A Love to Treasure (Sunriver Dreams Book 1) by Kimberly Rose Johnson Page A

“No. I was dazed, and by the time I stood up he was gone.”
    His gut tightened. She’d not only been inside with the perpetrator, but she’d been assaulted. This burglary racket had just become personal. “You’re lucky you only got a bump on the head. I’m glad you’re all right.”
    “After he took off I called the management company. They told me to call the police.”
    “Most people would have called the police first.” Mark rested his arm on the table.
    She winced. “That’s generally not my first instinct. The idea of calling 911 makes me nervous. But I managed.”
    His tension increased. Had something bad happened in her past to give her this feeling? “Why is that?”
    “I don’t know. I guess I wasn’t sure it was an emergency since they’d already left. It bugs me so much when people call 911 for non-emergencies and clog the lines. I didn’t want to be that person.”
    He nodded. Her excuse made sense. “You are one lucky lady. Did you see anyone else?”
    She shook her head. “I can’t believe it didn’t occur to me that someone had broken in when the door was ajar. I’ve felt so safe here.”
    He wanted to lecture her for entering her house to begin with, but he stifled his professional impulse—she’d been through enough. “What about a vehicle?”
    “And that’s what should’ve clued me in right away it wasn’t the management company. They always drive a truck with their logo on the side. There was a big van parked next door when I arrived, which I thought was weird because the whole cul-de-sac has been empty the two days I’ve been here.”
    This might be the break in the case they’d been looking for. “Can you describe the vehicle?”
    “It was a white cargo van.” Nicole wrung her hands together and her shoulders sagged. “I wasn’t paying much attention, and I’m horrible with the make of vehicles. I can’t even tell a Ford from a Chevy.”
    He didn’t understand how that was possible. He’d always loved cars and had been able to identify different makes and models since he’d been a kid. “Okay. If you saw a picture of the van, would you recognize it?”
    “Maybe. Probably not. I’m sorry, Mark. Cars and trucks aren’t my thing. I can’t even tell you what you drive except that it’s black.”
    Mark chuckled. “Was anything else missing?”
    “Not that I noticed.” She shivered, in spite of the heat. “I can’t believe they were in the house with me.”
    “They? You only mentioned one person. You think there was more?”
    “Had to be.” She said it matter-of-fact. “That was a large flat screen TV. I don’t think one man could’ve carried it. It would have been too awkward.”
    He scanned his notes then looked up as Spencer came out the French doors. “I think that’s all for now. Thanks for your help, Miss Davis.”
    “Sure.” She looked at Spencer. “Are you done?”
    “Almost.” Spencer repeated a few of the same questions Mark had already asked. “Okay, that’s it. You may go inside now. I don’t think you’ll have any more problems. It looks like they cleaned out anything of value. The management company will need to supply a list of missing items. What about you? Were any personal items taken?”
    “I only had one suitcase and my laptop.” Her eyes widened. “I didn’t think to check.”
    Mark stood and touched her back. “How about we make sure nothing else is missing?” He followed her inside ignoring Spencer’s arched brow.
    She went straight to the master bedroom and opened the closet. “Whew. It’s still here.”
    “You store your laptop in the closet?”
    “I like to leave the blinds open and don’t want anyone walking by to be tempted. So yes, I keep it hidden in the closet.”
    He chuckled at her challenging tone and raised a hand. “It worked—at least regarding your laptop. I’ll need to remember that idea.”
    She grinned, then rifled through the dresser drawers. “It looks the same here.” She turned