Rubbing my face, I straightened my shoulders and recalled the old me. The one who could face anything without a man beside me, the one who was strong. But that was me before I’d fallen in love with both Matt and Harper.
Was I strong enough to lose them both? No, I was not.
I was just about to give up and dissolve into tears when a small woof sounded from the hallway cupboard. In a few seconds I was up and in the hallway, yanking open the door. And there was Harper, his eyes wide, his tongue lolling from the side of his mouth, an empty packet of Smacko’s lying beside him.
“Harper!” I cried, dropping to my knees and pulling him close against me. “What are you doing in here? And how did you get those treats?” To be honest, I didn’t care. I was just glad he was safe.
It was only as I scooped him up in my arms, ready to collapse onto the couch in fear that my shaking knees wouldn’t hold us both up, I saw a tiny gold charm glittering on the floor. And the charm didn’t belong to me.
Chapter Five
Senior sergeant Ed Helms sat across the room from me, his navy blue uniformed starched to within an inch of its life. His notebook was open, his pen poised, and a serious look pinched his lips.
“So, you believe someone broke in here?” he asked, his gaze roaming the room.
“Yes.”
“Anything taken?”
“No. Well nothing I know of.”
“So why do you think someone broke in here?”
“Because Harper was locked in a cupboard he had no way of getting into and I found this beside him. It’s definitely not mine.”
I held the charm out for Ed to see. He glimpsed at the tiny gold heart before rummaging in one of his many pockets and retrieving a plastic bag. He indicated that I drop the charm in to it.
“It wouldn’t belong to anyone that could have visited?” he asked, taking a closer look at it.
I shook my head. “That cupboard holds the mop and vacuum cleaner. Believe me when I say I’m the only person who ever goes in there.”
A smile twitched at the corners of his full lips and settled in his eyes.
“Well, I think I have all the information I need,” he announced, closing his notebook. “I know how to contact you if anything turns up.”
“Valerie heard someone in here,” I reminded him.
He nodded. “And I’ll question her. In the meantime, if you find anything missing, let me know.”
“So, you believe me?”
“Of course, I believe you. But it’s rare for someone to break into a place and not steal anything, let alone leave something behind.”
“Maybe they got spooked and left before they could take what they were looking for.” I mean that’s what happened on last night’s episode of Midsummer Mysteries.
“It’s possible. To be on the safe side get your locks changed and ensure that they’re always secured before leaving.”
“I’d ensured that this morning.”
“Molly, there are no signs of forced entry which means that whoever was here either had a key or you left the door unlocked.”
“No one would have a key.”
“Could someone with a key have come in without you knowing?”
“That’s a stupid question. The only people who have keys to my home are my loved ones. None of them come around without letting me know first. But I will ask them,” I added. Now that was a conversation I wasn’t looking forward to. Mum already had enough stress to deal with, without me adding this to the list.
Ed’s jaw clenched as he stood and adjusted his police issue belt that held all kinds of scary equipment. “Please let me know if you find anything missing.”
“Will do. I’m just glad they didn’t hurt Harper,” I replied, pulling him in close.
“So am I.” Ed reached over and ruffled the hair on Harper’s back. “He’s a cute little guy.”
I stood alongside Ed and tucked Harper on my hip. “It never occurred to me that he might not be safe at home alone. From now on, wherever I go, he goes. Except the hospital. He’s probably not allowed there so I’ll have to get mum to dog sit whenever I visit Riley.”
Ed flashed a grin, all pearly white teeth. “She’ll love that. It’ll give her some practice for when the baby comes along.”
“How did you know about the baby?” I asked, surprised.
Ed gave a full-on smile. “Officer Davidson told me how you let it slip over family dinner.” I groaned, the memory still raw.
Rubbing my stomach with my free hand, my thoughts jumped to Matt. “Ed, if I wanted to know where someone was, what’s the best way to go about it?”
His brows arched. “Care to elaborate?”
“Well, Matt left town and I’d like to know where he went.”
“You don’t trust him?”
“I have photographic evidence that shows him in a different location to where he told me he would be.” I decided to tell Ed the full truth. By the time I finished he was frowning down at me.
“Molly if you want my advice, give him the space he needs. He will have his reasons.”
My breath blew a stray hair from my face. That wasn’t the advice I wanted. What I wanted was for Ed to say he would use his police skills and track Matt for me.
“Then why doesn’t he trust me to know what those reasons are? We’re about to have a baby together.”
“Exactly. It must be a pretty big deal for him to not be honest with you.”
“I guess so,” I relented. “Hopefully in time he’ll tell me what’s going on.”
“Until then relax in the knowledge that everything is just the way it should be.”
“When did you become so philosophical?”
“When I had to take a back seat to Riley. I know that Lizzie is happy and that’s all I really want.”
My soul released a deep sigh. “That’s so romantic.”
His dimples flashed. “If only it had won me the girl.”
“Grandma’s still single. And interested. You know, just in case you feel like an older member of the Fuller family would float your boat.”
