As Frank shifted through the gears of the old Chevy pickup, Megan bounced up and down in the passenger seat like an excited schoolgirl. “I can’t wait to hook it up!”

“My God, woman, you’d think getting a new TV was a big deal.”

“It is a big deal! At least it is to someone who doesn’t find entertainment in whittling a perfectly good piece of wood into toothpicks.” Megan scoffed. “Do you even remember the last time we bought a new TV?”

“I sure do.” Frank remembered the day like it was yesterday. “You were pregnant with Kathy and wanted a color TV that didn’t need tubes replaced.”

“That’s right, you stubborn mule. Which means it was over twenty-five years ago. I’ve been praying for that Zenith of ours to die for ages.”

In the back seat, Jasper barked.

Frank glanced at the bag of groceries between him and Megan and asked, “Do you think we could have dinner sooner than later? I’m starving.”

As Frank pulled up in front of the house, Megan rubbed his shoulder. “If you set up the new TV, I’ll whip up some dinner. Deal?”

Frank set the parking brake and smiled. “Deal.”

Megan gathered the bag of groceries while Frank went to the back of the truck and opened the tailgate.

He was just about to loosen the straps to the TV when Megan shouted.

“Frank!”

Frank looked up to see her backing away from the front door. Jasper was beside her, growling. Ahead of her, the door stood ajar, and the wood just above the jamb was splintered.

Someone had broken in.

Frank raced to her side, pulling his Smith and Wesson .45 from its in-waistband holster.

“Be careful,” she hissed. “Someone might still be in there.”

Jasper gave a low growl and, without warning, darted ahead of Frank, snaking through the narrow opening to the house.

With a bullet in the chamber, Frank dropped to a shooter’s stance as he pushed the door open with his foot.

Scanning the room, Frank didn’t see anything out of order. Jasper was sniffing around the kitchen and came back toward the front of the house wagging his tail. If the dog didn’t sense danger, that was a good sign. Jasper had a feeling for these things.

Still, Frank maintained his shooter’s stance as he cleared each room. Only once he’d covered the whole house did he holster his weapon and return to the front door.

“It’s okay, Megan, you can come in. It definitely looks like someone used a pry bar or something to break in, but they’re not here now, and I don’t see anything missing.”

Megan walked inside, carrying a bag of groceries. “Franklin, it doesn’t matter. Call the sheriff.”

###

While one Lincoln County police officer brushed for prints on the front door, another talked with Frank and Megan. “You’re sure nothing was taken?”