Careful What You Wish For

Chapter Sixteen

Jenna stands in the middle of the living room talking to a young policeman. To anyone who didn't know Jenna, she might look as though she was holding it together reasonably well. But Sophie can see by the way she is moving her hands too much and the strands of hair that are out of place that she is not okay.

The young policeman holds a notebook in one hand although isn't writing anything down. He has longish light brown hair pulled into a man-bun at the back of his head, and sunglasses pushed casually into his hair.

All around them is chaos.

Brianne audibly gasps beside her. Sophie is too shocked to utter a sound.

The first thing that Sophie sees are stray bits of oddly shaped material dangling from the curtain rods where the curtains have been ripped from the windows. Then she takes in the mess scattered across the floor. It looks like every plate from their kitchen has been shattered on the floor, as well as a number of glasses and mugs. Everything has been swept off the countertop, including Jenna's coffee machine, the blender and the toaster, and piled on top of the plates.

She takes a few steps into the kitchen and stops. The fridge is open. Half the contents are also on the floor, and up the wall, and sprayed across the kitchen cabinets. Sophie physically feels her eyes widen as she stares at the angry mess. Is that milk?

She turns to see an identical shocked look on Brianne's face. And something else... is that fear? Yes. When her best friend looks up and catches her eye she distinctly sees a flash of fear cross her face.

A cold shiver races up Sophie's spine. Brianne is scared for her.

"Sophie Smith?" A voice at her elbow makes her start.

The young policeman is beside her. "Yes?" She manages to say, although all she can look at is the notebook in his hand and wonder what he's already written down. Did he think this was a random break-in? Could this in any way be connected to what happened to her last night at the pool? Is she a target? Was this her fault?

The policeman is introducing himself as Sophie tries to focus on what he is saying. "...it looks like someone broke in through the side door... you'll both need to determine if anything has been taken, but at this stage..."

The reality of the situation is slowly coming down on Sophie's head. This is her second encounter with the police in less than 24 hours, the second time that she has been a victim, and denying that something is happening is becoming very difficult. A heavy and uncomfortable dread settles across her shoulders. "Can you tell me where you were last night?" The policeman's voice pushes in.

She focuses on his face. "At the police station on Moggill Road."

He doesn't try and hide his surprise, and she can almost see the various puzzle pieces rearranging themselves in his face. "I'll need you to start from the beginning." He indicates the table on the patio outside. Sophie tries to swallow her reluctant sigh and doesn't quite succeed. It doesn't appear to bother him in any way. He is in complete control of the situation and his emotions and Sophie envies him.

There is a knock at the door. Sophie tries not to flinch but fails, and he notices. He turns to Brianne. "That will be my colleague, he's here to take photos."

Photos. Like a crime scene. Brianne nods dumbly and leaves to answer the door. It's like it's their house now and Sophie and her friends are the visitors.

~

For the second time in as many hours, Sophie tells her entire story. The young policeman, who turns out to be Detective Cummings, listens quietly and asks minimal questions. While Sophie imagines that without the uniform no one would ever guess his occupation, his manner is still professional and detached. He could probably simply request or access the statement she already gave last night, but she doesn't mention this. It's easier to tell the story the second time, although she still finds herself feeling embarrassed by all the attention and somewhat at fault.

When they are finished Sophie re-enters the house to find Brianne alone with another policeman. She wants to ask about Jenna but is wholly distracted by the uniformed man in her kitchen dusting for fingerprints. She also doesn't want to break the ominous silence in the house or upset the devastation in the room which overwhelms everything else.

Instead, she and Brianne sit awkwardly and silently on the couch in the lounge room and wait.

The officers talk briefly but mostly get on with their work. After a while, Sophie notices Brianne's eyes following the younger one, Cummings, as he helps dust surfaces and bag bits of broken plate. She wants to smile but doesn't quite have it in her today. That slow dread is starting to crawl back up her spine again and a darkness is forming at the edges of her mind.

To block it all out she decides to break the silence. "Where's Jenna?" She asks Brianne quietly.

"Class."

Of course. Only Jenna would go to class after something like this. Sophie sighs.

"She said not to start cleaning without her," Brianne adds.

By the time the police are done, Sophie and Brianne have lapsed back into a deep silence. Sophie is trying to banish memories of the guy in the hoodie, trying not to imagine him in her house, destroying her house. Brianne's eyes are still following Cummings, although now she is frowning slightly, and Sophie can't figure out what she could be thinking.

The girls finally find themselves alone in the wrecked house, the police officer's words echoing in the quiet space. "I would highly recommend you not go anywhere by yourself, be aware of your surroundings at all times, and contact the police immediately if you suspect someone is following you..."

"This is getting very serious, Soph," Brianne says into the silence.