Playing Dirty(27)

“When did you notice that someone had been inside?”

“Almost immediately,” she replied. She pointed towards the corner of the room. “That’s my stuff, over there.” I noted three black suitcases overflowing with loose clothing, and several items scattered over the floor.

“And are you sure you just didn’t leave things in disarray?” One of the cops asked, frowning at Kate. “The other rooms in the apartment seem impeccable.”

“That’s why she knew someone was here!” Lizzy interjected. “My sister is a Type A neat freak! She never would’ve left her belongings like this!”

“I’m just trying to ascertain whether or not someone actually broke in,” the cop replied in an icy voice. “You know, your sister has had a very busy couple of days. And she’s not used to being in this country. It’s very possible that she left everything like that herself.”

“I’m telling you, she didn’t, and besides, I didn’t leave the apartment unlocked,” Lizzy said, narrowing her eyes.

“Kate wouldn’t do that. Look at that stuff,” I added. I pointed to the suitcases and the mess all over the floor. “It’s a bloody mess, can’t you tell? Does this look like the kind of girl who would’ve left her things like that?”

Kate nodded defiantly. “I swear, I left everything in order,” she said. “And the door was definitely unlocked.”

The police nodded. The younger one took out a notepad and made a couple of scribbles on it. “I suppose that type of lock is quite easy to pick….you might want to look into getting a new one,” he said, looking at Lizzy. Then he turned back to Kate. “Do you have any idea who could have done this? Anyone who would be looking for information on you, and might want to go through your stuff to get it?”

Kate blinked. I could tell she wanted to say something, but she shook her head. “I don’t really know anyone here,” she replied. “Except for Jay and some of his teammates, I haven’t met any other British people.”

The cops nodded. “All right,” the younger one said. He turned to Lizzy and fixed her with a stare. “What about you, ma’am? Anyone you know who would have broken in?”

Lizzy shook her head. “Definitely not,” she said. “The only people I know at university were in the library studying with me when all of this was happening.”

There was something bothering me in the back of my mind, but I couldn’t put my finger on it, and as Lizzy and Kate spoke to the police, I wandered around the apartment, searching for any trace of a break-in. Kate’s things were truly in disarray; her suitcases were wide open and clothes were tossed everywhere. I grinned when I saw some lacy lingerie peeking out of the bottom of the bag. So she does have a wild side, I thought to myself. Then, looking around, I felt a tiny bit of guilt. Now isn’t the time, mate. Now is definitely not the right time.

“Are you sure there’s no one else you can think of?”

Kate shook her head firmly. “Could it just be random?” she asked. “Is it possible someone broke in looking for money? Maybe they thought the most valuable stuff would be in the suitcases.”

The cop shrugged. “Everything’s possible,” he said politely, but I could tell he didn’t believe a word Kate was saying. “But I urge you and your sister to seek additional measures of security while you’re staying here. Like I said earlier, you’ll want to change the locks, maybe think about getting a plate on the doorframe. See, these old buildings are easy to jam. It wouldn’t be hard for someone to break in, spend a few minutes inside, then come out.”

Kate looked bewildered. “But who would do that?” she asked. “The thing is, they didn’t seem to actually take anything.”

The cop sighed. “Ma’am, that’s exactly what we’ve been trying to ask you,” he said. “So, do you think you’ll be able to help us or not?”

Kate finally shook her head. “I can’t think of anyone,” she said. “And I don’t just want to accuse random people.”

“Is there anyone who could be upset with you? Are you hiding from someone?”

Again, Kate had that same panicked expression. “I went through a breakup recently,” she said slowly. “But that was in New York, and I don’t think he’d follow me here.”

My insides clenched, and I wondered if her ex was actually the kind of guy who’d stalk her here to England and terrify her. If so, I wanted to punch his lights out, and my body filled with adrenaline as the primal need to protect Kate rushed through me.