Sawyer Branson tried to be patient as the young, attractive blonde female officer, who ten minutes earlier had identified herself as Officer Jordan Hunter, questioned her. The officer sat rigid as she wrote in her notepad. Every now and then, her eyes drifted to Sawyer. Her deep blue penetrating eyes unnerved Sawyer. Why was she looking at her like that? After all, Sawyer was the one who was the victim here.

She drew a deep breath. It had shocked her when she’d arrived home from work to find out she’d been robbed. Her palms became damp and she did a quick sweep of her apartment with her eyes, as she wondered where Officer Hunter’s male partner had gone. Probably checking out the bedroom window where the screen had been cut, giving the thief access to her home. Both officers had walked through the apartment upon their arrival and then the female officer had asked if she could ask her a few questions. Sawyer had led her back into the living room where she offered Officer Hunter a seat.

“What time did you say you returned home?” Officer Hunter asked.

Sawyer exhaled loudly. “About five-thirty. I opened my apartment door and this is what greeted me.” She nodded toward the papers and personal items strewn across the room. The TV stand was bare along with the desk where her new laptop computer had been sitting. That pissed her off the most since she’d only purchased it last weekend. She wouldn’t have minded if it was any laptop, but it was custom made and had cost her a small fortune.

“Do you always leave your windows open when you leave your apartment?”

Sawyer held down her temper as she pondered the officer’s accusatory tone. “Since I live on the second floor in a secure building, in one of the best areas in the city, I assumed it would be okay. This building has never been burglarized... until now.”

Officer Hunter met Sawyer’s eyes. “Your bedroom window faces a back alley. There aren’t any security cameras in that location.”

Sawyer ran a hand through her long auburn hair, sweeping it from her brow. She couldn’t tell whether the officer had long or short hair since it was neatly arranged under her cap. All she knew was that it was blonde. “I wouldn’t know.”

“He might have climbed up the fire escape.”

“He would have had to scale the fence in the back, then,” Sawyer said.

“He may have had an accomplice.”

Sawyer noted the officer was still looking at her as though the burglary was her fault. She bit back a smart-ass retort because deep down she knew that Officer Hunter was right. She’d never even imagined anyone ever coming up the fire escape. How many nights had she gone to bed with the window wide open? She could have been attacked in her own bed.

“Could it be a disgruntled boyfriend?” the officer asked.

“What?” Sawyer asked.

“Have you recently ended a relationship?”

Sawyer looked evenly at her. “I don’t date boys.”

“A girlfriend then?” she asked without missing a beat.

“No,” Sawyer stated. “And before you ask, none of my friends or acquaintances would do this.”

“Okay.” Officer Hunter tucked her notepad and pen into a pocket. “We’ll question the other tenants to see if anyone noticed anything suspicious.”

“In other words, he’ll probably never be caught,” Sawyer stated flatly.

The officer lifted an eyebrow. “We’ll keep you apprised of our investigation.” She eyed her sharply. “In the meantime, I’d keep your windows closed and locked. That includes your patio door.”

Sawyer’s eyes narrowed. “My patio faces the front of the building. I’d really like to know how anyone could get on it without going through my apartment.”

Officer Hunter pulled a card from her pocket. “Once you have a list of your missing items, give me a call. Your insurance should cover your losses in the event none of your items are recovered.”

“Will it cover the loss of my peace of mind?” A feeling of helplessness suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. She’d been violated. A stranger had come into her home and touched her personal things, flinging them around with no concern for what they meant to her. Her possessions meant nothing to him; only what he could cash them in for. Her fear turned to anger. How dare he? She met the officer’s eyes. She read nothing in them. How could she? Cops dealt with this day in and day out. They had more important things to do than put much effort into tracking down her items or, for that matter, some small time thief.

After Officer Hunter and her partner left, Sawyer began cleaning up the mess. It took her an hour and a half. After she’d finished, she scanned her list of stolen items to be certain she hadn’t forgotten anything. The damaged and broken items she’d added to a second list for her insurance company. She’d deal with them and Officer Hunter tomorrow. All she wanted to do right now was to get out of this apartment. She called her best friend Nicki Parker and asked her to meet her at their favorite pub. She loved Kennigans. It was within walking distance from both of their apartment buildings. It was a casual neighborhood bar where almost everyone knew everyone else. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was warm and inviting.

Twenty minutes later, she sat in a booth munching on a burger and fries as she filled Nicki in on what had happened. “I doubt they’ll ever find out who did it.”

Nicki squinted at her. “That’s scary, Sawyer. Do you want to stay at my place tonight?”

“You don’t have the room. Besides, you and Peyton just moved in together. Speaking of which, where is Peyton tonight?”