“You guys are the best,” Jade enthused, as Katelyn pulled into the driveway of her apartment.

“Can I just pull all the way toward the back so you don’t have so far to walk?” Katelyn asked.

“Oh, yeah. My landlords are away this week so I’ve got the whole driveway…well, if I had a car, I would. Damn! My car. I have no idea what I’m going to do. I need to add calling Jason on my list of things to take care of and see if my insurance agent has come out yet to see it.”

“Don’t worry about anything now, sweetie,” Tori said. “Just take one thing at a time.”

Jillian assisted her out of the back seat and steadied her until she could stand on her own. Moving to her outside door, she stopped suddenly, Jillian almost running into the back of her.

“My door,” she gasped.

The other women leaned around to see what she was staring at and instantly Tori was on her phone.

“Mitch, get to Jade’s house quickly. Someone’s tried to break in…or maybe they’re still up there. Right…right.” She looked up and said, “Mitch says to get back and stay away. He’s heading straight over.”

“I need to see—” she started, but Jillian pulled her back carefully.

“No, honey. We’ve got no idea if someone is still up there.”

“But…but…” she protested feebly, allowing her friends to turn her as they hurried back to the car. “I don’t want to leave.”

“We need to get back until the police get here,” Katelyn said.

The sound of sirens filled the air, and within a minute three BPD police SUVs pulled into the driveway. Mitch jumped out, racing toward them as they backed away from the house. Ginny and Grant bolted from another SUV, Burt and Sam from yet another, and Lance screeched to a halt right behind them.

Having heard the call while he was in with Mildred, signing his official paperwork, Lance ran toward Jade and, as their eyes met, she lifted her arms, accepting his as he swooped in, holding her close.

“My lock’s been busted,” she said, her voice registering her disbelief.

“Babe, I need you to stay back.” Looking at the other women, he said, “All of you, get inside your vehicle and stay there until we come back.”

Running to her apartment door, he and the other officers drew their weapons, entering the narrow staircase.

“Jesus, is this the only entrance?” Ginny asked. “What happens in case of a fire?”

“There’s a door in her apartment that leads to the upstairs hall of the owners. Jade’s got a key.”

Mitch ordered, “Ginny, Grant, Burt, get the key from her and take the house entrance. Sam, guard out here. Lance, you’re with me.”

As everyone dispersed, he and Mitch carefully ascended the staircase. Calling out their identification as they arrived at the top, noting Jade’s door had been pried open, they threw it wide, hurrying inside.

“Fuck,” Lance cursed, seeing the trashed rooms.

Ascertaining that there was no one in her apartment and the door leading to the lower floor had not been disturbed, Mitch unlocked it, allowing the others access.

“Shit,” Grant said under his breath. Looking up, he directed at him, “Lance, you were just here. Do you know what they were looking for?”

He cast an appraising eye around the living room, but with the vast destruction, it was hard to tell if there was anything specific the perpetrators were looking for or if it was just vandalism. Shaking his head, he said, “No, but I gotta tell you that I was starting to connect the dots between Jade being in the news and someone running her off the road.”

“You think it was more than just kids?” Burt asked.

“I sure as shit do now,” he responded, barely containing his anger.

“Sam,” Mitch called down on his radio, “we need Jade to come up here. Lance is coming down to assist.”

He nodded, knowing she was needed to identify what might have been taken, but his heart jolted at the idea of her seeing her beloved apartment. He started down the stairs, hating what he had to do.

A moment later, he re-entered, carrying her in his arms, feeling her body jerk as her gaze landed on the mess.

“Oh, my God!” Katelyn yelled, entering right behind, with Jillian and Tori on her heels.

“Tori,” Mitch barked, moving to her side, “you can’t be here.”

“But Mitch,” she protested.

“Honey, this is a crime scene. I know you and the girls want to support Jade, but right now, you three have to go.”

Grant moved to Jillian and talked to her quietly. After a moment, she nodded and Jillian said to Katelyn and Tori, “Come on, ladies. Let’s get some help for Jade so that when she’s finished with this, we can take care of her.”

Lance set Jade down on the floor, keeping a steadying hand on her waist. Peering around to observe her face, he saw the instant it hit her—the violation of her home.

“Oh, God,” she cried, her voice shaky.

Cursing once more, he pulled her into his chest, rocking her back and forth as his hand moved along her back in circles.

“Okay, we don’t need to do this now,” Mitch said comfortingly, but his words jolted through Jade.

“Yes, we do,” she said, pulling her tearful face from Lance’s shirt. Lifting her good hand, she wiped her eyes and nose. She shook with anger, adding, “I need to do this. Whoever did this to me, I want them caught!”

Sucking in a cleansing breath, she turned toward the kitchen, and viewed the mess. Drawers were pulled out, even the items in the refrigerator and freezer had been rifled through. “It doesn’t look like anything was taken,” she said, still wiping her nose. “It’s just been tossed around.”

Taking the proffered tissue from Ginny, she blew her nose before moving into the living room. Cushions cut open. Books pulled down from shelves. Shaking her head, she hobbled into the bedroom, where the same treatment had been applied to her bed. Her dresser drawers were pulled out but, like in the kitchen, they appeared to be tossed with nothing stolen.

Sighing heavily, she said, “Maybe this won’t be too much to clean up. I’ll have to replace the mattress and sofa, but it really looks like just teens or someone wanting to cause a mess.”

Turning back to the officers following her, she looked up into Lance’s eyes and said, “Why? Why would teenagers try to run me off the road and then trash my place?”

He shared a glance with the others before saying, “Jade, honey, I don’t think it was teenagers.”

Her brow furrowed as his words sunk in, and she shook her head slightly. “I don’t understand, Lance. Who would do this?”

“Jade, can you check the bathroom…any drugs…or anything, missing?” Mitch prompted.

With Lance’s assistance, she stepped over the bedroom mess into the bathroom but found more of the same. Nothing missing, just a mess. Jesus, even my tampons were dumped onto the floor. Feeling violated, she moved back into the living room, looking around again. “Nothing was taken. Not my TV, not my laptop…nothing.”

Looking at the floor, she shook her head. “All my things…even my jars of sea glass were dumped onto the floor. It’s all just a mess.”

A sudden movement behind Burt had them all turning around. Sam appeared, his face red from climbing the stairs, but he looked right at Mitch, saying, “Sorry, Chief. But Mildred just called. The body’s been identified…it’s George Caday…the fisherman.”

At that pronouncement, she collapsed.