MY LIFE SEEMS to be going in a good news, bad news pattern.
Good news — I won’t have to call Roland tonight.
Bad news — I won’t have to call him because when I drove up to my apartment he was already there, along with a bunch of the guys who work for him and some cops.
My alarm went off.
Seems that one of the features I was unaware of had been triggered. They installed a teeny tiny little camera in the rail system outside my door.
I can’t remember what it is called, but there is a rail about three feet high that is installed so that when a blind person is navigating around the complex, their cane will hit the rail system, and they won’t knock their head on the stairs.
They sent out a notice not all that long ago because people had been parking their bikes inside the rail and locking them to the bars. The management didn’t like the appearance of all the bikes locked to rails, so we were told you can’t put anything on there.
Evidently, pinhole cameras are exempt, or Roland didn’t ask permission.
Anyway, somebody tried to get into my apartment, and not only did they trigger the alarm that went to both Roland and the cops, but they got the person’s picture on camera.
Yay, Roland.
There was a cop parked right in front of my apartment. Roland and company had a laptop opened up on the hood of the police car, and they were talking until the technical people at Roland’s office emailed them a file that contained all the video they’d discussed.
Teagan whispered in my ear that she would bet good money that Roland was stalling so that his guys could get a step up on the cops.
I didn’t say a word because I wasn’t sure how much Roland had told the cops, and I didn’t want to say anything that would get Roland in trouble.
Can you get in trouble for not reporting a crime?
I know you can get in trouble for reporting one that never happened, but I doubt you can get in trouble for not reporting one that did happen.
The cops asked me some questions.
Basically I told them that Roland was taking care of everything security related.
The cop thought it was a little weird and said so.
I told him that I work for a fabulously wealthy woman who worries about me because I am young and single and indispensable.
The cop laughed and let it go.
Teagan and I set an O’Flynn record. Well, at least for us kids. Mom and Daddy might have gone more than ten minutes without talking, but Teagan and I rarely made it for a full minute.
Okay, truthfully we probably didn’t speak for more like three or four minutes, but it felt like forty-five so that should count as a record. Right?
Finally, Roland’s laptop dinged, kind of like an old-school egg timer, and he said it was the email with the picture.
He looked at it. Didn’t seem to register.
The cop looked at it. The picture didn’t seem to register with him either.
The cop asked me to look at it.
“See, I told you, Roland. I told you it was probably just kids.”
The cop asked. “Do you recognize them, ma’am?”
“Nope.”
“Are you sure?”
I took a closer look. I thought about all the kids I’ve seen in the complex. The kid in the picture didn’t look like any of them.
“I’ve never seen him before.”
“There’s another kid in the background. See him? Out by the pond. You recognize him?”
“Nope. He just looks like your basic kid. I don’t recognize either one, but I’ve gotta say, I feel a little better now. They look pretty harmless.”
“Ma’am, kids that are willing to break into your house in the middle of the day, they aren’t harmless.”
The cop looked at Roland. “Can you get me a copy of that image?”
“Sure.”
“I’m not sure we are going to be able to do anything with it, but I’ll get it in front of my guys.”
“Thanks.”
They shook hands like old buddies.
There was just something about Roland that struck me wrong.
I’m not positive what is going on, but I’m pretty sure that something is happening. Something that I missed.
He grabbed his laptop and handed it off to one of his guys. His guys all communicated by some secret head nod, or they each have super spy watches or something, because they all seemed to fade away at the same time.
Roland didn’t leave. Once the cops drove off, he asked quietly, “Cara, can we talk in your apartment?”
“Sure.”
I walked in and immediately went to the kitchen.
Seemed to me I would need a cup of tea, so I put the kettle on.
Roland stood in my kitchen, leaning against the dishwasher, with his arms folded across his chest.
“You did a good job with the cops out there. Thanks.”
“I didn’t know what I was supposed to say. When it has anything at all to do with Adeline or her business, I have learned if I don’t have anything constructive to add, to just keep my mouth shut.”
“That’s a good rule. So you knew they are ours?”
“What?”
“The kids.”
“I’m lost. How are they ours?”
“Sorry, I thought you caught it. I don’t know who the hell the one at the door was, but unless he is a complete doppelganger, the kid by the pond is Adeline’s grandson.”
“Oh crap. Adeline has a grandson?”
“You didn’t know?”
“I had no idea.”
“Any ideas why he’d be breaking into your house?”
“Not a clue.”
“We will find out. And, Cara?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Not a word of this to Adeline. I’m more concerned about her safety than ever.”