Ed gave a loud bark of laughter. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He really was a gorgeous man. His dark eyes were soulful and compassionate. His smile was genuine and contagious, and his capacity to love was to be respected. “In the meantime, Molly, if anything is missing please let me know. You have my number.”
“I do. Thanks Ed.”
“And if you need anything, and I mean anything, call me. I can do more than police things.”
As his biceps tightened the sleeve of his shirt, I had no doubts that he could.
After Ed left, I locked the door and secured it with a chair shoved under the handle. It freaked me out to think someone was in my home, but to think they could come back gave me a panic attack. Happy with my handy work, I placed a call to the emergency locksmiths and asked for them to change my locks. Pronto.
I knew pregnancy could muddle my memory, but I was certain I had locked that door when I left this morning. And not a single member of my family would have come and unlocked it, which meant that either someone was a good lockpicker or they had stolen a key from someone I loved.
I made a note to check with everyone that their keys were still where they left them. Of course, I couldn’t check with Matt, but I knew he never would have entered without me knowing. It didn’t mean that his key wasn’t stolen though.
Knowing that someone had been in my house made me feel dirty, so ensuring that Harper was happily curled on his favorite chair, I set about cleaning the apartment. The sun was setting behind the mountains as I placed the mop and bucket back into the cupboard.
Most Saturday nights Matt and I would go out on a date, either to dinner or the movies, or sometimes we’d make the thirty-minute commute to the city and see a show. He’d been gone for nearly a week and I’d missed him every single second, but tonight I was feeling it more than ever. Before Matt I’d had no trouble filling my Saturday nights, but now the evening stre
tched ahead of me desolate and lonely.
“Come on Harper, let’s get some dinner.” He heard the word and immediately jumped from the chair and trotted to the kitchen. He would be one sorry boy if he knew he’d eaten all the treats and would have to wait until I went food shopping before he’d get anymore.
After filling his bowl with healthy biscuits, I searched for what I could have, but nothing grabbed my attention. I gave up, dialed Danny and Andrew and asked them what they were doing.
****
Every Friday night my siblings and I got together. We played cards, ordered takeaway and talked a lot. As this Friday had been one that none of us wanted to remember, the three of us decided that even though it was technically Saturday we could all pretend it was our Friday. And as Lizzie and Riley were still at the hospital, I’d dropped Harper to Mum, collected the pizzas and met Danny and Andrew on the ward.
“Did mum ask why you didn’t leave Harper at home?” asked Danny, helping himself to a slice of pepperoni. I’d hurriedly brought everyone up to date with my break in theory and had asked if anyone had been there. As I’d already thought, they all said no.
“Of course. I didn’t tell her the truth though.”
Andrew gulped loudly. “You lied to your mother?”
“It was just a little white lie,” I explained. “And it was for her own good. She’ll need counselling for months to get over what happened with these two. I don’t think she needed the stress so soon.”
Lizzie nodded her understanding. “Good call.”
“I can’t believe that your apartment was broken into,” added Danny.
“Me either.”
“How did they even get into the lobby? Isn’t that door locked at all times?” Andrew asked, selecting a slice of his vegetarian pizza.
“Not during the day—it’s not. We have a few holiday makers in the building, and they come and go as they please. Technically they need a key to get to the floor they want, but if another holiday maker was already in the lift at the time, they could have selected the floor for them. And that reminds me, none of you have lost your key to my place, have you?”
Danny and Lizzie immediately pulled their keyrings from their bags and showed me the proof that they still had it.
“Does Ed really believe your front door was unlocked?” asked Riley. He was sitting up in bed, his color much brighter than when I’d seen him earlier in the day. The IV was removed and he was told he could go home in the morning if his doctor was happy.
“Sadly, yes. But I’m positive I locked it. I’m pedantic about it.”
“Matt didn’t come home and leave it unlocked, did he?” Lizzie asked.
I shrugged. “I wouldn’t think so. I’ve tried calling him six times since I missed his call this morning, but so far he hasn’t called me back.”
“You should track him with the Find my Phone app,” suggested Danny.
Andrew froze, his pizza mid bite.
“Danny, there is such a thing as trust!” I scolded.
“Sorreeee,” squealed Danny, his hands in the surrender position. “I didn’t mean to offend you. It was just a suggestion so that you could find out where he really is.”
I pulled a piece of stray pineapple from my pizza and considered the implications of his idea.
“What would that tell me anyway?” I finally asked.
“Well you’d know if he’s still in New York.”
“And that would tell you if there’s any chance of him leaving the door unlocked at your place,” Lizzie added.
“I don’t want to hear this,” muttered Andrew, shaking his head.
Riley looked at Lizzie, his eyebrows drawn together. “Have you ever done that to me?”
“Of course not,” she scoffed. “I’d need to know your password to do that.”
“You do know my password,” Riley admitted. Lizzie’s cheeks flooded with colour and she busied herself with selecting another slice of pizza.
“Do you know Matt’s password?” Danny asked me.
“No! Okay yes. Maybe.”
“Have you checked it lately?”
“No!”
Danny pressed his lips into a fine line and tilted his head, his eyebrows raised.
