I watched as he made the connection. Then he dropped the ladder in the driveway and turned to run. With a shouted command, Teo sent Bismarck after him, stopping the dog with another command when he was only a few feet from Jonah’s leg. I had to give my intruder credit for good sense. He had stopped, too. In fact I thought his feet might be sending roots right through the concrete. I wasn’t even sure he was breathing.

“He’s a trained K9,” Teo said, as if they were having a casual conversation. “Used to work for the sheriff’s office. I can put him through his paces to show you.”

“Who the hell are you?” He turned slowly, glanced at me and then back at Teo. “You’ve got me mixed up with somebody else.”

Teo gave Bismarck another command and now, snarling, the dog inched even closer.

“I could never use my dog this way if I were still a K9 officer,” Teo said. “But you know, I’m not. So these days I have more latitude. You know what else? I don’t think you’re going to report me. Because, well, you have your reasons not to draw attention to yourself, don’t you?”

I could almost see Jonah thinking. He looked at the dog, at his truck, at Teo, who smiled and nodded pleasantly. “You wouldn’t get far,” Teo said. “He loves a good takedown.”

“What do you want?”

Teo nodded to me. “The lady wants to ask some questions.”

“Just so you know,” I said, “the sheriff has your description, and I would love, love to tell them that I found you, and who you are. So if you do run, that’s the plan.”

“I don’t think you’re going to tell anybody anything, lady. That’s Kim’s house, not yours. I was just looking for her. I did some handyman work, and she said she might need more.”

“You were hiding in the bushes. Did she need help with the gardening?”

“What kind of work did you do for Kim?” Teo asked.

Jonah didn’t respond until he glanced down at Bismarck, who looked ready to lunge. “I installed some stuff. That’s all.”

“Stuff like a medicine cabinet?” I asked.

He gave a short nod.

“How about a safe that doesn’t look like a safe.”

“No law against that, is there?”

“There is a law against breaking into one,” I said.

“You think I’d need to break in? I’m the one who set the lock.”

Jonah knew the combination. I wanted to dance a jig.

Teo’s tone was still casual, two buddies discussing a boring football game. “So now, back to why you were prowling around. Why you assaulted this woman. Why I shouldn’t tell my dog to drag you around a little.”

“Kim asked me to look for something.”

“In the bushes?” I asked.

“You trying to be stupid? Inside!”

“In the safe,” I said. “The safe you know the combination to. But apparently you didn’t or couldn’t get through the town house doors. Why was that?”