Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I sat in the car, staring at the complex. My heart raced, and I felt the sweat gather on my neck. If someone was in danger inside, the longer I waited for backup, the greater the potential for their life being at risk. It was my job—my duty—to help them. The reason I was a cop. I ran my hand down my chest, feeling the protective vest under my shirt. My hand shook as I radioed dispatch to say I was going to check it out. I placed my hat on my head and got out of the car, unclipping my gun as I approached the door. It began to rain, the drops hitting the ground hard, bouncing back up as they met the resistance of the cement. My thick shoes made a dull thump as I walked up the steps, my stomach in knots and my breathing coming faster. I felt the shudders that raced down my spine one after another. I could hear my heartbeat in my head, faster and faster. I listened, not hearing anything but the rain. No screams or shouting.
But I hadn’t heard anything last time either. Everything had seemed normal until the door opened. I shook my head to clear it. That was last time. This was not the same situation, I reminded myself, trying to stop the waves of panic that kept hitting me.
The sound of metal hitting metal caught my attention, and I knew I had to proceed. My hand shook as I rapped on the door, announcing myself. My heart was racing, and I had to swallow the thick feeling in my throat. Flashes of memory kept taunting me, and I braced as I heard footsteps and the door swung open, revealing a man about my age. He was tall and lean, wearing a hoodie and sweats.
“Officer,” he greeted me, looking confused. “Is there a problem?”
I was surprised how even my voice sounded. “We received a call about a disturbance in the home.”
To my shock, a wide grin split his face. “You could say that.” He turned. “Helen!” he called. “Come see what you’ve done now!”
Lights behind me indicated my backup had arrived, and to my utter surprise, he began to laugh. “Oh, she’s really caused trouble.”
A woman waddled down the hall. Waddled was the only word to describe it. She was hugely pregnant. She was tall and pretty, although she was covered in some sort of dust. She looked abashed. “Oh boy.” She looked at the man holding the door. “Did you invite her in?”
“I was waiting for her partner, but yes, please come in,” he said dryly. “I am sure you want to check and make sure everything is all right.” He smiled again. “I’ll let my wife tell you the story.”
My backup was an officer I knew, and we walked in, our hands on our holsters. The woman was quick to speak. “You won’t need those. There is a simple explanation. I assume Ruby next door called you. Warren was about to go over and tell her what happened so she didn’t worry. I guess she heard.”
“Heard what, exactly?” I asked.
“Come into the kitchen.”
I followed her and her husband, and my eyes widened at the mess I saw. “What happened?”
Helen smiled, looking embarrassed. “I had a craving. I was making a snack, and Warren was teasing me. I got distracted, and the grease caught fire on the stove. He yelled at me to turn off the burner, and he ran for the fire blanket. But I dumped salt on the flames. Then the smoke detector started. It startled me and I jumped. The baby kicked and I yelled. Warren was trying to get the smoke detector to shut off, and I waved a tea towel to help.” She began to giggle. “Except it caught on the pot rack, and I tugged too hard. It was loose, and I pulled it out of the ceiling, and all the pots and utensils crashed down. I screamed. Warren yelled.” She shrugged. “Ruby called you.”
Jesse—Officer Owens—began to chuckle. I looked at the mess. Pots, pans, and utensils everywhere. The pot rack hung, lopsided and swinging from the ceiling, one hook keeping it in place. The ruined snack was still puffing a little smoke on the stove. I could see now that Helen was covered in flour, no doubt from when the pots fell into the bowl of whatever her planned snack was. Warren stood next to his wife, slipping an arm around her. “Oh, Helen,” he murmured. “You troublemaker.”
She laughed again, then her eyes went wide. “Oh God!”
We all heard it, and we all looked down. “My water just broke!” Then she grabbed his arm. “And here comes a contraction.”
“Of course it did,” Warren murmured. He looked at us. “Are we good here? I need to get her bag and get her to the hospital.”