“Anything else?”
I shake my head and leave the room. I take a deep breath before opening the door to my bedroom. I look around and sigh in relief. Yes, it’s a mess, but it’s not a creepy mess. I was terrified I was going to walk in here and see evidence on the bedspread, if you get what I mean. But no. It’s a freaking mess as if someone was searching for a specific item.
“What do you think he was looking for?”
Oops. I must have spoken my thoughts out loud. I shrug. “I have no idea.”
“Come on.” Aiden grabs my hand and pulls me out of the room down the hallway to the kitchen table where he pushes me into a chair. He manages to find an intact glass, fills it with water, and sets it in front of me.
I glare at the glass. “Water? Really? You think I need water right now?” I’m thinking the vodka in the freezer is what the doctor ordered.
“Finish this first,” he orders.
I roll my eyes. Who is he? My dad? Oh shit, Pops. He is going to freak. Unless I don’t tell him. What he doesn’t know, he can’t freak out about. Good plan, Hailey.
Aiden takes a seat across from me and pulls out a notebook. “Any idea what an intruder could be looking for?”
“No idea. He left all the expensive stuff. Well, except for my laptop.”
“Did you keep your work on the laptop?”
“No. The laptop is for my private use.”
Suzie isn’t just some wacky klutz I hired. She’s also a damn good business manager. She insisted I keep my work separate from my private stuff. It makes it more clear for the tax authorities or something. Not only did she make sense, but I have no desire to bring home evidence of how men can be untrustworthy. It does nothing for my faith in humanity, which is pretty non-existent anyway. Thanks, Mom.
“Do you have any enemies?” And thus, the interrogation begins. For the next however long, I answer question after question for Aiden. Most of which I answer with I don’t know. Because I don’t. I have no idea why anyone would target me.
Finally, he closes his notebook. “I think we’re done for tonight. We’ll delve deeper into this tomorrow.”
Delve deeper? How do you delve deeper into I don’t know?
“In the meantime, do you have somewhere you can stay tonight?”
I look at the clock. It’s after midnight. I’m not calling Suzie and waking her up. “I’ll check into a hotel for the night. Get this sorted out in the morning.”
Suzie will be all over getting this place into tip-top shape in no time. I guess it’s a good thing she convinced me to hire Phoebe to help with the filing after all.
The corners of Aiden’s lips turn down. “Maybe you should stay with your dad to make sure you’re safe.”
I shake my head. Not happening. “There’s no indication whoever this is, is after me personally.” Haven’t I already said this a dozen times?
“I don’t like the idea of you being in danger.”
“I don’t like the idea much myself, but I’m not in danger.” I indicate the house with a sweep of my arm. “Does this look personal to you?” I’m talking shit. Some random dude destroyed all of my belongings. It feels incredibly personal. In your face personal.
“Come on.” He stands. “I’ll follow your car to the hotel. Make sure you get there safe.”
Whatever. I’m done arguing. “Let me put together an overnight bag.”
My clothes and toiletry items might be strewn all over my bedroom and bathroom, but nothing was destroyed. I grab a sports bag from my closet and throw some stuff for an overnight stay in a hotel in it.
“Ready?” Aiden asks when I walk into the kitchen carrying a bag. He’s alone. The rest of the police officers disappeared a while ago. “Let’s get you to safety,” he says and puts his hand in the small of my back to escort me out of my own home. And no, my body doesn’t tingle all over at his touch. Really, it doesn’t.