Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (Sunset Cove #3)(43)
Before Claire could voice her concern, Kate held up her hand. “Don’t freak out, Claire. It’s probably nothing, and I’m wishing I didn’t even call you guys or say anything. If this gets back to Danny, he’s going to ignore me the next time I call.”
Drake motioned to Luke as he got out of the truck. “It appears someone might have turned off the security system after she left the house this morning. It doesn’t hurt to check it out. Better safe than sorry.”
Kate motioned to Jackson, then took Claire and the girls down the road to the cottage. Drake nodded for Luke to follow him back into the house. “She heard something in the basement but convinced herself it was a mouse or a coon that had gotten in. I didn’t want to scare her, but I’m concerned about the alarm being disabled. I told her maybe it was a glitch, but I really doubt that.”
Luke still wore his Coast Guard uniform. “Claire did a lot of research before she bought the security system. This alarm was supposed to be the best out there. I doubt it would have that serious of a glitch.” He went to the basement door and opened it.
“I wasn’t sure where the basement was. Glad you know.” Drake peered past Luke’s shoulder when the man flipped on the light. “Not finished or anything.”
“No, just an old country basement.” The first step creaked under Luke’s feet.
Drake followed him down and grimaced at the stench of dampness and old wood. He had to duck once he reached the dirt floor. “Close down here.”
“Yeah, these old basements don’t have much headroom.” Luke peered through the murky light. “Did she say where the sound came from?”
“South side of the steps.” Drake turned to face a decrepit wooden table under a dirty window. “Not much over here.”
An old plastic tablecloth hung dispiritedly on the table, its red color faded to nearly pink. Several bottles of cleaning supplies sat atop it as well as a metal painting tray and several brushes. He moved each item to see if a mouse hid underneath, though he doubted a mouse could make enough noise to frighten Kate.
“Check under it,” Luke suggested.
Drake pulled the tablecloth up and piled it on the table’s surface, then went down on one knee and peered under it. His gaze landed on a scuffed-up area in the dirt. Was that the indentation of knees? “Take a look at this, Luke.”
Luke knelt beside him and pointed. “Look there. That might be where his shoe dug into the ground. And this looks like knee prints.” He pointed out the area Drake had noticed.
Drake rose and dusted his hands off on his shorts. “There’s no way of knowing if someone was just down here and made those marks or if they’ve been here for a while, but the chances are good someone was in here.”
Drake frowned as a piece of paper caught his eye by the stairs. In two steps he was in front of it and scooped it up. “It’s a receipt for a soda at the minimart. And it’s dated for last night. Kate doesn’t drink soda.” He waved the receipt. “I think this is our proof. We need to tell the sheriff about it.”
“I can drop it off to Jonas on my way home.”
Drake nodded and handed it over to Luke. “Let me know what you find out.” He didn’t like the idea of Kate staying here by herself, but he knew her well enough by now to realize she’d insist on staying in her home.
TWENTY-ONE
The sound of the Disney movie in the living room filtered into the kitchen where the adults gathered around the kitchen table. Kate felt like an animal at the zoo as all eyes fastened on her. She focused on her sister’s face. If anyone would be on her side, it would be Claire. Jackson licked her foot as if he wanted to comfort her.
“I’ve got bear spray,” she began.
Luke folded his arms across his chest. “And what happens if he breaks in while you’re sleeping?”
The realization that someone had been in the house had hit her hard, but she was getting her equilibrium back. “I can’t live my life in fear. I did that when I had aplastic anemia, and I’m tired of it. We’ve changed the code on the security system. I’ll lock my bedroom door too.”
Claire sat twirling a lock of hair around her finger and biting her lip. Her gaze met Kate’s. “Come home with us, Kate, please. I won’t get a wink of sleep with you there by yourself.”
So much for support from Claire. Kate rolled the idea around in her head. “Where does it all end, Claire? I can’t keep running to you when every little thing goes wrong.”
“A repeating intruder isn’t every little thing.” Claire’s voice rose. “This guy is so bold. It’s as if he has total confidence in not being caught. He was in your house in the daylight.”
“But not while I was home. I came back and surprised him. And it could even be Uncle Paul. Has anyone thought of that?”
Luke’s expression grew more alert, and he leaned forward at the end of the table. “What makes you think it could be Paul?”
Why did she have that initial sense of her uncle’s presence? Then it came to her. “I smelled that same cologne, just a faint trace, in the kitchen before I went to the basement. I didn’t consciously notice it, but that’s why I called out his name when I heard the noise. We aren’t sure he’s left the area.”