Leona, it’s Nora. I want you to come by right away. I found something disturbing in my trash. »
Leona’s voice became serious as I described the contents of the can. « Don’t touch anything. I’m on my way. Stay inside with the kids until I get there. »
After I hung up, I couldn’t shake off the fear. In our neighborhood, there have recently been a number of burglaries using eerily similar methods — chemicals to weaken locks and meticulous cleaning of evidence. A scary thought flashed through my head: My house was next on the list.
« Mom, what’s going on? » Kai asked when he noticed my discomfort.
« Everything is fine, » I reassured him, though my smile felt forced. « Let’s have dinner. »
Just as we started to eat, there was a knock on the door. I tensed up, but relief came over me when I saw Leona through the peephole.
« Children, stay here and get dinner ready, » I said before stepping outside to talk to her. I explained everything to Leona—Ravi’s note, his strange behavior, and what I had found in the trash. She listened attentively and searched the street.
« You did the right thing when you called me, » she said. « I’ll look at what you’ve found and have it analyzed. In the meantime, I strongly recommend that you increase your security. We will patrol the area all night. »
That night it was impossible to sleep. I spent hours researching security systems and jumped at every little noise. In the morning, I was nervous about lack of sleep and too much caffeine. Punctually at 8 o’clock in the morning, I called a security company.
« I need cameras installed in my house. Today. »
« Ma’am, our earliest appointment is next week— »
« No, » I interrupted him in a brittle voice. « Someone is planning to break into my house. I need these cameras now. »
The urgency in my tone must have hit a nerve, because the receptionist became quieter. « Let me see what I can do. Can you hold out for a moment? » After what felt like an eternity, she returned with good news. « We had a rejection. Our team can be there in two hours. »
The security team arrived, and I walked up and down the house while they installed cameras. Every passing car, every dog walker suddenly seemed suspicious. Just as they were finished, Leona drove into my driveway with a grim face.
« Nora, we have to talk internally, » she said. I sent the children to their rooms before sitting down with her.
