Page 32 of Her Braun
He nodded. "It's going to be difficult for her knowing that a stranger was in her house. I'm glad Jake called me."
He saw the way Joe tilted her head to look at him.
She might be married to Mats, but she was definitely a police officer. She had the mind and skills to become a detective, and she was training her well trained eyes on him. "You know the doctor, Lieutenant?"
Gibson smiled. "You know that everyone knows everyone in the first responder community, right?"
The look she gave him was tantamount to calling him out on his bullshit. "Okay, so this is a private thing. Got it."
Gibson turned his head as Jacob Rafferty stepped out onto the sidewalk from the neighboring property. "Jake. Thanks for the call."
Jacob wore his job well as a detective. Contrary to some of the officers that Gibson had met, men who seemed to be languishing in their jobs and not all that eager to keep up with the world around them, Jacob kept himself at the forefront of his health and his skills.
Jacob lifted his chin in greeting. "No problem. I love throwing you business. It's good that you send me your schedule when you get it." He pointed at the house over his shoulder. "The owner is a Doctor at Cole. Doctor-"
"Kay." Gibson probably should have held back, but he'd blurted it out. "Kay Hata. I know her."
Jacob lifted a brow at that, and Gibson knew that he'd admitted more than he'd intended to.
"Well that makes this more interesting. Has she told you anything about her neighbors?"
Gibson paused and thought over Jacob's words and the tone of his voice. "I've met Mister Langston next door that way." Gibson gestured at the far side of the driveway. "He's a good guy. He keeps an eye on Kay and her house."
Jacob nodded. "Yeah. He's the one who reported the break in. He went out to water his flower in the back yard and saw the broken glass in one of the windowpanes."
Gibson nodded. "I'm sure Kay's going to thank him for calling you."
Jacob's expression darkened. "He was beside himself when he realized he didn't see the guy breaking in. I offered to call EMS to check up on him. To give him some sedatives."
Gibson winced at his words. "How did Mister Langston react to that?"
Jacob lifted a knowing brow. "Looks and sounds like you know before I say anything."
Nodding, Gibson blew out a breath. "I doubt he took the sedative."
"That's a nice way of putting it. The man looked at me as if I'd suggested putting a .44 in his brain."
"He's probably taking it hard that he didn’t see the guy or stop it from happening."
"How do you know he didn't see the guy?"
Gibson shook his head. "If he had, he'd be shouting down the heavens to arrest the guy or searching for him up and down the streets."
"Sounds like you do know him."
Gibson gestured toward the house. "I'm going to go back there and see what I'll need to board it up."
Jacob turned and looked at the house, his displeasure written plainly on his face. "Sad to see it happen. Kay sounded pretty torn up about it. It'll do her good to have the windows boarded up before she comes home."
Gibson stared at the back of Jacob's head, trying to evaluate his words. It was a look he hadn't put away when Jacob turned back around.
"What?"
"Kay? I didn't know that you knew her."
Jacob folded his arms across his chest and Gibson felt his back teeth grinding together at the sight of his arms. Very muscular arms.
"You know," he shrugged, "in this part of Center City, all the first responders in the community know each other.
