"Someone is coming," I told Kade. "But they won't find anyone. The person ran off. I saw a figure in the dark, but I couldn't identify the person. I assume it was a man, but I couldn't even say that for sure."

"The police can look around and make a report and let the detective on your mom's case know what happened. If someone was trying to get in here, they must want something."

My gaze clung to his. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Did you look around? Did you see anything odd?"

"Only odd to me. My mom had clothes from the boutique that I run with my sister. They were new. They had tags on them. She couldn't have come into the shop. We would have recognized her, so she must have bought them online." I tucked my hair behind my ears. "Sorry. That's not what you were asking. Anyway, I saw the clothes, I got tired and laid down on her bed, and I didn't look for anything else."

"Well, there's still time. I can help you," he offered.

"Really? You're not exhausted?"

"I was thinking maybe tomorrow," he amended.

"Oh, of course." I saw flashing lights through the window. "The police are here."

I moved to the door to let in a female officer. I told her what had happened while her partner looked around the house and yard. He returned a few moments later to say that the lock on the side gate had been broken, and it looked like someone had tried to jimmy the back door. He had noticed the same marks on the front door, where the pot had been broken.

I didn't feel better after hearing that information, although I was relieved that my mother's dead bolts had apparently been enough to keep the intruder away.

"We'll report this information to Inspector Greenman," the female officer said. "He'll probably want to talk to you in the morning."

"Thanks for coming out," I said.

"No problem," she replied.

As they left the house, I locked the door behind them, turning to face Kade once more. "You probably want to go back to bed."

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

I hesitated. "Maybe I should go to a hotel."

"It's the middle of the night."

"There must be something nearby."

"Not that close."

"I guess I could stay here. I don't think anyone will come back now, do you?"

"Probably not, but I can stay in the guest room, if that will make you feel better. If anyone tries to get in, they'll have to go through me."