Best Friends (New Species #15)(49)

“Be careful,” Snow softly called out. “No one was here when we arrived, and the lock on the window works.”

She inhaled deeply and dropped her purse, walked to the windows a few feet away, and pushed the curtains apart. Then she opened the window, letting in the slight breeze. That was also part of the plan. It would seem odd to just open the curtains at night to put her on display. Now anyone would watching would assume she needed to air the place out while she cleaned.

Mel hurried to the kitchen, pulled out a few trash bags, and withdrew the broom from beside the fridge. She carried them to the living room and then walked down the hallway to her bedroom.

The door was partially closed to the bathroom, the light in there off. She paused, put her hand on the wall, and pretended to mess with her shoe. “I’m going to open the bedroom window now.”

“Be careful,” Snow ordered. “Don’t stay in front of either window once they’re open. I don’t want this male to tear off the screens and grab you. Make him come in after you.”

“I remember.”

She put her foot down and pushed away from the wall, entered her bedroom, and flipped on the light. The small nightstand she’d bought was smashed. The blood smeared on the wall had been cleaned off. Clive must have done it after he’d taken samples. She liked the older retired cop who worked part time for Sheriff Cooper. He came into the diner sometimes with his wife.

She parted the curtains, saw the new lock on the window, and unlatched it. Then she opened the window. The screen had been replaced with a new one. She backed away and glanced around her room, then dumped her hamper of dirty clothes on her bed, using the plastic container to start picking up the small pieces of the table. She flinched over the sight of the interior door. The landlord hadn’t replaced it yet. Damage had been done to the door and frame when the intruder had busted into her bedroom.

She walked down the hall and into the living room, dropping the plastic basket near the front door. Then she grabbed a garbage bag and began picking up parts of the table and large pieces of her broken dishes.

Part of her wished she could turn on music, but Snow had vetoed that. He wanted to make sure he could easily hear every sound she made…but especially ones she didn’t. She wondered how the four New Species were fitting into her small bathroom, imagining two of them standing in her shower, one sitting on the closed toilet lid, and one standing in front of the small sink. The thought had her smiling.

She put on the thick plastic cleaning gloves she kept under the kitchen sink to pick up the smaller, sharper pieces of glass, filling the trash bags. Time passed slowly as she picked up everything the best she could, then swept, the bags piling up in front of her door. Snow had ordered her not to walk to the dumpsters near the parking lot, too afraid she’d get grabbed out there.

She returned to the hallway. “How are you guys doing?” She kept her voice low and tried not to move her lips.

“We’re fine. How are you?”

Just hearing Snow’s voice helped. “Good. I’ve done everything but vacuum.”

He growled low.

“I’ll close and lock the living room window. That way the jerk will have to pass you to sneak up on me. How about that?”

“Keep the curtains open,” Brass ordered.

“Got it.” She yanked open the small cupboard in the hall and pulled out her vacuum. She carried it into the living room and set it down, then pretended to be cold, rubbing her arms. She walked to the window and shut it, making sure the lock was set. Then she plugged in the machine and flipped it on.

Mel kept her back to the hallway. If the jerk was watching, between the sound of the vacuum and her vulnerable position, it would give him the perfect opportunity to sneak up behind her. Not that he’d get past Snow. She had faith in that.

She ran the vacuum over the carpet for a good forty minutes, until she was sure no glass remained. She entered the kitchen, cleaning it next. The cabinets were still open from when she’d grabbed the plates and glasses she’d just cleaned up. The few dishes in the sink were easy to wash.

By the time she was done, hours had passed since she’d gotten home.

A bad feeling started to churn in her stomach. What if the jerk wasn’t waiting for her? She had fought him off hard. Maybe he was watching Mary’s place instead, waiting for her? She chewed on her bottom lip, wiping down the counters. It was hard not to keep glancing out at the street her front window faced to look for anyone watching back.

Finally, with nothing left to clean, she got a soda out of the fridge and opened it, walking to the couch. She dropped onto it, closed her eyes, and relaxed. The meeting that morning had been early, the New Species going over the plan many times, and she and Snow hadn’t had any alone time during the day. They’d eaten lunch afterward in the cafeteria, and she’d met more of his males. Some of them had asked her if she had any single, attractive friends. That caused her to smile. Mary fit that description but she’d never date a New Species.

She missed her best friend. Sheriff Cooper had assured her that not only had Mary’s parents agreed to stay home extra days, but he had a few of his deputies driving by their house every hour. They were safe. Now the jerk just needed to show up so he could be caught.

She sat up a bit and drank her soda slowly. Then she got up, tossing away the empty can. Her bladder started to protest soon after, making her regret drinking it. Another hour passed, and she glanced at the clock. It was a little after nine. That was the time she usually went to bed to get up early for her shift at the diner.