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“Why is that?”
“Because normally they would. But because they’re worried about me they’ll be extra nice,” she said in a disgusted tone.
Zack couldn’t help laughing. “Brace up. I’m sure you’ll survive your brothers being extra nice to you.”
“I suppose,” she said, returning to her list.
“Do you mind if I try to put things back in order before tackling the fingerprint dust?”
“No, that’s a good idea. The dust can definitely wait until last.” She was quiet for a bit while writing in her notebook. She looked up and said, “One good thing. At least I didn’t have any jewelry to steal. I wore my silver earrings and necklace to work, and that’s all I have.”
“Don’t you have wedding rings?” Zack asked her.
She gave a short, not particularly happy, laugh. “Nope. Sold them. After I first got divorced, along with every other piece of jewelry that had any value. Well, except the necklace and earrings from my parents.”
Damn, the hits just kept coming. “I’m sorry, Laurel.”
She shrugged. “That’s okay. There were only a couple of things I minded selling. I was perfectly happy to sell my wedding set. I didn’t need a reminder of Stan.”
“What did you sell that you wished you hadn’t?”
“I bought some diamond stud earrings before we married. They weren’t big; in fact, they were tiny. But they were real and I paid for them with the money I’d been saving from my Kelly Boots paycheck.” She gave a rueful smile. “I was so proud that I’d paid for them myself, without any help. They were my first big independent purchase.”
“Your ex is a real dick, isn’t he?”
Laurel laughed. “Yes he is.”
“I don’t see your laptop,” Zack said. “Either of them.” Great. The new one had the airport financials on it.
“They took the old one but I’d wiped it. I was going to sell it since you’d given me the new one and told me I could use it for my personal stuff as well. Luckily, I couldn’t carry everything so I locked the new one in my trunk. Thank God. The police said they might be able to find the thieves through one of the pawn shops.”
“That’s good news.”
“I suppose it is. Who’d have thought things could have been even worse?”
“You and the kids weren’t hurt. That’s a pretty huge thing to be thankful for,” Zack said.
“You’re right, of course.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “But look at it.” She waved a hand indicating the room. “I’m afraid to look at my bedroom. I bet it’s even more messed up.”
“Do the police have any leads?”
“They agree with Edith that there’s been a burglary ring operating out of the Barrels. They suspect this was their work. The thieves have been careful to make sure no one was home. We were just unlucky to be the first.”
“If they thought no one would be home why were they armed?”
“I guess in case someone surprised them, like we did. CSI found blood on the sliding glass door where they’d smashed it to get in. They’ll run the DNA to see if it’s in the system. They believe it will be.”
“They must not be very bright if they left that kind of evidence.”
“CSI said they wiped it off but there were trace amounts left behind. But they said it would be a long time before it’s processed. They do have the bullets they fired at us and that might tell them something.”
After the living room they took on the master bedroom.
“Oh, God,” Laurel said. “I think I’m going to be sick.” The bedspread and sheets had been taken off and thrown in the middle of the floor. The mattress was crooked on the box springs, indicating they’d searched underneath it. Worse, her underwear drawer had been pulled out and the contents strewn everywhere.
“Perverts,” Zack said.
“People hide things in their underwear drawers and underneath mattresses,” she said. “So I guess they were looking for money or something. But it’s still sick.”
