starring role.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry to wake you, Penny, but your car has been broken into. Sam here needs your keys.”
She forgot her state of undress and yanked open the door.
“What!”
“Your car alarm went off and someone called it in to the station. Sam responded and found the passenger side window of your car had been shattered. You probably didn’t hear the alarm up here, did you?”
Penny looked past him to the diffident blonde youth standing behind him.
“No,” she mumbled. “I was...asleep.” She blushed and looked away.
Matt tilted his head in a sympathetic gesture. “I’m sorry, Penny. It’s definitely your car. No chance it’s a rental, is it?” He looked at her hopefully.
Penny shook her head. “No, it’s mine. Let me get some clothes on and my keys, and I’ll come downstairs.”
“We’ll wait out here.”
Penny left the door open and ran to the bedroom to pull on a pair of jeans. She stuffed her nightgown into the jeans and grabbed a heavy sweatshirt. Slipping into some flip flops, she grabbed her purse and opened the door.
Sam, a quiet young man, led the way down the stairs followed by Penny and then Matt. She fervently hoped it was someone else’s car.
“Are you sure it’s my car?” She twisted around to look at Matt.
“Yes, it’s yours.”
Penny’s shoulders slumped. Several small lights cast a faint glow over the cars. They approached her car which had been parked nearest the stairs. Fragments of glass lay everywhere--on the ground beside the car, inside on the passenger’s and driver’s seats.
At the sight of the destruction, Penny started to shake. She’d never been a victim of vandalism or theft before.
She gave Sam her keys, and he moved around to the driver’s side. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold though the night air seemed unseasonably balmy for January.
“Who would do this? Do you think they were trying to steal the car?”
Matt shook his head and clicked his tongue. “I don’t know. They didn’t take the car, so... They’re not real hard to hot wire. Are you missing anything?”
“No, I didn’t leave anything in it. The stereo is still there.” She peered into the car. “Could they even get it out? It looks like it’s in there pretty tight.”
A corner of Matt’s lips lifted, albeit with a tired tilt. “Sure, thieves can disconnect anything if they want it bad enough. Looks like whoever did this wasn’t into stereos. I’m wondering...” He glanced at her quickly and bit his lip.
Penny knew what he was wondering. She’d wondered the same thing herself but didn’t want to tie the two incidents together. It would be much better for her if each were random.
“You’re wondering if it’s tied to that phone call yesterday,” she said as she hunched into her crossed arms once again.
“Yeah,” he said ruefully. “I am.”
“I hope not,” Penny said. “I can’t imagine who would do this.” She swallowed hard and distracted herself by watching Sam. “What’s he doing?” She watched the young officer put the key in the ignition and turn on the engine.
“He’s getting your odometer reading and stuff. You’re going to need it for the insurance. And he’s going to check your trunk.”
She eyed him curiously. “Why are you here, Matt? I mean...I’m glad you are, but you don’t respond to every single call in this town, do you?”
Matt threw her a quick glance and then dropped his eyes to the glass at their feet.
“No, I don’t. I was just on my way home, heard the call and the address on the radio and came over to see what happened.”
“Well, I’m finished here, Chief. If you would just read and sign this, ma’am.”
For the second time that day, Penny signed an official statement. Sam said his goodbyes and got into his cruiser parked near the driveway entrance and pulled out.
Penny turned to survey the mess once again and sighed. “I’d better go get a broom and get
“What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry to wake you, Penny, but your car has been broken into. Sam here needs your keys.”
She forgot her state of undress and yanked open the door.
“What!”
“Your car alarm went off and someone called it in to the station. Sam responded and found the passenger side window of your car had been shattered. You probably didn’t hear the alarm up here, did you?”
Penny looked past him to the diffident blonde youth standing behind him.
“No,” she mumbled. “I was...asleep.” She blushed and looked away.
Matt tilted his head in a sympathetic gesture. “I’m sorry, Penny. It’s definitely your car. No chance it’s a rental, is it?” He looked at her hopefully.
Penny shook her head. “No, it’s mine. Let me get some clothes on and my keys, and I’ll come downstairs.”
“We’ll wait out here.”
Penny left the door open and ran to the bedroom to pull on a pair of jeans. She stuffed her nightgown into the jeans and grabbed a heavy sweatshirt. Slipping into some flip flops, she grabbed her purse and opened the door.
Sam, a quiet young man, led the way down the stairs followed by Penny and then Matt. She fervently hoped it was someone else’s car.
“Are you sure it’s my car?” She twisted around to look at Matt.
“Yes, it’s yours.”
Penny’s shoulders slumped. Several small lights cast a faint glow over the cars. They approached her car which had been parked nearest the stairs. Fragments of glass lay everywhere--on the ground beside the car, inside on the passenger’s and driver’s seats.
At the sight of the destruction, Penny started to shake. She’d never been a victim of vandalism or theft before.
She gave Sam her keys, and he moved around to the driver’s side. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold though the night air seemed unseasonably balmy for January.
“Who would do this? Do you think they were trying to steal the car?”
Matt shook his head and clicked his tongue. “I don’t know. They didn’t take the car, so... They’re not real hard to hot wire. Are you missing anything?”
“No, I didn’t leave anything in it. The stereo is still there.” She peered into the car. “Could they even get it out? It looks like it’s in there pretty tight.”
A corner of Matt’s lips lifted, albeit with a tired tilt. “Sure, thieves can disconnect anything if they want it bad enough. Looks like whoever did this wasn’t into stereos. I’m wondering...” He glanced at her quickly and bit his lip.
Penny knew what he was wondering. She’d wondered the same thing herself but didn’t want to tie the two incidents together. It would be much better for her if each were random.
“You’re wondering if it’s tied to that phone call yesterday,” she said as she hunched into her crossed arms once again.
“Yeah,” he said ruefully. “I am.”
“I hope not,” Penny said. “I can’t imagine who would do this.” She swallowed hard and distracted herself by watching Sam. “What’s he doing?” She watched the young officer put the key in the ignition and turn on the engine.
“He’s getting your odometer reading and stuff. You’re going to need it for the insurance. And he’s going to check your trunk.”
She eyed him curiously. “Why are you here, Matt? I mean...I’m glad you are, but you don’t respond to every single call in this town, do you?”
Matt threw her a quick glance and then dropped his eyes to the glass at their feet.
“No, I don’t. I was just on my way home, heard the call and the address on the radio and came over to see what happened.”
“Well, I’m finished here, Chief. If you would just read and sign this, ma’am.”
For the second time that day, Penny signed an official statement. Sam said his goodbyes and got into his cruiser parked near the driveway entrance and pulled out.
Penny turned to survey the mess once again and sighed. “I’d better go get a broom and get
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