Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry

across her skin. She hadn’t been imagining things. Someone had been here.
    A few steps took her to the shed door. With a vague thought of fingerprints, she didn’t touch it. She’d shine the light inside, that’s all. There was no way of knowing if anything was missing, but at least she could see if it looked disturbed. And get an idea of what she had to deal with.
    She leaned forward, light piercing the darkness, giving her a jumbled view of wooden pieces—straight chairs, tables, shelves, even an old icebox, jammed on top of each other…
    A quick impression of movement, a dark figure. She couldn’t react, couldn’t even scream as a hand shot out, shoving her into the toolshed.
    She barreled into the edge of a table, cracking her head on something above it. Stars showered through the darkness. She stumbled, hitting the floor just as the door banged shut.
    For an instant dizziness engulfed her, followed by a wave of sheer, uncontrollable panic. She was shut in, she was alone in the dark—
    She bolted to her feet, grabbed at the door, fumbling for a handle, a latch. “Let me out!”
    Shout, don’t cry, don’t let yourself cry or the panic will take over.
    “Help! Help me!”
    The door jerked open, and she hurtled out. She caught back a sob, her hands closing on the soft fabric of a shirt and solid muscle. She knew him by instinct before she could see him.
    “Cal—there was someone here. Did you see him?”
    He pulled her clear of the door and slammed it shut. “Are you okay?”
    “Yes.” They’d had this exchange before, hadn’t they? “I’m fine. Did you see him?”
    “I saw him.” He sounded grim. “Not enough to describe him, unfortunately. You?”
    She shook her head. “Just a blur of movement when he pushed me into the shed. I’m sorry.”
    He grunted, a frustrated sound. “I was following him. If you hadn’t sounded the alarm, I might have caught him.”
     
     
    Cal shook his head in response to Katherine’s repeated offer of another cup of chamomile tea. “No, thanks, I’ve had plenty.” One cup of the pale brew was surely enough to satisfy the demands of politeness.
    “I think that’s everything we need.” The young township cop sat awkwardly at the kitchen table, looking half-afraid to touch the delicate Haviland cup and saucer that sat in front of him.
    “Do you think you’ll catch the thief?” Katherine was as much at ease in her kitchen, wearing a fuzzy red bathrobe, as if she sat in the parlor.
    “That might be too much to expect, Grams.” Andrea spoke before the cop could come up with an answer. “None of us actually saw the man, and he didn’t take anything, as far as we know.”
    While the cop’s attitude toward Katherine was one of respect bordering on awe, the glance he turned on Andrea was simply admiration.
    Cal understood. Even casual and disheveled, wearing jeans and a loose blue shirt, Andrea was cool and elegant.
    And frosty, when she looked at him. Apparently hiscomment about her interfering with his pursuit of the intruder still rankled.
    “I’d best be on my way, ma’am.” The cop rose, settling his uniform cap over a thatch of straw-colored hair as he headed for the back door. “We’ll do the best we can to keep an eye on the place.”
    “Thank you, Officer.” Katherine was graciousness itself. “We appreciate that.”
    Once the door closed behind him, Cal shook his head. “That won’t be often enough. The township cops have too much territory to cover and too few men. What you need out there is better lighting.”
    “That’s just what I was thinking.” Once again Andrea looked faintly surprised to find herself agreeing with him. “I’ll call about it in the morning.”
    “I don’t think that’s necessary. If we leave on the lights we have, that should suffice.” Katherine set a cup and saucer in the sink, the china chattering against itself, betraying her emotion.
    “I can install them,” he said, knowing she was probably worrying