Page 49 of Tempting Fate
It seemed like forever until she heard a siren, and then a car. She left the gun where she found it and went downstairs when someone rang the bell.
“It’s Chief Shepard.”
She answered the door and let Rhys in.
“Gabe’s on his way.” She didn’t know why she’d offered that information and felt the need to add, “I called him first.”
He merely nodded. “Did you see anyone?”
“No, but I heard someone in the driveway. You didn’t see anyone when you drove up?”
“Nope.” Great, he didn’t believe her. “Let me have a look. Wait here.”
He went outside and she shut the door to keep the cold out. A few minutes later, she heard Gabe’s SUV pull up and felt instantly better. Safer. She watched out the window as the two men conferred. They were looking at something near her truck. She ran upstairs, found her ski jacket, slipped into her cowboy boots, and went outside.
The front porch was covered in snow and she was careful not to slip. Gabe lifted his head from his and Rhys’ huddle and motioned for her to join them. He met her at the steps and gave her a hand down.
“Come take a look at this.”
She followed him to her truck.
Rhys had turned on his headlights and part of the driveway was illuminated. He made room for her so she could peer inside the cab and swept a flashlight over the interior. “Don’t touch anything.”
Her glovebox was open and its contents were scattered on the passenger seat and floor.
“Did you leave it like that?” Rhys asked.
“No.” It had been so long since she’d opened the glovebox that she didn’t even know what was in there. She kept her vehicle registration and proof of insurance clipped to her visor and her phone charger in the center console. “So I didn’t imagine the noises?”
“Doesn’t look like it,” Rhys said, and she noted his hair was smooshed and the shirt peeking out of his jacket was inside out. He must’ve come straight from bed.
“What do you think they were looking for?” Gabe asked.
“Cash, a credit card, I don’t know.” She checked to make sure her stereo was still there, then scanned the space behind her back seat. Her sweater, a pair of gym shoes, and a nylon shopping bag didn’t appear to have been touched. “You probably interrupted them before they could steal anything.”
“Take another look and tell me if you see anything missing,” Rhys said, and began taking pictures of the glovebox and the stuff spilling out.
“I don’t keep valuables in my truck.” Not since moving to LA. “You think it was kids, screwing around?” She couldn’t imagine anyone breaking into cars in Nugget.
Rhys and Gabe exchanged glances.
“Could be,” Rhys said. “Were you able to make anything out in the dark?”
“Not a thing. But they were loud enough to wake me.”
Gabe turned to look at the house, which was still dark. In her haste to answer the door, she hadn’t even turned on the porch light.
“Whoever it was probably thought no one was home,” he said. “Just about everyone in town knew Logan and Annie were going on their honeymoon.”
“Nothing appears to be missing.” Even so, Raylene was creeped out that a stranger had pawed through her stuff and nervous about being here alone.
Rhys walked around her Ford, sweeping his flashlight over the ground. “Come see this,” he told Gabe.
They both crouched down in the snow, and Raylene went over to see what had caught their attention.
“Footprints,” Gabe said. “It looks like two different sizes.”
“How do you know they’re not yours and mine?” She and Gabe had crossed the driveway several times as they’d loaded his SUV for their treasure hunt that morning.
