Chapter 19Emir

Chapter 19 Emir

Dread shot through me like a cold shower. Janie rushed in before I could stop her. I heard her voice from the living room. “Well, it doesn’t look like I’ve been robbed.”

I caught her by the kitchen counter, guided her behind it and whispered, “Stay here. I’ll check the rest of the house, okay?”

Janie smiled. “Relax. I probably just forgot to lock the door. I was so nervous about that date. Maybe I thought I didn’t need to because you were here somewhere.”

I shook my head, giving her a stern look. “Think again. You gave me a spare key. I was the last one to leave the house and I double checked that all doors were locked.” I kept my voice low. “If the front door was unlocked, it’s because someone opened it. Who else has a key?”

“My boys, but they’re in Auckland.” She checked her phone. “No messages. They wouldn’t just turn up. They’d text me to pick them up from the bus stop.”

“Listen. If someone broke in by picking the lock, and then left, wouldn’t they lock the door behind them? It locks from the outside without a key, doesn’t it?”

She looked up, her eyes now alert. “Are you seriously suggesting someone broke in, and they’re still here?”

“Where’s Gru?” Emir looked around, puzzled, and my blood chilled.

“If someone broke in, they would have been met by Gru.” She looked up at me, eyes flooding with panic. “He’s not much of a guard dog, but he’d be at the door, greeting them, getting in their way…”

I squeezed her arm. “I’m sure he’s okay. Please wait here while I check the house.”

“What if there’s more than one person? What if they’re armed?”

I grabbed the sharpest looking kitchen knife from a marble block and headed down the hallway towards Janie’s bedroom. The living room was clear. If someone was looking for valuables, they might go for the master bedroom.

When I saw the pile of dresses and handbags on Janie’s bed, I froze. Had someone been going through her stuff? Then I remembered she’d been getting ready for the date. Nothing else seemed out of the ordinary, but stepping into the room, I had a strange sensation of being watched. I raised the knife, almost as a reflex, and felt a cool breeze on my skin. The sliding door to her private patio was open. As I leapt towards it, I saw movement behind the glass. A dark figure pushed their way through the pot plants, disappearing into the night. It was only a flash, a fraction of a second, but I knew what I saw.

I burst outside, taking off after them. But it was so dark I could only follow the fading sound of footsteps on the grass. Taking a guess, I ran around the house towards the driveway, then the road. But they must have gone into the bushes.

When I stopped to listen, I only heard the high-pitched buzz of cicadas. The outdoor lights of the house didn’t reach down the driveway. I pulled out my phone and turned on the flashlight, but it only showed a little further down the empty driveway. The intruder may have headed to the main road through the gardens rather than the driveway. There was no way I’d find him now. Or her. I couldn’t be sure of anything.

As I climbed up the slope back to the house, I wondered what I should tell Janie. I had no visual description or anything else useful. I had no evidence of anyone breaking in, other than the unlocked door. Janie hadn’t seen the burglar. Would she believe me? I’d acted like an overly protective, jealous jerk and the timing of this break-in felt suspiciously convenient. What if she thought I’d made up a burglar to justify my protectiveness? My insides tensed at the thought.

But I couldn’t hide this from her, either. I couldn’t compromise her safety, and I needed her to be on high alert.

When I got to the front door, I head a sharp bark. Gru emerged from the shadows, jumping at my feet. Relief flooded through me. At least the dog was here, and alive. “It’s okay, boy.” I bent down the pat him. “He’s gone now.”

Careful of the knife I was still holding, I picked him up and stepped inside.

We found Janie in the living room, huddled in the corner of the couch under a blanket. The way her face brightened when she saw us made my heart swell more than I liked to admit.

“Oh, Gru! Thank you, thank you!” She rushed to meet me.

I spread my arms wide to avoid stabbing her. She took that as an invitation and wrapped her arms around both of us. I walked us to the kitchen, returned the knife into its holder, then hugged her back.

Gru was so excited he didn’t know who to lick first, offering both of us a fair share of saliva. I set him on the floor and Janie lowered down, continuing to pet him. “Where did you find him?” She asked, looking up at me.

“He was just outside the door. The thief must have pushed him out of the house when he arrived.”

“He probably licked the intruder,” Janie mused, scratching Gru’s ears. “You’re not much of a guard, are you?”

“He’s a good boy.” I wasn’t much of a guard either.

“Where did you go anyway?” She asked.

“I… chased him, but he got away. He must have gone into the bush. It’s so dark out there and the light on my phone is terrible.”

Janie stood up, her eyes huge. “You saw him?”

I shook my head in regret. “I only saw movement, and this dark shape running into the night. A man or a large woman. that’s all I can say.”

Janie’s brows pulled together as she stared at me in confusion. “But nothing’s missing. There’s no mess or other signs of burglary. Why would… How… This makes no sense.”

I stepped closer, taking her hands in mine, holding her gaze. “I know it doesn’t, yet. But I need you to believe me. I know I’ve been an overprotective, jealous idiot tonight. But I saw him. Your bedroom door was open a crack and they were just outside, getting away.”

“And you chased them?”

“Of course. I would have caught them too if it wasn’t so dark out there. I’m not great at Pilates but I’m a good runner.”

She shook her head, her eyes huge. “You don’t run after a burglar, Emir. That’s dangerous.”

“It was just one person,” I argued. “And they were running away. People who run like that are not prepared for a fight.”

“Maybe not prepared, but they’re desperate and unpredictable, possibly high on meth. They could be armed. I don’t like this. I don’t want you to act stupid, even if it’s to protect me.”

My stomach flooded with warmth. “It was a calculated risk, I promise. I wanted to see which way they went, see if I could catch the license plate.”

She seemed to accept this answer, turning her head to scan the room. “So, now what? Do I need to call the police? If they didn’t take anything, it seems like an overreaction.”

“We don’t know that yet. Let’s go through the house and do a proper check, okay?”