Last Gasp

He glanced up and caught me watching him. “Did you call the locksmith yet?”

“Uh, not yet. I planned on doing that this morning.”

“Don’t put it off.” He glanced toward the kitchen door. “That lock is about as effective as having a rubber band keeping people out.”

“It worked though. The person didn’t get in.”

He grimaced. “That’s because he got scared off by my arrival.”

Gritting my teeth, I said, “Don’t say things like that. You’re freaking me out.”

He laughed. “Sorry. I’m trying to motivate you.”

“Trust me, I’m motivated.”

He glanced at his watch and then gulped down the last of his coffee. He stood and took the cup to the sink. “I need to get moving.”

“Me too.”

“Thanks for the coffee, Kip.” He smiled. “Maybe now I can stay awake.”

“No problem.” I led the way to the front door, and he followed. Once outside, I locked the door behind us.

“I’ll let you know when we get the fingerprint results.”

“Will you?” I asked, surprised.

“Sure. If we get a name, I want to know if it’s someone you recognize.”

“Oh, right.”

As he strode across the street toward his car, he called out, “Keep your eyes and ears open, kid.”

I hated it when he called me ‘kid’ but decided to let it slide. “I will.” I got into my truck, and he sped off down the street in the direction of the police station. I was grateful to him for helping me last night, but something was fishy about his reason for being near my house.