked Neville to the door and thanked him, then watched him walk away down the corridor.
When she came back into the room, she stood looking at her friends, miserably.
‘You’d better go and check your own place is OK, guys,’ she told Carter and Jason.
‘Make sure they haven’t been through your stuff as well. ’