Page 10 of Screwed

“We’ll need an inventory list from you. When you get a chance,” Officer Miles tells me and I nod, wondering if I can go inside now.

Do I even want to go inside right now?

“Can we go in?” Teller asks him and he nods.

I’m glad that Teller is here and taking charge of things. He lifts up the yellow tape and holds it for us to sneak under.

I’m not surprised to see Arlo follow us. It’s kind of comforting to have him here. He gives me something else to focus on instead of what a nightmare tonight has turned into.

“Do you know where they broke in?” Arlo asks me as we head toward the front doors.

“They said that they broke a window in the back of the store.”

“Did you hear anything or see anything?” Teller asks him but he shakes his head.

“No, I stayed late to finish up inventory so I was in the back. I didn’t notice anything was going on until I walked outside and saw the lights and Iris’s car,” he says apologetically.

I wave him off. This isn’t his fault.

I take a deep breath as we head inside. I was hoping that it would help but as I step up next to the register, those tears from earlier come back in full force.

My knees feel weak as I look around the main room of the store. Arlo steps up next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist in support as I survey the scene.

There are pieces of glass and pottery scattered around the ground. Display cases have been broken and jewelry and antique lamps and picture frames lie strewn around the floor, mixed in with the shards of glass.

Years of my hard work are in pieces at my feet and I think that a piece of my heart just broke with them.

It’s going to be hard to do an inventory on everything when so many pieces are ruined now. I have insurance on the shop so I know that I’ll get my money back, but that doesn’t make the loss hurt any less.

“Let me take you home. There’s nothing that you need to do tonight. We can start cleaning this up in the morning,” Teller tells me and I nod distractedly.

I know that he’s right but it still hurts to not be able to fix this right now. Arlo gives my hip a soft squeeze and I turn to look up at him.

“I can come back in the morning and help you clean everything up,” he offers and I nod.

“Yeah, thanks,” I say and that’s how I know that I’m not thinking clearly.

I scan the shelves. I suppose that I should be happy that at least most of the antiques are unscathed. Everything on the higher shelves remained untouched and most of the things in the display cases are alright.

I look over to the register and see the cash drawer has been ripped open. My heart drops when I see the display case next to the front counter and I rip away from Arlo’s hold and stumble my way over to the case that held the antiques that my grandparents left to me.

They’re gone.

They’re all gone.

A sob claws its way out of my throat and I drop down to my knees before it. I ignore the sting of the glass scratching and digging into my skin as I stare at the empty space.

“Iris,” Arlo says as he and Teller both rush to my side.

“They’re gone,” I whisper to them and I can feel their concern filling the room.

“The police can find them,” Teller reassures me but I ignore him.

Nothing that he or anyone else can say right now would make a difference. Nothing is going to be able to fix this. Not until they’re back where they belong.

Out of everything in the store, the four items in this case seem to be the only thing to be actually missing. Everything else looks like it’s either broken or still intact.

That tells me that the person who broke in doesn’t know anything about antiques. The things in the case next to the register aren’t worth much. They were up front because of their sentimental value, because they helped me remember my grandparents and having them there made it seem like we were doing this together.

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