Goose in the Pond - Earlene Fowler [81]
“Uh, yeah, sure we do,” he said, snapping his holster shut. “You sure there isn’t anything else you saw?”
“I’m sure.”
“So, you ready to lock up now?”
“I just need to hang this quilt in the museum and I’ll be through.” I turned to the security guard and said, “Would you help me with this?”
In the main exhibit room, he helped me clip the wooden hanger onto the top of the quilt and hang it in place. I stood back, making sure it was even, and then asked in a low voice, “Did you tell them about the note?”
He shook his head no.
“Good, just forget you saw it. I’ll take care of it.” I used my most authoritative tone.
He nodded, his face sober and slightly green.
“You said this was your first job with the security company?” I asked, feeling sorry for him.
He nodded again, looking as if he were ready to burst into tears.
“I’m going to tell your boss how well you handled everything. Calling 911 before you checked on things was smart. You did the right thing.”
“Thanks,” he said, his cheeks starting to return to a more normal color.
“Are you going to be all right for the rest of the night?”
He blinked rapidly and held the front door open for me. “No problem.” He started for his truck. “I’d better report to the dispatcher.”
The two officers were still outside, sitting in their blue-and-white patrol car. Officer Girard was on the passenger side filling out paperwork while Officer Lowry checked his hair in the rearview mirror.
“I’m leaving now,” I called to the officers. “Thanks.” Officer Girard looked up from her writing and gave me a half smile.
“You be careful now,” she said.
“You bet,” I replied.
It was past ten o’clock when I got home. Gabe was waiting for me on the front porch, his arms crossed. Apparently the officers weren’t taking any chances on getting in trouble and had immediately reported the incident to their watch commander.
“Ten minutes,” I said, walking up the steps. “That must be a record, even in this town.”
“What happened?” he said, his voice just this side of spittin’-fire angry.
“Excuse me, but I thought we’d come to a mutual agreement about you talking to me like I’m your wife and not a marine recruit.”
He unfolded his arms and tried again in a slightly less accusatory tone. “Are you okay?”
“The answer to that is obvious, seeing as I’m standing right in front of you. Next question?”
“Why didn’t you call me?” he demanded, then taking a deep breath, added, “Sweetheart.”
“I figured it would be just as easy to come home and tell you.”
“Were you going to tell me?”
“Of course I was.” I looked up at him and smiled. “Have I ever kept anything from you?”
“Benni, this isn’t something to joke about. You could have been hurt.”
“What did those officers tell you?” I asked, trying to keep my voice airy. He was right, but I didn’t want to think about that until I was safely inside with the door locked. “It was just a rock that some kid tossed through a lighted window. It startled me. That’s all.”
His blue eyes never blinked. A cricket chirped in a front bush.
I stood on tiptoe and kissed his unyielding lips lightly. “Everything’s fine. It was a simple case of vandalism. Don’t blow it all out of proportion.”
“Was it?” His voice was sarcastic in the dark. “Somehow with you, things are never a simple case of anything.” He took my chin and lifted it, looking intently into my face. “No more games. What did the note say?”
I jerked away. “That bigmouthed security guard—”
“The security guard knew about it?”
I looked up at him guiltily. “Uh, didn’t he tell you?”
“No. Officer Girard did.”
“What?” Well, so much for sisterhood. “But I didn’t tell her—”
“She was my first pick from the academy,” Gabe said smugly. “Her powers of observation were legendary, but what I especially liked about her was her understanding of the importance of following procedure and respect for the chain of command.”
“How—”
He smiled at me, enjoying his moment of triumph. “She watched you sweep up the broken glass. There was a rubber