by Jan Washburn
That blessed assurance left her speechless, but it buoyed her spirits as they returned to the parking lot. And then she realized she was clinging to Leif’s arm. She pulled away quickly. She couldn’t rely on this man she hardly knew—especially while she was the object of a police investigation.
Besides, Leif had enough problems of his own. And he had every reason to mistrust her. He knew about her part in the theft of Ronda Starr’s jewelry, and by now he had probably heard all the rumors about her shady past in Allerton. And yet, she felt something happening between them—a closeness that was almost scary.
They were on the ramp to the interstate before she found her voice. Thanks for your prayer, Leif. It really lifted me up.
Did you feel it? he asked. That God was saying yes.
God’s answer seemed so clear, she breathed. I never felt anything that strongly before.
Now I know what it means—the peace that passeth all understanding.
Shaken by the power of that peace, she was grateful when they drove on in silence. But she remembered the final question she needed to ask him. Leif, tell me about your friendship with Jeff? How did you meet him? How did you earn his trust?
He looked uncomfortable. Actually, Tracy, I first ran into him when I had to pick him up for public intoxication. He passed out on the sidewalk in front of the drug store.
Oh, no. Thinking of Jeff’s humiliation was unbearable.
I could have put him in the drunk tank, but I decided to take him home instead. By the time I got him under the shower and poured some coffee into him, he was fairly coherent. We sat and talked for a long time. He really opened up about his injuries and his depression.
That’s hard to believe. She had never been able to penetrate the stonewall Jeff had erected. Leif must have worked some kind of magic. Jeff would never discuss his problems with anyone.
I know. Maybe he was just grateful that I didn’t arrest him. Anyway, I fell into the habit of stopping by the house occasionally. We’d sit and chew the fat about anything and everything. I told him how Jesus helped my brother and his wife through their injuries, but I tried not to be preachy. And then one day he asked to go to church with me. I think he was getting tired of living like a lost soul.
So Leif helped to pull her brother out of the pit. It was a comfort to know that Jeff had begun to make peace with the Lord.
I can’t find words to thank you enough. If only Jeff can make it through this.
They were approaching the exit for Allerton, when Leif spoke again. Did Henry tell you he tracked down an engine for your car? He figures he should have it ready to go in about a week.
Tracy could have done cartwheels down the exit ramp. Thank goodness. That’s the best news I’ve had in ages. It would be a blessing to have wheels again.
Of course, now she had to figure out how to pay for the repairs. A credit card might help, but the debt still had to be paid. She made the decision to stay in Allerton. Jeff would need help when he was released from the hospital. When, she emphasized, not if. With a car she could get a job, maybe wait tables at Fisherman’s Landing again. They always needed waitresses, and tourist season was coming soon.
She would have to make some plans, but they were pulling into her driveway. Leif, you have been a godsend. When I have my car, I can quit bothering you.
His stern features softened. You know it’s not a bother. Jeff is my brother too.
She took a last glance at his rugged face as she climbed down from the SUV. Was it gratitude she felt for Leif or was it becoming something more? She had to fight the attraction. She was the sinner. He was the law. She was asking for heartbreak if she let herself fall for him.
Having her own car again would help to break the connection between them. She had to end their relationship before she was in too deep.
Leif waited until she unlocked the front door and then backed the SUV out of the driveway. She pulled the door open and stopped, paralyzed. What had happened? The living room had been ransacked. Seat cushions were torn out. Books were thrown aside. Desk drawers hung open. Papers littered the floor. Even the piano bench had been emptied of sheet music.
Tracy backed out the door. She had to catch Leif. Rushing down the driveway, she shouted his name. But her heart sank. He was already several hundred feet down the road. She plunged into the street, waving her arms and shouting his name. Could he see her? The SUV wasn’t slowing down.
More than Great Riches
CHAPTER VI
Tracy sagged in relief as the SUV made a sharp U-turn and raced back toward her. Thank you, Lord . In spite of all her good resolutions, she had to depend on Leif again. There was nowhere else to turn.
He jammed on his brakes and hit the ground running. What’s happened? he shouted. What’s wrong?
She forced herself to form the words. Someone—someone has torn the house apart.
Leif charged past her up the driveway and came to a stop in the open door. Have you touched anything?
She crept up behind him, trying to peer around his wide shoulders. I think just the doorknob. At this point she wasn’t sure of anything.
Numb, she watched Leif pull out his radio. Lucille, send Will out here fast. We’ve got a break-in at the Dixons. He turned to her. Are you all right?
She nodded wordlessly. She couldn’t speak the words that were in her head, As long as you’re here . She lifted her chin and put on her brave face.
I want you to go sit in the SUV while I search the house. The burglar may still be inside. He shifted into police officer mode.
