Page 40 of Split Screen Scream
“Not kidding. I stayed in bed, not moving, while he robbed me, and then waited until he left and called the police.”
“Oh, girl, you must’ve been terrified.”
“I was. Literally could not move. Frozen like an ice sculpture under the covers. And the creepiest scariest part? He stopped at the foot of my bed and watched me.”
Tanya gasped.
“I thought he might kill me then. But he watched, probably to make sure I was asleep, and then he left.”
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Tanya said.
“Me, too.”
“I’m coming over,” Tanya said. “No arguing with me. It’s what I should’ve done last time. I’ll bring donuts and a great big hug. You make the coffee.”
“Okay. That sounds good.” Christie wasn’t going to argue with Tanya. She really needed that hug.
* * *
Saturday the window was repaired,and Sunday was just a quiet day, when she stayed in her pajamas and watched old movies. She didn’t feel like going anywhere, but also no longer felt safe in her own home.
Her phone rang, but it wasn’t Reed, who never had called her back. Something she was trying not to think about because she didn’t understand why he’d gone so silent.
It was Tanya.
Christie answered. “Hello?”
“If you still want a German Shepard puppy, you’d better move fast. I just called the breeders this morning to ask about puppies for you. They have four eight-week-old puppies, and one has already been sold. They sell fast. So, we’d need to go today. Are you ready?”
“Well, yes,” Christie said.
“Good. I’ll call them back and tell them we’ll be there in an hour. Throw your shoes on and be ready to go,” Tanya said.
“Okay.” Christie thought about her plans for the day and mentally went down her list. There was nothing that couldn’t be rescheduled.
“Bye.”
“Bye.” Christie hung up the phone and started looking for her shoes as excitement started to run through her.
I’m going to get a puppy! This is better than Christmas.
She found her shoes, her purse, and her car keys. Though it sounded like Tanya was driving.
Christie could hardly wait. She loved animals, dogs especially, and now she’d have one of her own.
Two hours later, they were home with eight-week-old Lacey. Tanya had put one of her dog crates in the back seat of her car, and the puppy had ridden in it. They’d stopped at the pet store to get food and water bowls, a new collar and leash, doggie shampoo, treats, and several toys. The pet store was one where you could take you dog inside with you. Lacey had wagged her tail at everyone and sniffed nearly everything in the store. Her excitement was contagious.
Now at home, puppy was free to sniff everything in the house, and the tail wagging and sniffing commenced. Tanya went into the kitchen and came back out with paper towels and cleaning spray. “She’s going to pee all over the place until you get her trained and she settles down. With all this excitement, she’s going to have accidents.”
“Oh, I know puppies do that.” Christie nodded. “We had a couple of dogs when I was growing up and got them both as puppies. I remember. Oh and I remember they don’t sleep much at night.”
“No, they don’t. I hope you’re prepared for that tonight.”
“Well it can’t be any worse than when the burglar broke in. That was nearly as terrifying as the shooting at the theater.”
“I’ll bet. I’m so glad you decided to get Lacey. She’ll bark and scare any burglars away.”
“Yes, she will.” Christie smiled. “And she’ll be my constant companion. Except when I’m at work.”
