Learn To Love Again

Chapter 28

"I'm coming with you," I persisted.

"You have to stay in the car, Mrs. Saunders. It's not safe inside." Detective Sterling pulled up in front of an ancient-looking two storey building and opened his door.

I followed him out of the car. "It's not safe out here either. What do you think will happen if Malcolm comes out here and sees me alone in the car?"

"He won't if you do as I say. Just stay in the car and keep your head down. The other officers will be here any minute now."

"I'm not staying in the car," I said bluntly.

He sighed. "If, God forbid, something happens to you in there, it will be your own fau–"

"Noted." I started towards the building and could hear his angry footsteps behind me. When I approached the door, I stepped aside for him to knock.

Instead of knocking, however, I was surprised to see him flex his muscular arms and take a few steps back. With a thud, he threw his body into the door. The door screeched under the pressure and a few screws fell from the hinges. He stepped back and threw his body into it once again. This time, the door separated from the hinges and fell to the ground with a loud bang.

I stared at him, admittedly dazzled, as he pulled his gun from his shoe.

"Stay here, and don't enter until I tell you to," he commanded.

I nodded and watched as he entered the building, gun raised.

Is that even legal?

But then again, anything else would've given Malcolm a chance to escape.

I could hear his quick footsteps moving through the house, before sounding more distant as he apparently ascended a flight of stairs.

There was a second of silence, then detective Sterling's authoritative voice filled the air.

"Where is he?" He demanded.

Someone was mumbling something, maybe it was Andray, but I couldn't decipher what was being said.

Before I could give it another thought, however, there was a slight movement somewhere in my field of vision. Startled, I scanned the area around me. There was no one there.

"I asked you a question!" I jumped as detective Sterling's voice rang through the air.

Instinctively, I carefully stepped over the broken door and the surrounding debris and into the house. I entered into a scarcely furnished living room, containing only a television perched on a wooden table and facing a small couch, and an armchair which stood close to the door.

I spotted a staircase to one side of the room and quickly ascended the steps, landing in a hallway.

"He's not here," came Andray's voice.

I followed his voice down the hallway and stopped in front of an open door on the right. Andray stood facing detective Sterling in the unfurnished room, his back to me.

Detective Sterling opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when I stepped into the doorway.

"I told you to stay outside," he said with a frown, causing Andray to turn around.

"I know, but I think I may have seen something out there," I replied.

"Where?" He swiftly moved around Andray and started down the hallway, leaving me in the doorway.

"I'm not sure," I said, following him. I didn't expect him to take it so seriously, especially since I wasn't even sure I saw anything. "Maybe it was a dog or something," I added.