Tracy hadn’t even considered that possibility. It didn’t help her raw nerves to realize that a criminal might be holed up somewhere in the house. She wanted to follow Leif, but she knew she would only interfere with his investigation. Slowly she trudged to his car and sank into the seat, dropping her head into her hands.
It seemed like hours until he came back, but the scattered remnants of her common sense told her it was less than ten minutes. He came to the car window, his eyes full of compassion. The burglar forced the lock on the back door. Just hang on a little longer, Tracy. I need to get my fingerprint kit.
The numbness began to wear off. As he retrieved his equipment, she saw a patrol car come to a stop in front of the house. She recognized the police sergeant who climbed out. Will Robbins was an old high school classmate. Wearily she watched as the two men conferred and then came back to her window.
Will wore a sheepish look. I’m sorry about this, he apologized, as though the whole mess were his fault. Are you OK?
Just a little wobbly, she admitted. Now that was the understatement of the year. She trembled all over in an effort to hold herself together. She had no patience with women who fell apart when the going got tough, but this break-in was the shove that pushed her over the edge. The worst part was the feeling of violation, picturing a stranger in her home, pawing through her clothing and her personal possessions.
Tracy, dusting for prints is messy, Leif explained. If this crook had any brains, he wore gloves, so Will is just going to dust in a few of the most likely spots. But I need to ask you a few questions.
She nodded. Her voice had deserted her.
Leif swung into his seat behind the steering wheel and pulled out a notebook. Tell me what valuables you keep in the house?
She was struck by a bolt of panic. Her money. Did the burglar find her money? I had three hundred dollars in cash in a dresser drawer.
What would she do if her money was gone? That was the last of her severance pay from Mr. Rifkin. It was all she had to live on until she found work. That’s about all, she whispered. I don’t own anything really valuable.
Leif kept digging. What about Jeff? Did he have anything of value?
If only her brain would stop misfiring and let her concentrate. She shook her head. You know Jeff. He didn’t care about things. I don’t think he had anything that would interest a thief.
He took both her hands in his. His touch calmed her and
gave her courage.
Tracy, I’m going to check to see if your money is gone. We need to find out if this guy was looking for cash or for something else. Tell me where you kept the money.
It was in an envelope with a letter in the top drawer of my dresser. It wasn’t really hidden. How could she have been so careless? Allerton seemed so safe, so far removed from big city crime.
I’ll be right back. He stepped down from the car and disappeared into the house. Tracy realized her privacy was totally doomed. Now it would be Leif prowling through her personal life.
He returned in minutes. The cash is still there. Your burglar was looking for something else.
Tracy didn’t realize she had been holding her breath until she released it in a huge sigh of relief. No matter what else the burglar stole, her money was safe. She didn’t have to give up eating.
But Leif wasn’t finished. Now, I need you to think hard—not just about money. Is there anything else in the house that someone would want—antiques, art work, a collection of any kind, like coins or stamps, or even medications?
I just don’t know, she confessed. The Dixons were more into flea markets and garage sales than antique shops and art auctions.
OK. I know you’re upset, but keep trying to think of something—anything. I’m going to see how Will is doing. Just try to relax.
A sensation of loneliness overwhelmed her as Leif disappeared again. Tilting the seat back, she closed her eyes. It might make her feel better to cry, but she didn’t have enough energy for that.
Another half hour passed before the men finished their work and Leif waved her into the house. She was so exhausted she could have dropped onto the old plaid sofa and slept for a month—if the cushions hadn’t been scattered all over the living room floor.
We’ve picked up a few prints, he explained, but they may be yours or Jeff’s. Are your fingerprints on file anywhere?
Tracy remembered that humiliating moment in New York when Detective Diaz took her prints. She felt like Public Enemy Number One. With the New York police, she admitted.
I’m going to stay here and help clean up the mess while Will takes the evidence to the station. Leif turned to his officer. Will, after you get things squared away at the station, I want you to pick up a couple of deadbolts and some door chains from the hardware store.
Got you, Chief. Will gave them a salute and hurried off to the patrol car.
Leif’s face was grim when he turned back to her. Tracy, while we’re cleaning up this mess, I want you to identify anything that’s missing. This guy was looking for something specific.
She nodded, hoping her brain would start functioning.
Restoring order to the chaos was a monumental task. The thief had done a thorough job of trashing the whole house. She would have given up if it were not for Leif’s endless patience. While she put sofa cushions and drawers back in place, he cleaned up the residue of the fingerprint dust.
They worked side by side, going room to room. As far as she could tell, nothing was missing. The only thing that suffered serious damage was her sense of security. She had never been a timid soul, but suddenly the world was a scary place.
