Free Sinister Sprinkles by Jessica Beck Page B

here in the street all by ourselves.”
    “I don’t like this, Suzanne,” she said, her voice starting to crack.
    “It’s going to be okay,” I said.
    She reached into a deep pocket for her phone when I said, “Hang on a second.”
    Driving up the road was one of our April Springs police cruisers, and I’d never been so happy to see one in my life. I threw out my arms and started waving frantically, so the officer would make no mistake that I was trying to flag him down and not offering an enthusiastic greeting instead.
    It was Officer Grant, my one real friend on the force.
    He pulled up to the lip of snow bracketing the road and rolled down his window. “What’s wrong, Suzanne?”
    “It looks like somebody broke into Grace’s house,” I said as I pointed toward it.
    He nodded. “Stay right there. I’ll check it out.”
    Officer Grant somehow managed to pull the cruiser up over the piled snow, and I saw that the car had chains on its tires. As he got out, I started toward him, but he held one hand up for me to stay where I was as he unbuckled his gun and pulled it out.
    Okay, I know when to take a hint, even if a direct order is lost on me at times.
    Grace stood beside me in the cold, falling snow, but neither one of us said a word. I didn’t know about her, but I was bracing myself for the sound of a gunshot. After what felt like a lifetime later, the front door opened again, and Officer Grant came out, his revolver back in its holster.
    He waved for us to approach, and we hurried toward him.
    “Whoever was in there is long gone,” he said.
    “Are you sure?” Grace asked.
    He nodded. “Oh yes. I checked under every bed, and in all the closets. Trust me, he’s gone.”
    “Could you tell if anything is missing?” I asked.
    “No, the television’s still there, and I found some jewelry in the bedroom that looked valuable, along with four one-hundred-dollar-bills in the bottom of the case. You really should find a better hiding place for your money.”
    “I keep meaning to, but I never seem to get around to it,” she said.
    Officer Grant frowned as he added, “There are a few dirty dishes in the sink, and there’s a pillow and blanket on the couch. I’m guessing that whoever broke in just wanted a place to ride out the storm last night.”
    “What if he comes back?” she asked, the edge of hysteria clear in her voice.
    “When he sees that your lights on, he’ll move on to someplace else. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye on your house.”
    “Thanks, but I won’t be staying here tonight,” Grace said.
    I put my arm around her. “That’s not even an option. You’re coming home with me, remember?”
    She nodded, then Grace asked Officer Grant, “Would you mind staying here a few minutes, just long enough for me to pack a few things?”
    He nodded. “Sure thing. Just don’t take too long.”
    “No problem there.”
    She started inside, then said, “I know I’m being silly, but would you two mind coming into the living room while I pack?”
    “We’ll be glad to,” I said, trying to be as reassuring as I could. “Now, let’s get you packed so we can head back to my place.”
    Officer Grant and I did as Grace asked, and as we stood in the living room, I realized both of us were intently listening to her move around in the other rooms.
    After a minute, I pointed to the front door and asked, “Is there something we should do about that in the meantime?” It was pretty clear from the inside that someone had forced the door open. The jamb was split, and a few shards of wood were on the floor.
    He nodded. “We’ll barricade it for now, and use the side door when we leave. Give me a hand with this couch, okay?”
    I nodded, and we shoved it into place, blocking the door as firmly as we could. Grace had a side entrance, and though we were going to have to muck through some snow to get out that way, it was better than leaving the front door wide open for another intruder to just walk on