Page 68 of Acting on Instinct
“It’s very kind of you to go to all this trouble. Thank you.” Kira tipped her head to lean it on the window.
“We would be here to support you regardless,” Gator said as he climbed behind the wheel, “since you’re part of the Iniquus family, now.”
“How do you mean?” Kira asked.
“Ty is the new Lead for Team Delta,” Gator said as he pulled out of their parking spot and steered toward the exit. “He didn’t tell you?”
“No. Well …” Kira’s voice drifted off as she thought back to Lula asking her about that just before she got London’s ring. “No.” She cleared her throat. “He didn’t say anything.”
“You knew he interviewed for a job with us?” Gator asked.
“Yes, well, that was months ago, and nothing seemed to come of it.”
Silence filled the cab, and Kira leaned her head against the windowpane, grateful for the cold, and she zoned out.
“Here we are,” Gator said, pulling into the parking lot of a hotel that looked expensive and secure.
Kira’s phone rang, and she grabbed it from her pocket, hoping that it was Lula.
Text:Durham Police on scene at 693 Labradorite Crescent. Click the link to connect with the responding officer.
“Durham police. Should I answer it?” Kira didn’t wait for their answer as she tapped the screen. “Hello?” She touched the speaker, so Lynx and Gator could hear.
“Hello, ma’am, this is Durham P.D. We’re trying to reach the owner of 693 Labradorite Crescent.”
Kira wrapped her hand around her throat. “This is she.”
“Ma’am. Your neighbor, Mrs. Hallsworth, gave us this phone number.”
“Yes. That’s my neighbor. Is she alright?”
“Yes, ma’am. She called the police station when she noticed what she said was unusual activity at your house. We came to investigate and found that your front door was not closed all the way, and a side window was broken. We believe the intruders entered through your window and left without shutting your door. Can you come back to your house to close up?”
“Oh,” Kira exhaled. “No, I’m out of town.”
“It doesn’t look like a robbery. We think they may have come in to look for something specific. Your rugs were lifted, your pillows slashed, and paintings were pulled from the walls.”
“Looking for something?” Kira shook her head. “I … I … like what kind of something?”
“I don’t know, ma’am. Perhaps it was something you could think of, and I can take it to the station to hold until your return?”
“I can’t imagine. I don’t have any idea.” Kira caught hold of her nose as it buzzed. There it was again, the damned ringing in her ears.
Someone had been in her house. Were they looking for a clue to where she’d gone? Were they looking for something specific, perhaps the ring that London had sent her?
The timing wasn’t innocent, of that Kira was certain. “I’m on a trip for a couple of days to see a friend. I can’t get back immediately. Do I need to call a service to secure my house?”
“That’s up to you, ma’am. But Mr. Hallsworth has offered to cover the window with a board. The door can be shut and locked.”
“That’s so nice of him. Please tell Dan, uhm, Mr. Hallsworth that I appreciate the help.”
As soon as she hung up, Lynx asked, “Do you really not know what someone might be looking for?”
“No. Nothing. My passports are all I can think of, and I have both of them with me.”
“All right, when I get back to Iniquus,” Gator said, “we’ll call someone in the area to go to your house, look around, and get photos for you. There might be a clue in where they searched.”
Lynx swiveled around in her chair to look Kira in the eye. “Turn your phone on airplane mode. You won’t be using it for a while.”
