“Okay, ma’am, you can go in. Officer Stickney is waiting inside.”

The beat cop tried to keep Molly back, but she snarled at him—very un-Molly-like—and he let her go with Amery.

She stepped over the glass to take a better look at the damage inside the building. Two officers paced in her office. She just about fell to her knees when she saw her computer on her desk intact.

Molly squeezed her hand. “I’ll go check and see if anything is missing at my desk.”

The African-American cop approached her while the other cop, a young Hispanic woman, talked on a phone.

“Ms. Hardwick? I’m Officer Stickney.”

“Do you have any idea what happened?”

“It doesn’t appear that anything was taken, so we doubt robbery was a motive. It’s sad to say, but there’ve been random acts of vandalism like this across the Denver metro area in the last six months.”

Amery slumped against the wall. “So it’s just my bad luck?”

“Possibly. Or it might be some freak accident where a car spins its tires, dislodging a rock that hits the window at just the right speed and shatters it. Sounds weird, but I’ve seen it happen. We weren’t able to find any evidence of what was used to break the window inside the store.”

“Am I still supposed to check upstairs to see if anything is missing in my loft?”

“Yes, and we’ll need Officer Gomez to accompany you.”

Molly looked up from her desk. “Nothing missing or out of place on my side.”

“Thank god.”

Amery led Officer Gomez through the rear door that led from her office into the small back area with a steel door that led into the alley. A circular staircase dominated the space and opened up into the second-floor loft apartment where she lived. In true loft fashion the only room walled off was the bathroom. This was the first place that was completely hers, and it put an extra twist in her gut to imagine her safe haven had been violated.

But nothing had been disturbed in her oversized bedroom, or the large eat-in kitchen, or the great room with the funky windows that overlooked the street.

“Anything missing or destroyed, Ms. Hardwick?” Officer Gomez asked.

“No. I can’t even blame the mess on the counters on anyone but myself.”

The female cop smiled. “I can relate. I’m relieved this wasn’t a B and E, but I will offer you some advice.” She pointed to the businesses across the street with the drop-down steel cages covering the storefronts. “Those might be ugly, but they are effective; those cages do deter crime. And it’s an especially smart add-on since you’re a single woman living alone above your business. I’d also suggest you install a heftier door with a dead bolt between your business area and your living space. Once that’s done, have the alarm company add a trigger to that door, so if someone does get in from the business side, it’ll alert you.”

“Thank you so much. I appreciate your advice.”

The cops didn’t stick around after that.

Amery and Molly sat in their office chairs facing the gaping hole.

“I can’t believe it,” Molly said.

“Me either.” As grateful as Amery was that nothing had been stolen, she worried about how much the repairs would run. Yes, she had insurance, but she’d have out-of-pocket expenses. She was running a much smaller profit so far this year and had been cutting corners and pinching pennies everywhere she could.

The window replacement company arrived and off-loaded pieces of plywood.

As they heard hammers banging, saws going, and an electric drill screeching, Molly said, “Amery, you’re awful quiet. Are you really okay?”

“No. I’m wired. There’s no way I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Especially not when all that’ll be separating me from the street is a sheet of plywood.” Amery offered Molly a wan smile. “I’ll probably be all caught up on my backlog of filing and stuff by the time you get here tomorrow.”

Molly frowned. “Get here? Where do you think I’m going?”

“Home where you belong.” Where it’s safe.

“Huh-uh. I’m staying right here with you.”

“I’ll be—”

“No, you aren’t fine. Which is why I will be right there, on that couch. I’m used to pulling all-nighters. So suck it up and grab me a pillow.”

“Man, I didn’t know you had such a bossy streak,” Amery grumbled.

“And I never would’ve thought you’d be so antagonistic toward a man who could probably kill you with a look,” Molly retorted. “So it looks like we’re both full of surprises.”

“Let’s hope we done with all surprises—good or bad—for the rest of the night.”

CHAPTER TWO

GROGGY from lack of sleep, Amery released a little scream the next morning when her best buddy, Chaz, enveloped her in a gigantic bear hug from behind. “Girl, I’d ask how you’re doing but the scream pretty much gave it away.”

“You surprised me,” she said defensively. “Can you blame me for being a little shaken?”

“No.” Then Chaz curled his hands around her biceps and helped her to her feet, demanding, “Why didn’t you call me last night?”

“Because I didn’t want to freak you out. There wasn’t anything you could’ve done anyway.”

“Except be there for you. That’s what friends do for each other, hon.”