Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) (16 page)

Willowby
nodded. “We’ll do our best, Miss.”

As
soon as she’d shut the door behind the officers, ominous silence greeted her.
It had to be late.

A
glance at her watch surprisingly showed it was only past seven. So much had
gone on, she’d thought it would be later. What a horrific day. First, she’d had
to deal with breaking the news about the baby to Roman, then this unholy mess.
She couldn’t take any more.

Fighting
an urge to plunk down and engage in a bout of wailing, she instead searched for
where she’d put her purse. It had to be around somewhere. She had no intention
of staying in this place any longer than necessary. Any minute the nut who’d
made this horrible mess might pop back inside.

Dorrie
found her handbag on the end table at the end of the hallway. She must have put
it there after calling the insurance company. Now she had to make another call.
She should have done so sooner, while the police were still present, but her
mind had shut down somewhere between Roman’s attitude and finding the house
ransacked. Right now, she craved sleep and would do almost anything to get it,
except stay here.

After
Dorrie explained what had happened, Kelly said, “Don’t worry about a thing.
I’ll pick you up, lend you a nightgown, whatever you need.”

“I’m
capable of driving. I’ll be right there.”

She
left the lights on and immediately jumped into her Hyundai. As she drove out of
the garage and onto the street, she glanced in the rear view mirror, but this
time no one followed her. Even so, she couldn’t get away fast enough. Though an
innocent victim, she still felt like a criminal on the lam. How long would the
paranoid feeling last?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Kelly
met Dorrie at the door and led her into their family room where a dark haired
hunk lay sprawled on a chocolate colored couch in front of the television. So
that’s why Kelly preferred her husband home instead of working at night.

 He
stood up. She reached to shake his hand. “This must be the elusive Doug. You’re
usually on duty when I come over.”

 “That’s
me. I’m the culprit,” he said with a friendly smile.

 Kelly
placed her hand on Dorrie’s shoulder. “I told Doug what happened, and he’s
volunteered to join us tomorrow for the cleanup brigade.”

“Thanks,”
Dorrie said, stifling a yawn at thought of the massive undertaking awaiting
her.

Taking
note, her friend said, “You have to be exhausted. I’ll get you situated for
bed.”

“Thanks,
I’d appreciate that. You don’t know the half of what went on today. I’ll clue
you in later.”

Mid
morning on Tuesday, after a fortifying breakfast of ham, eggs and toast cooked
by Kelly, Dorrie sat in the front seat beside her friend, while Doug drove the
moving van he’d managed to reserve at the last minute. The cheerful music
emanating from the radio counterbalanced the seriousness of the situation.

Dorrie
dreaded what awaited her at the home she’d fled from the night before.
Frowning, she wondered how anyone could hate her so much as to violate her
space. Had the actions been random or intended?  Either way seemed too
distressing to ponder.

She
would not think dark thoughts, but instead concentrate on the enormous chore of
getting the house back in order. Fortunately, she’d not face the task alone.

They
pulled into her driveway and stepped out, with Doug right behind them.
 

Dorrie
stopped suddenly right before the door.

“Don’t
you have your keys,” Kelly asked.

“I’m
sorry. My mind’s off in different directions. I just remembered I didn’t call
Roman to tell him I can’t be in today.”

“Darn,
I didn’t call in either.”

They
dialed out from their cell phones. Fortunately, Dorrie got voice mail, so she
didn’t have to speak to Roman in person. She left a brief description of what
had happened, and promised to be in the next day. Maybe he’d think she was
lying and had made up the story. If so, she’d show him a few pictures to
convince him.

“What
about those keys now, Dorrie?” Doug reminded her, with a smile.

“Sure,
they’re here in my purse somewhere.”

Doug
gave a mock groan. “Oh, no. I hope you don’t have a black hole in there, like
Kelly, or we may as well leave and come back tomorrow after you’ve found them.”

Dorrie
knew he was trying to cheer her up and she appreciated his effort. She dug into
the side pocket of her handbag and finally was rewarded by the feel of cold
metal on her fingertips. Triumphantly, she jangled the keys in the air. “Here
they are. Please don’t leave, kind officer. I really need your help.”

“Glad
to be of service, Miss”

 Kelly
patted her on the back. “That goes for me, too. Remember, you’re not alone.
We’re your friends.”

“Thanks,
Kelly. I owe you one. No, really more like ten. This will be a major
undertaking.”

When
they stepped into the living room, Doug frowned. “It looks like a family of
wolves made camp.”

They
picked their way around the mess and discussed what needed doing. Before long
the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of the insurance adjuster. He surveyed
the damage, took his own photos, and assured Dorrie she’d get reimbursed.

After
he’d left, Doug measured and checked the doors to see what locks to pick up,
and then set off for the hardware store. While he was gone, she and Kelly
started picking up and cleaning up.  

They
hadn’t even made it through the kitchen when Doug returned. He set to work
installing the deadbolts, while she and Kelly continued in their efforts. Much
had been broken beyond repair and had to be discarded. They swept, vacuumed,
and straightened what was left. Before long, Doug joined them.

By
afternoon, the house looked decent enough for them to set off for replacements.
In deference to the upcoming arrival of her baby, Dorrie decided to be frugal
and look for reasonably priced items which matched the drapes and carpeting
already in place.

They
trooped to a nearby furniture store, where Dorrie found two suitable couches,
plus a comfy looking mattress for the bed. After those were loaded into the
van, they headed to the department store where Dorrie picked out new dishes,
glasses and a television set.

Once
everything was hauled inside, Doug went down the hall to set up the bedroom
while she and Kelly set to work again on the kitchen.