When Will returned, the two men went back to work, installing dead bolts and chains on the front and back doors. Tracy trailed along behind them as they toured the whole house, checking the latches on the windows. If the thief came back, he would have to work a lot harder and smarter to find a way in.
It took hours before everything was restored to what passed for normal. Tracy didn’t object when Leif ordered her into the recliner. She needed to sit down before she fell down. He eyed her with a worried frown. Will you be afraid to stay here alone tonight? Maybe you should stay with friends.
She knew he was right. There was no way she would sleep in this house tonight. I’ll call Maggie, she conceded.
She dreaded the moment Leif would leave, but he was gathering up his equipment. She managed to push herself to her feet. Leif, I know you’re tired of hearing me say this, but thank you, thank you, thank you.
He gazed down at her for a long moment. Although his craggy features revealed no emotion, there was a deep intensity in those sea-gray eyes. He looked as though he intended to wrap her in his arms and kiss her senseless. She held her breath, knowing she wouldn’t resist. The silence stretched between them like a taut wire.
And then he broke the silence. Promise me you’ll go to Maggie’s, he said, turning toward the door.
****
Maggie waited in her battered pickup truck as Tracy came across the parking lot at Fisherman’s Landing, the seafood restaurant. How’d you make out? Maggie called.
Tracy gave her a grin and two thumbs up. I start Sunday.
Maggie pumped her fist in a victory celebration.
I’ll just be working weekends for now, Tracy bubbled as she climbed into the cab. But that should be enough to keep me alive. There’s a new manager, but LeBlanc is still the maitre d’, and I remember several of the waitresses.
Maggie wheeled the truck out onto the highway. Will you need a ride to work?
Just this Sunday, I hope. Henry says my car should be ready Wednesday or Thursday.
Do you think Leif would be available to take you to work? Bud and I are going to his Mom’s for Easter dinner. I can take you home afterwards.
Don’t worry about it. I’ll find a ride. Tracy hoped she wouldn’t have to bother Leif again. It will be so great to have wheels. I hate asking people to cart me around.
I don’t mind taking a break from the kennels, Maggie insisted. Working with dogs all day, I begin to forget what people look like.
Tracy laughed. Maggie, you’ve been a gem. Thanks for giving me refuge last night. I know I would have thrashed around in bed all night alone at my house.
Maggie threw her a concerned glance. Are you sure you want to go home? You know you’re welcome to stay with us as long as you want.
Tracy hesitated. She suspected she would never feel safe in her own home again, but unless she made a permanent move to Maggie’s, she needed to deal with her fear. She put on an air of confidence she didn’t feel. I’ll be all right. Whoever broke in knows that there’s nothing there worth stealing. And Leif and Will put deadbolts and chains on the doors.
You need a dog. A big dog that eats burglars in one gulp.
Right. Tracy groaned. A big dog that eats forty tons of chow a day. I’d better wait until I can afford a few groceries.
I’d still feel better if you owned a dog.
What I need is a financial advisor. Tracy’s brain rang up dollars like a cash register. I have to send rent money to my roommate in New York and tell her to find someone else to share the apartment. And then I need to send her more money so she can ship me my things. I’ve been rotating the same three outfits for almost two weeks. And then I’ve got to pay Henry for the repairs on the car. And then ...
OK, OK. Maggie conceded defeat. Maybe a Chihuahua.
Oh, sure! Tracy gave Maggie’s arm a light punch. He could nibble the burglar into submission.
But Maggie veered off in another direction. If you’re working on Sunday, will you have to miss the Easter service?
No, my hours work out perfectly. I don’t have to go in until four on Sunday afternoons. But I do have one favor to ask. I’d like to use your computer occasionally to check their website. They post information about special events.
I take it you never figured out the password to your brother’s computer.
Tracy made a face. No, I gave up trying. I only used my roommate’s computer for my homework and to e-mail you or Jeff. I don’t miss wading through all that spam.
As they approached her house, Tracy spotted a flashy black sports car parked in her driveway. Do you know any burglars who drive a Maserati?
Sure, Maggie snapped. The crook who drives that car is none other than Keith Allen Bradford.
Keith! She didn’t need to fight off Keith’s attentions today.
Do you
want me to come in with you?
That’s OK. I can deal with him. Tracy didn’t want to drag Maggie into any more of her problems, but she wasn’t looking forward to this visit.
As Maggie brought the truck to a stop, Tracy gathered up her purse and her overnight bag. Thanks so much for everything, Maggie. I owe you at least two days work at the kennels.
Maggie leaned over to kiss her cheek. You better watch out. I might take you up on that.
Tracy waved as Maggie whirled away with a blast of her horn. She turned to find Keith getting out of his car to greet her. Had his smile always looked that artificial? She must have been hopelessly naïve to imagine herself in love with such a selfish, self-centered egotist.