Page 35 of Spiritwarrior

“Did you go inside?”

“No, I was too afraid.”

“Which apartment is it?”

Sophie pointed down the hall. “I left the door open.”

“You stay here while I check it out,” he ordered, removing his gun from his holster. Deputy Bevere was scary looking, even before he pulled his gun, wearing his hair short in a military style that accented the broad planes of his face.

Sophie watched as he walked down the hallway then went into her apartment. Nervous, she waited for him to come back out. Biting her lip, she gripped her phone in case she needed to call 911 again. Shouldn’t he have backup?

When he didn’t immediately come back out, her tension increased. Then she was relieved when he did to nod to her.

As she walked down the hall, she kept her gaze trained on him, expecting the burglar to tackle him down.Get a grip, she told herself as she came up to him.

“The apartment is empty. Whoever it was did a number on the place.”

Reluctantly, she turned to look inside her apartment. “I saw the living room when I opened the door.”

“Your bedroom and bathroom are worse.”

“Great.” Almost in tears, she started to step into her apartment to see the damage for herself.

“I need for you to stay here. The sheriff is on his way, with a lab technician. Your apartment is going to have to be dusted for prints, as well as have pictures taken.”

Sophie stared at the destroyed mess inside her apartment and saw it for what it was—the straw that broke the camel’s back. She was done. There was no way she would have her mother and father come to Treepoint.

The burglar hadn’t been content to destroy what was lying around her apartment; they had ripped open boxes that she had yet to unpack.

Heartsick at seeing her childhood photos smashed on floor, she turned away to lean against the wall.

“Do you think the man who wanted the money Marty owed him did this?”

The deputy gave her a sympathetic glance. “That’s not a wild guess. I’d say it more than likely was. This is the first burglary in the last two years. He could have been looking for something you had that belonged to Marty.”

“I don’t have—”

“Sophie.”

Sophie turned at hearing Ginny’s voice. Both Ginny and Jody were coming down the hall. When Ginny reached her, she pulled her into her arms.

“What happened?” Ginny asked softly.

“Someone broke into my apartment. They broke my pictures … I don’t understand why they broke my pictures.”

“Could be a threatening tactic,” Deputy Bevere said grimly.

“Why would someone be threatening her?” Jody asked.

When the deputy remained silent, Sophie told them, “A man came into the restaurant a couple of days ago, asking for the money Marty owed him.”

“How much?” Ginny’s armed tightened around her proactively.

“Two hundred thousand.”

Raising her head from Ginny’s shoulder, she looked up and found Jody’s face. Dismayed at the formidable expression on it, she turned back to Ginny’s. “I’m okay now.”

“Are you sure?” Ginny released her but remained close to her side.

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