I released a long breath I’d been holding and threw my slice of pizza back into the box, my appetite disappearing with my morals.
“Okay! I checked the app last night,” I admitted. “He’s changed his password so I can’t get in.”
Lizzie flashed a smile. “Now there’s the old Molly I know and love.”
“Yeah, well don’t get too comfortable. The new me will probably stick her ugly head out any second.”
“Did you try to guess his new one?” Danny pushed.
“Ahuh. Until it recommended I change the password. Not sure what will happen when Matt finds that notification.”
“Say it wasn’t you and sound convincing,” Danny advised.
“So, tell me Danny,” Andrew demanded. “Did you really break the mirror on my car?”
“I’ve already told you I didn’t.” Danny turned his back to Andrew and grimaced.
I would have giggled at the situation, but my phone had dinged with a message. I swiped it open, noting it came from a number I didn’t recognize, and a photo of Matt at Alexandra Park shone back at me. He was standing behind a palm tree and staring across the lawn. I followed his line of sight and sucked in a sharp breath when I saw the woman he was looking at was me.
I remembered the moment this was captured. It was before I’d realized Brooke wasn’t turning up. I’d been scoping out the perfect angle to photograph the couple exchanging their vows and not once had I noticed Matt watching me from a distance.
“Molly, are you okay?” Lizzie asked.
“Yeah, you look kind of pale,” Danny added.
Andrew stood and placed his arm around my shoulder. “What’s wrong, Possum?”
Words escaped me. Instead I held the image out for all to see.
“Why didn’t he approach you?” whispered Lizzie.
“Better yet, who sent you the photo?” demanded Riley.
I had no answers, but the longer I thought about it, the more questions were raised.
The phone was passed around the group, stopping with Danny. He hit the call button on the number which sent it and we all listened as a voice told us the number was not connected.
“How are these messages coming from disconnected numbers?” Lizzie asked.
“It’s pretty easy,” explained Riley. “You can buy numbers so you can make private calls. Telemarketers do it all the time.”
“Are you sure you can’t crack Matt’s password?” Danny asked, his voice now holding a hard edge. “You’d know where he’s staying, and you could knock on his door.”
“I’ve tried Danny. Whatever he changed it to is a secret to me.”
“Then I suggest we track him down.”
“How would I do that?”
“Easy,” said Lizzie. “You start with his apartment. My money is on he’s there.”
“He’s not going to hide in his own home!” Danny laughed. “That’s the first place Molly would look.”
“I haven’t though.” I shrugged. “Until today I thought he was overseas, so I had no reason to go looking for him.”
Danny sat back in his chair and stroked an imaginary beard.
“Great,” he said, slapping his knee. “Then tomorrow morning that’s where we’ll start.”
“We?”
“Sure. You’re pregnant, remember? You’re going to need someone to climb through windows.”
Chapter Six
Matt’s house was situated at the end of a cul-de-sac at number 23 Lacey Lane. His was the back unit of a duplex and it was small, old and slightly falling apart. The linear boards needed painting, the flyscreens’ needed replacing, and the grass needed a mow. Most of which the landlord was supposed to take care of and was the reason Matt spent most of his spare time at my place.
The upside was the neighbor only lived in their half of the duplex during the winter months. Summer was far too hot for Mr. Matthews, so he migrated East to New Zealand and only returned when the weather had cooled.
That was fortunate for me and Danny, as it meant no one would be able to see our attempt to break the law.
“What happens to pregnant women in jail?” I asked him, re-tucking my Emporio Armani black T-shirt into my Hugo Boss skinny black jeans. I’d come prepared. “Will they let me keep the baby?”
“Stop stressing. You’re not going to jail. You have a key remember?” Danny too was wearing a black T-shirt over black jeans, only his jeans had the knees ripped out of them. It was important to always be trendy.
“I know, but that doesn’t make what we’re doing right.”
“Well if Matt was more honest, we wouldn’t have to do this, would we?”
I blew out a breath and unlocked the door, my heart pounding harder than it usually would when entering Matt’s home. Stepping over the threshold, we left the heat of the day behind us and entered the darkened interior.
Matt had once told me he’d moved in here with a mate a year ago and had intended it to only be for a short time. However, when the mate moved out and left Matt with an overdue rent bill (as apparently, he’d been pocketing Matt’s contribution and not paying the landlord), Matt had agreed to stay long enough to bring everything up to date. After that, he’d been too busy to find another place to live. Looking around the lonely lounge room, containing nothing but two single seater chairs and a coffee table doubling as a TV cabinet, I wondered if Matt might just be stuck in a rut. Even though the timber flooring was pretty nice, and I did love the French doors overlooking the side yard.
“Where do we start?” Danny asked, wrinkling his nose. “Please don’t say there.”
I looked to where he was pointing, noting the pile of unfolded laundry stacked on one of the chairs.
“Even though, is that his boxers I spy?” Suddenly Danny’s interest was piqued.
I slapped him on the shoulder. “Excuse me, but that’s my boyfriend’s underwear you’re perving on.”
Wicked Little Lies- Molly Page 6