Page 38 of Trial Run

Reggie’s eyes were hooded and dark and her lips were swollen. “What?” She looked around. “Oh, wait. It’s your phone.” She pointed at the table. “It’s buzzing.”

Brooke jerked out of her own haze when she saw Ben’s picture on the screen. She grabbed the phone. “Ben, are you okay?”

“Sure, but have you seen the news?”

“What?” She couldn’t compute why her twelve-year-old son was asking her about the news and it wasn’t just because she was high from Reggie’s kiss. “What’s going on?”

“I just texted you the link. Isn’t that the lady whose trial you’re on?”

Brooke punched the button to put her phone on speaker and laid it on the table while she scrolled through her texts. Ben had sent her a link to a live newsfeed with a reporter on the scene at Shirley Mitchell’s house in Highland Park. Brooke couldn’t tell at first what was going on, but after she read the caption at the top of the screen, she knew she wanted Ben home. Right now. She spoke carefully, so as not to alarm him. “Thanks, Ben. You better get on home. It’s time for dinner.”

“Okay, Mom,” he said, disconnecting the line.

“What is it?” Reggie asked.

Brooke pointed at the screen and turned up the volume.

“Returning live to our reporter in the field, Bruce Tasco who is at the home of Shirley Mitchell, the developer currently on trialfor fraud. An intruder broke into her home earlier this evening. Bruce, what can you tell us so far?”

“Not much, Suzanne. A neighbor called in the report and, although the Mitchell residence has a registered security system, the intruder would have eluded detection if the next-door neighbor hadn’t happened to see him from their upstairs window.”

“Were the police able to apprehend the suspect?”

“According to my sources, the intruder escaped, but the police cordoned off the house and called for a crime scene unit.” The camera panned to the street and zoomed in on a CSU van. “It’s my understanding Mitchell wasn’t home at the time, but her children were here with their nanny, although I do not know if they were in the area of the house where the intruder broke in.”

“Any word on a motive or if this break-in has anything to do with the pending trial?”

“That remains to be seen. I’ve spoken with several neighbors and shock is the common thread of their responses. Break-ins aren’t common in this neighborhood, and the general feeling is this has to be an anomaly.”

“Thanks, Bruce. We’ll come back to you later to see if there are any updates.”

Brooke closed the app and checked her texts. Nothing. She checked the time. Ben had stayed after school to do some extra credit work with Mr. Lawrence who’d promised to drop him at home when they were done. School was a five-minute drive from here. If they’d gotten in the car right after she’d talked to Ben, they should be pulling up to the house right about now.

“Brooke?”

She jerked around, half surprised to see Reggie still standing there. “Sorry, stuck in my head.”

“Ben’s going to be okay.”

“He should be home now.”

Reggie pointed at the phone. “We don’t know if that has anything to do with Harry Benton.”

“Come on, Reggie, you know we do. Do you think it’s a coincidence that someone tried to break into Shirley Mitchell’s house the same day that Benton threatened her? You of all people should know what he is capable of.”

Reggie flinched slightly at the comment and Brooke regretted going there, but she stood by her point. “I do. That’s why I made sure Ben has an officer watching out for him.”

Brooke stepped closer and put her arms around Reggie, leaning her forward against hers. “I’m sorry. That was a shitty thing to say.”

Reggie tightened their embrace. “You’re worried. I get it. You have every right to be and I’m right there with you.”

The creak of the front door opening caused them both to turn in that direction. Brooke slipped out of Reggie’s arms and raced to the door to find Ben shrugging out of his backpack.

“Hi, Mom. Did you watch the video?”

She wrapped him in her arms, ignoring his plea that she was squeezing him too tight. “I did. What made you think to send it to me?”

“I dunno. I recognized the name. If someone broke into her house, is someone going to break into ours because you’re involved in the trial?” He looked over her shoulder. “Hi, Reggie! Are you staying for dinner?”

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