by Neil Crenner
Later.
They were in bed and fast asleep. Reason was happy. Didier looked happy. The clock was just about 3 A.M., the phone started ringing. Who could that be at this hour? Reason wondered. He picked up the phone and said 'hello' in a very tired voice, he was in a deep sleep.
"This is the Protection Now Security Service, I need to speak with a Reason Simon."
"This is Reason," Reason said.
"We have a reported alarm going off at the following address."
Reason jumped up. "That's my gallery, no I am not there, call the police, and have them sent out right away. I am on my way." Didier was awakened by the commotion of Reason jumping up.
"What's happened?" Didier asked half asleep.
"My burglar alarm has gone off at the gallery. That was the monitoring service calling me to let me know. I told them to send the police. I am going down there right now."
"I am going too," Didier said as he got up out of bed. They dressed sloppily and ran out the door. Colbert was sleeping on her bed. She woke to look up at her master for a few moments, then put her head back down and went to sleep.
"It is cold," Reason quipped when they opened the garage door. Reason hit the button to open the garage door. "I have a jacket in the trunk if you need it."
"We'll see." They were in the car and zooming off down the street. Reason flipped on the heater immediately and switched on the seat heaters. "I hope this is not a false alarm. It has never happened before. I hope the police are there by now," Reason was speaking as if Didier was not there, just to stay something, out loud. Didier was quiet. They pulled up to the gallery, two patrol cars were already there. Policemen were standing about talking on radios. 'I think we have the owner here now,' Reason heard as he was getting out of the car.
"I am Reason Simon, I own this business."
"Well Mr. Simon, when we arrived there wasn't anyone in the business, our men are in there now investigating."
"Do you know how they broke in?"
"Yes they broke the glass and entered through the front door." Reason was looking in the direction of the front door. Didier was still in the car. He was there for support, but not to interfere.
"Did you have any valuables that were out in the open or in the front that could be seen from the street?"
"I only have photos, prints and negatives. My camera equipment I sent to be cleaned."
"So they couldn't have stolen that."
"I am glad I did that before I left this weekend."
"Did you say you left this weekend. Where did you go?"
"I went up to Big Sur to a wedding of a friend of mine. I left Friday morning and returned back last night, around 5:30 P.M."
"I see. Do you know of anyone who would want to rob you Mr. Simon?"
"No, no I don't. I am sure it was just a random burglary, I have nothing of any value in there."
"Well if you wait her, I will check to see if they are ready for you to come take a look." Reason turned to look at Didier, who nodded. He was glad Didier was there, not standing beside him, but there in the car. This comforted him.
"Okay Mr. Simon, you can come in and take a look around. Be careful of the broken glass." The glass had been hit my something very small and there wasn't a very large hole to squeeze a hand through it. They unlocked it by reaching through this hole. The alarm did not sound until they had reached the infrared detector just inside about five feet. They must have known exactly what they were looking for; as there was nothing messed up or turned upside down. Reason looked around and could not find anything missing. It was as though they were only look for valuables, money or some camera equipment. Nothing seemed to be stolen.
"Well officer I can't find anything missing. I have taken a quick look around and everything is here and in place. I even had a small camera sitting back in my office, in a drawer in my desk that was not stolen. The only thing that might have been disrupted is my filing cabinet. It's where I keep my negatives, each in a plastic case. I will have to go through them to see if any are missing. Otherwise all is in its place."
"Okay, are you sure Mr. Simon nothing else is missing?" Reason nodded his head and said, "Yes, I am sure."
"Okay then we are out of here. There weren't any fingerprints on the door lock, wiped clean. Would you like us to dust the place for any?"
"I am sure the only ones you find won't be the culprits." The police wrapped up their investigation. Reason stood there waiting for them to leave. He had gone out to tell Didier that it seemed that nothing had been stolen. The police would be leaving and he would put and old chain and lock on the front door till morning. "If someone wanted to break in again, the alarm would sound and it would be déjà vu."
