Suzie laughed. “They’re bright dogs. They know that already.”
“We need to reinforce the hierarchy by the way we enter the house,” Katrina insisted. “I’ll go first with Holly. You come next, making sure Dobby brings up the rear. Give me a minute to set up new food and water bowls. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
The back door led from the yard directly into the kitchen. Blinking at the contrast as she stepped from the bright, early evening sunlight into the semidark house, she took a moment to adjust. After an instant of surprise, she quickly became aware that she wasn’t alone. Half-hidden in the shadows, a man was standing next to her refrigerator.
“What...?”
Before she could call out for Suzie, he crossed the room and shoved her hard on the shoulder. Katrina went sprawling onto the tiled floor, a cry of surprise escaping her. The sound triggered an immediate reaction from the two dogs, who started barking wildly. As the intruder ran from the room toward the front of the house, Katrina caught a glimpse of a male figure clad in jeans, sneakers and a hooded sweatshirt.
The front door slammed at the same time that Suzie burst through the back door with Holly on one side and Dobby on the other.
“What happened? Is everything okay?” She held out a hand to help Katrina to her feet.
“I’m going with no.” Katrina rolled her eyes as Dobby drained Holly’s water bowl before flopping down on her bed. The younger dog retreated under the table with her tail between her legs. “Not when we have an intruder situation, and a male-dominance issue.”
“Never mind about the dogs.” Suzie helped her to a chair at the table and eased her down into it. “Do you have any idea who he was? And, more importantly, are you hurt?”
Katrina took a moment to regulate her breathing. Although she was physically unharmed, the incident had shaken her. The knowledge that someone had gotten inside her house was bad enough. The fact that she didn’t know what his motive was made it even worse.
She hadn’t recognized him. Did that mean he was a robber who’d chosen her home at random? Or was his reason more personal and sinister? Her thoughts went to Eliza and she gripped the edge of the table hard. How could this have anything to do with her sister?
“I’m fine.” She was pleased with the firm note in her voice. “And at least I disturbed him before he could take anything.”
* * *
Katrina’s home was in a new development just outside downtown and about ten minutes’ drive from her workplace, off Mustang Boulevard. The Mustang Lake estate featured a collection of small houses with large yards and Spencer figured, as he approached the address she had given him, that the outdoor space would be useful for a dog trainer.
Having pulled up in front of the small house, he was just releasing Boris from the rear of the vehicle when Katrina’s door opened.
“Wow.” A small plump woman looked Spencer and his police cruiser up and down with a critical gaze. “Is this a new MVPD policy? You guys turn up before a crime has even been reported?”
Just as he was wondering if he had the right house, Katrina stepped out onto the small porch. “Take no notice of Suzie. She likes to think she’s funny.” She kissed the other woman on the cheek. “Thanks for offering to stay, but I’ll be fine.”
“Call me if you need me. Anytime.” Suzie patted her arm before walking down the steps. “Something needs to be done about the crime rate in this town.” She addressed the remark to Spencer before stomping off toward her car.
“Has something happened that I need to know about?” he asked as he approached Katrina.
“Would you mind if we talked about this in the yard?” He raised a questioning eyebrow and she sighed. “Holly, my dog, hasn’t taken Dobby’s arrival well. If you bring Boris in here, too, she may have a complete breakdown.”
“Outside is fine by me.”
Stepping out of the house, she closed and locked the front door before leading him along a side path and into the yard. He noted the way the space had been divided. There was a large lawn, an area for the dogs to run free around the outside edge, an obstacle course and a small pool. Clearly, Katrina believed in bringing her work home.
As soon as they entered the yard, two dogs dashed up and gave Boris a thorough inspection. The well-behaved canine remained perfectly still until Spencer freed him from his leash. Then, with a groan, he dropped to the grass and rolled on his back before taking off at a run. After a few seconds, the other two followed.
“Actually, bringing Boris wasn’t a bad move.” Katrina’s gaze followed the chase. “He’s definitely an alpha, so Dobby will be forced to back off. It takes the heat off things for a while.”
“Right.” Spencer viewed her profile with pleasure for a moment or two, then reverted to a businesslike manner. “So, you want to tell me what your friend was talking about?”
“When I got back here, there was a guy in my kitchen.”
“What?” The thought of her in danger made his pulse rate spike, bringing with it memories of another time, another place. “You mean, he’d broken into your house?”
“Not quite.” She hung her head. “When I disturbed him, he pushed me over and ran away. After he’d gone, I checked to see how he’d gotten in and the window of the downstairs closet was open. I must have forgotten to close it when I left for work this morning.”
“Or the intruder forced it open?”
“There aren’t any signs that it has been forced,” Katrina said. “I think he was probably an opportunist who saw an empty house with an open window. He was just unlucky that I came home and surprised him before he could take anything.”