putting the house back in order, but she knew better. On the other hand, she didn't want to
see
the mess again and be reminded that this wasn't just a bad dream. She paced around the kitchen for a few minutes. It occurred to her that she should let Charles know what had happened, but she wasn't looking forward to that. He'd be pissed, and probably act like it was her fault. She was sure she'd set the security alarm before she left. She started to dial his office, then remembered the big meeting and called his cell. Thankfully she got voice-mail and left a message without having to speak to him.
Jennifer decided she ought to go wait outside, but even as she stepped onto the porch she saw the police car pulling up to the curb. At least he wasn't using the lights and siren. A short chubby man with curly dark hair got out of the car and came up to her.
"Officer Sam Barclay, Ma'am," he said by way of introduction. "You're Mrs. Greene?"
"Yes, I am," Jennifer said a bit breathlessly. "Oh, it's
horrible
! The whole house has been torn apart!"
"You reported a burglary." It was not a question. "Are you sure the burglar is gone, apparently you've been inside the home."
"Yes," Jennifer said in answer to both statements. "I just got home and the door was open a little and, you know, I wondered why so I went on in. I saw the den first, but then went all through the house - I never thought he might still
be
there."
Officer Barclay inspected the front door and then they both went inside. He noticed the security keypad by the door and noted that the system was off. Though she swore she'd set it before leaving, his demeanor made it clear he was skeptical. She took him on a quick tour of the house so he could see the damage.
He suggested they talk in the dining room. He could see that she needed to sit down, and hopefully it would be a calming spot since it hadn't been disturbed. He wondered about that when they went into the room, as it didn't look very comfortable to him. The cream walls and gold carpet somehow looked cool and sterile. The furniture was made from some kind of blond wood, and had very simple square lines. Abstract paintings in cool colors on the walls didn't warm it up any, either.
Office Barclay called the forensics crew to come take fingerprints and any other evidence. Jennifer told him she'd been shopping with a friend, when she'd left the friend's house and returned here. He asked if any other family members would have been home and she told him her husband rarely came home during the day and Justin was at school.
"Do you keep anything of value in the home?" the officer asked. "Anything that someone might have known about?"
"We have, I don't know, the usual stuff I guess. Nothing specially, like, important," she said.
"It doesn't have to be unusual to be worth stealing," he replied a little sarcastically. For instance, do you have silver in the buffet over there?"
Jennifer said, "Oh!" and jumped up to pull open a drawer. "Yes, the silver's still here," she said. "But my jewelry's all gone upstairs."
Officer Barclay wrote that down. "Is there anything else missing that you know of?" he asked.
"Well, my husband often keeps cash in his desk drawer, you know, the one in his office. The drawers were all dumped, he must've taken it." She replied.
"How much was there, do you know?"
"No, Charles never said. He, you know, likes to keep some money around just in case. He always gives me spending-money when I ask, he doesn't like me messing around in his office." Jennifer gave the cop her best smile to cover the fact that her last statement might have sounded a little suspicious.
"So you wouldn't know if anything else was missing from the office then?" he asked.
Jennifer thought for a minute. "Well, there were the coins. He showed them to me once when we were dating. We've only been married just over a year," she said.
"A coin collection?" he inquired. "Did he say it was valuable?" He started to ask for more
see
the mess again and be reminded that this wasn't just a bad dream. She paced around the kitchen for a few minutes. It occurred to her that she should let Charles know what had happened, but she wasn't looking forward to that. He'd be pissed, and probably act like it was her fault. She was sure she'd set the security alarm before she left. She started to dial his office, then remembered the big meeting and called his cell. Thankfully she got voice-mail and left a message without having to speak to him.
Jennifer decided she ought to go wait outside, but even as she stepped onto the porch she saw the police car pulling up to the curb. At least he wasn't using the lights and siren. A short chubby man with curly dark hair got out of the car and came up to her.
"Officer Sam Barclay, Ma'am," he said by way of introduction. "You're Mrs. Greene?"
"Yes, I am," Jennifer said a bit breathlessly. "Oh, it's
horrible
! The whole house has been torn apart!"
"You reported a burglary." It was not a question. "Are you sure the burglar is gone, apparently you've been inside the home."
"Yes," Jennifer said in answer to both statements. "I just got home and the door was open a little and, you know, I wondered why so I went on in. I saw the den first, but then went all through the house - I never thought he might still
be
there."
Officer Barclay inspected the front door and then they both went inside. He noticed the security keypad by the door and noted that the system was off. Though she swore she'd set it before leaving, his demeanor made it clear he was skeptical. She took him on a quick tour of the house so he could see the damage.
He suggested they talk in the dining room. He could see that she needed to sit down, and hopefully it would be a calming spot since it hadn't been disturbed. He wondered about that when they went into the room, as it didn't look very comfortable to him. The cream walls and gold carpet somehow looked cool and sterile. The furniture was made from some kind of blond wood, and had very simple square lines. Abstract paintings in cool colors on the walls didn't warm it up any, either.
Office Barclay called the forensics crew to come take fingerprints and any other evidence. Jennifer told him she'd been shopping with a friend, when she'd left the friend's house and returned here. He asked if any other family members would have been home and she told him her husband rarely came home during the day and Justin was at school.
"Do you keep anything of value in the home?" the officer asked. "Anything that someone might have known about?"
"We have, I don't know, the usual stuff I guess. Nothing specially, like, important," she said.
"It doesn't have to be unusual to be worth stealing," he replied a little sarcastically. For instance, do you have silver in the buffet over there?"
Jennifer said, "Oh!" and jumped up to pull open a drawer. "Yes, the silver's still here," she said. "But my jewelry's all gone upstairs."
Officer Barclay wrote that down. "Is there anything else missing that you know of?" he asked.
"Well, my husband often keeps cash in his desk drawer, you know, the one in his office. The drawers were all dumped, he must've taken it." She replied.
"How much was there, do you know?"
"No, Charles never said. He, you know, likes to keep some money around just in case. He always gives me spending-money when I ask, he doesn't like me messing around in his office." Jennifer gave the cop her best smile to cover the fact that her last statement might have sounded a little suspicious.
"So you wouldn't know if anything else was missing from the office then?" he asked.
Jennifer thought for a minute. "Well, there were the coins. He showed them to me once when we were dating. We've only been married just over a year," she said.
"A coin collection?" he inquired. "Did he say it was valuable?" He started to ask for more
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