"Well that's a relief to hear that, I shall stay in the car until they leave." He had turned on the engine to switch on the heater and warm up the car again. It was cold outside. The police left and then Didier got out of the car.
"They take so long for nothing."
"Well it was a break in, just no burglary. Now if I can find that old chain and lock. I used to put it on when I didn't have the alarm. Then after adding the alarm, I stopped doing it, too much trouble. It made it look as though I didn't have an alarm too. It's here in the back," Reason rambled on. He found the chain and the lock. He checked his keys, Didier had removed them from the ignition when he got out of the car, and to make sure he still had the key for the lock. No key. He looked through his desk, nothing. He remembered a small nail that was behind the top drawer, underneath the desk, he reached under and there was a small key hanging on it. There you are. He locked the front door and they proceeded to leave from the rear door. That was a solid door with a dead bolt. He was sure that there would be no more trouble tonight. When they were driving home, Didier asked if he could think of why someone would want to burglarize his gallery, unless it was merely by a random act of violence.
"I am not sure. It seems strange that someone would go to the trouble of breaking into my gallery, and then not steal anything, unless they were looking for something in particular, like camera equipment. Or something else?" Reason said with a quiver in his voice.
"Well that was something," Didier finally spoke, "I will be glad to get back in bed." They were home in a few minutes and then were back in bed. Reason laid in bed thinking about who could have done this. A queasy feeling would not go away. He felt personally attacked by what had happened. His own property, broken into, trespassed upon by some stranger, a thief; it was all personally disturbing to Reason. He wanted to fall back asleep and forget the whole thing. He began to think of the café. No, he told himself, he will lay here and not think of anything. In a few minutes he will fall back to sleep. He felt his body drifting away into sleep, his mind relaxing. Passed out.
Later that morning
Reason woke up, Didier was already up; he had made some coffee and had sat the cup on the nightstand next to Reason. Reason awoke from the smell of his coffee.
"Hmm, I feel like a prince this morning. Coffee in bed, so cozy." He pulled himself up and propped the pillow behind him against the headboard. Soon Didier returned with a tray in his hand, very cleaver that he had found it, a plate with some scrambled eggs and toast already buttered, some grapefruit on the side.
"Good morning sunshine. How did you sleep after all that ruckus of last night?"
"I feel back to sleep rather quickly and was in a nice dream when I smelt coffee in my dream then I woke up." Colbert was up now and shaking her head and body, stretching and yawing. She stood there next to the side of the bed, Didier bending down to kiss Reason on the cheek after placing the tray over his legs.
"My favorite, eggs, toast and coffee."
"And grapefruit. I will be right back."
"Colbert needs to go out in the backyard, can you unlock the doggy door for her?" On cold nights, Reason would lock the doggy door to keep out some stray animals that were cold and searching for warm shelter. Colbert heard the latch turn and was running off to the kitchen.
Didier returned once again with a cup of coffee in his hand.
"I love to sit in bed and drink coffee in the morning. Especially on a cold morning like this one."
"It's a little nippy in here."
"The coffee will warm you up."
"Yes it has, this is my second cup."
"How long have you been awake?"
"Oh not long, about half an hour. I have to go home and shower and get dressed for work."
"What time is it?"
"My watch says eight fifteen."
"I am loving the eggs and toast." Reason took another bite. "Perfect."
"I am glad you like it," Didier said, "When I woke up this morning, it was so quiet. I could hear you breathing softly."
"Yes, this house is sometimes very quiet, sometimes it's eerie."
"It felt so calm. I love to wake up early. The quiet is so nice. Everyone is still in bed. I can enjoy my coffee and sometimes I read the paper. Or I will do some work around the house."
"But you live alone, is it ever not quiet?"
"Well yes, if you sleep in and wake up and the sun is shining in, it doesn't feel the same way. Then you turn on the news, which really takes away from the morning."
"I turn the news on after I have been up for about an hour or so. Then I start the day."
"I see. Well I like that. Maybe I should wake up earlier. I would then go to bed earlier. I am a night owl though."
"Well do as you wish. You have your own business, you can set the hours as you like. Me I work for someone, I