On
the stool by the cabinets, Dorrie turned to Kelly who stood beneath her. “Doug
seems like a really nice guy. It’s so sweet the way he looks at you.”

“He’s
a darling. As soon as I saw him, I knew he was the one,” Kelly said, smiling
smugly. She handed  over a clean dish to Dorrie for the top shelf.

“That’s
the way it was with me and Larry, too. At the time, I’d been dating this nice
guy named Steve, whom I really liked. Then one day his brother, Keith, had this
barbecue where he introduced me to his best friend, Larry. One look and I
forgot all about Steve. I still feel sorry for dumping him, but I had no
choice. One good thing, the friendship between Keith and Larry could have made
the situation awkward; but Steve, being the great guy he is, wished me and
Larry the best of luck. He’s still a friend, though I feel kind of awkward
around him.”

Thinking
of Steve made her sad. It seemed everything worthwhile carried a price.

“Well,
hopefully, in time you’ll find someone else again, maybe someone like your
friend, Steve. I know the new one can’t be Larry, but maybe he’ll be special in
his own right.”

Dorrie
shook her head. “I don’t know. The situation is really complicated, considering
I’m a real handful now. Remember, I’m actually fifty-five, masquerading as a
twenty-four year old.”

“You
never know, Dorrie, stranger things have happened. Lots of people get second
chances at love. As far as the age difference is concerned, who can tell what
the future might bring. Maybe by then lots of people will be taking the young
pill and your concerns won’t exist.”

Dishes
arranged, Dorrie smiled and stepped down from the stool. “You are a hopeless
romantic, Kelly, and I can see why. Hold onto Doug. He’s one of the good ones.”

“You’re
darned right about that. They’d have to pry him away from me.”

“Oh,
with everything else going on, I forget to tell you, Kelly, why I came home
early yesterday.”

She
went on to relate how she’d told Roman about her pregnancy and his
disappointing reaction to the news. “I know we don’t mean anything special to
each other. It was only a one-night stand, or whatever else you might call the
fiasco, but to suggest destroying our child was so callous.”

“Maybe
he was worried about your safety. Childbirth is dangerous at any age; and,
given the circumstances of your real age, who knows what might happen.”

“That
part he glossed over, saying I’d be safe if I stayed on the pill. No, he didn’t
sound as concerned about me as he was about losing customers. He may be the
Angel Man, but he certainly isn’t perfect.”

***

With
the major work accomplished, Dorrie nodded in satisfaction at the results. The
new couches looked inviting and the thick mattress on the bed even more so. She
could hardly wait to collapse on it. Hopefully, the deadbolts would hold. She
had a feeling once she fell asleep, she’d not awaken even if a burglar shouted
in her ear.

After
they celebrated with an evening pizza feast in front of the new TV, Dorrie
followed her rescue crew to the door. “I don’t know what I’d have done without
you two. You’re better than any Home and Garden fixer-uppers.”

“If
I change careers, I’ll use you as a reference,” Kelly said, with a laugh.

 “You
do that, my friend.”

Kelly
gave her a searching look. “Seriously, are you sure you want to be alone
tonight?  You can come with us, or I could stay here with you.”

 “Don’t
be silly. After I pulled up in front of the police station, the burglar must
know not to come back. Now, listen, both of you, I appreciate your help and
concern, but I think I can manage from here on in. Right now, after all this
hard work, I’m really beat and crave a good night’s sleep more than anything.”

“I
get the message. We’ll leave you alone to enjoy your new mattress,” Doug said.

***

After
the manic happenings at home, Dorrie was almost glad to be back at work on
Wednesday. It would be embarrassing to face Roman again after their last
conversation, but at least she’d be safe from crazed robbers.

A
few minutes after she’d arrived, Roman stopped at her desk. “How are you doing,
Dorrie? You mentioned someone broke in your house.”

“I’m
still nervous, but otherwise fine. It’s a miracle I escaped unharmed
considering the burglar was still there when I got home. If I hadn’t jumped in
my car and made it to the police station, I can’t say what might have
happened.”

“That
was a smart move. By the way, do the police have any leads?”

“Not
really. The prints don’t match any in their database, plus I couldn’t provide
the license plate number. Also, my description of the burglar wasn’t much help.
The person seemed to be wearing a mask. If that was a real face, I pity the
person.”

“Too
bad there’s not much to go on. Well, knowing the police are on the case, at
least the burglar won’t come back.”

“I
hope you’re right.” 

“I
will be, don’t worry. Listen, I’ve got some errands to run. See if you can
catch up on dictation.”

 Dorrie
nodded. She set to work, but thoughts of the break-in interrupted her
concentration. She wanted to believe her home was chosen at random, perhaps by
someone on drugs. At least then the invasion wouldn’t seem so personal. The
other alternative seemed way too scary.

It
still hurt to think of the mementos she’d lost. If only she’d used her
smartphone before to take more family pictures, but its resolution had been
poor and she hadn’t bothered. Before that, their old 35 camera had been enough,
until Larry had splurged on the iPhone.

One
glimmer of light shone through the darkness. The burglar had apparently been
too superstitious to tamper with her Bible where the safe deposit key was
taped. That meant she still had the iPhone. It would have been devastating to
lose that last connection, before she’d even faced what was on there.

Dwelling
on troubles and mixed blessings would not accomplish anything. She better
concentrate on what needed doing. With that resolve, she typed an ad for Roman,
and started another.

A
sudden thought made her fingers fumble. She’d been so distracted and busy,
she’d not done her usual iPhone battery charge at the café. Hopefully, it
wasn’t too late.

***

“You
lied. You said we’d shelve the iPhone,” Roman said, facing the man in the
basement.