Christy Barritt - Race Against Time

A huge piece of plywood was nailed where the front door used to be. Now that she stood in the place where her nightmare had begun, she soaked in all the details. Splintered, cracked wood littered the tile floor in front of her while exposed timber gaped at the door jamb. There were her keys on the table, just where she’d left them. Who knew the nightmare that she was about to encounter when she’d deposited her keys there and gone to get dressed for the day. The act had seemed so simple and ordinary, but right now, as she looked at those keys, she remembered again how quickly life could change.

Yesterday flashed into her mind. She’d been in such a hurry to make her photography appointments. She remembered the sound of ticking. She halfway expected to hear it again. But all was quiet. So quiet she could hear her heartbeat.

“It’s too soon for you, isn’t it? I should have told you to stay away for a while.”

“I have to face the house sometime. It might as well be today.” If only she felt as confident as her words sounded. Her body betrayed her and sagged against the wall.

Brody’s hand cupped her elbow. “Anytime you want to stop, you just let me know.”

She nodded. “Do you know how he got in yet? I always lock the house up.”

“There’s no evidence of forced entry, no jimmy marks on the windows or doors, no broken screens or locks. Is there anywhere someone might have gotten a copy of your house key?”

She shook her head. “I keep one on my key ring and one hidden in my car.” She’d used the one in her car to get inside her home today—it had still been just where she’d left it. So apparently her attacker was a phantom who could creep through walls. The thought didn’t comfort her.

“Do you always leave your car unlocked, like it was today?”

Heat filled her cheeks. Locking her home seemed safe and logical, but she never even thought twice about leaving her car unlocked. “I do.”

“Nobody else has a copy of the house key? A boyfriend or relative maybe?”

“My parents don’t live in the area and I have no time for a boyfriend, so, no.” Her words reminded her of how much life had changed in the past three years. Her parents had decided to retire and move to Florida six months before her husband had died in an auto accident. Suddenly, there was no one. Just her and Lincoln. Life had gone from being full of love and family to being a struggle.

“How about if we take a break? We’ll go into town and get you a new door. We’ll get the entire foyer cleaned up before we tackle anything else.”

Madison nodded, grateful for his suggestion because she was beginning to feel suffocated in her own home.

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