9. Starting to Get Worried.

Chrissy and Ian realize someone wants that memory card back.

Ian and Chrissy picked Emily up from soccer practice and then drove to Chrissy's work where her motorcycle was parked. “Want to ride home with me, Squirt?” asked Chrissy.

“Yeah!” answered Emily eagerly.

Ian didn't like Emily riding the motorcycle, but he said nothing. Emily loved riding with Chrissy, and Chrissy had thoroughly gone over all the safety rules with Emily and was very strict about them. He knew Chrissy would be extra careful with her daughter as a passenger.

They all arrived home at the same time and entered their apartment. As Emily went to her room to change, Chrissy called after her, “Don't leave your soccer uniform on the floor. Put it in the hamper or it won't get washed!” She looked at Ian and rolled her eyes. “Christ! I sound like my mother!”

“I'll go start dinner,” said Ian. Chrissy suddenly got a funny look on her face and began slowly looking around the room. “What's wrong?” he asked.

“Someone's been in here,” she said with a furrowed brow.

“Huh?”

“Someone's been in our apartment. Some things have been moved.”

“Why would someone be in our apartment?”

“How should I know?! But someone's been in here! Your book has been moved, and so has the TV remote.”

“But, nothing's missing,” he said, “The TV's still here and my computer is still here. Are you sure someone's been in here?”

“Positive,” she said with conviction, “My camera was facing the other way.” She pointed at it.

“So... someone broke into our apartment, picked up your expensive camera, set it back down and left?” he asked skeptically.

She picked her camera up and opened a port on the side. “My memory card is missing.”

“Oh, come on! Why would somebody steal the memory card from your--” He stopped speaking and stared at her. “Jesus! Do you think--?”

Chrissy went to their bedroom. She came back a minute later. “I had two more memory cards in my bed stand,” she said, “They're missing, too.” They stared at each other in disbelief. “I think somebody wants that memory card back,” she finally said.

“Someone broke into our apartment and searched for that memory card,” said Ian, still trying to grasp the reality of it. “Apparently someone that isn't hampered by a locked door, either.”

She nodded solemnly. “Let's not mention this to Emily. I don't want to scare her unnecessarily.”

“Think we should call the cops?” he asked.

“And report that the memory card was stolen from my camera? They'll just laugh at us.” Chrissy had little love for the police because of her past.

“This is serious! If someone's willing to break into our apartment for the damned thing, it must be important! I wonder what the hell it is?! And who wants it?!”

“And what they're willing to do to get it back,” answered Chrissy with a worried look.

That night, before they went to bed, they wedged a chair against the front and back doors.

Author's Note

Suggestions and constructive criticisms are always welcome.

Reviews

[John Lauterbach]

I'm a little upset with these spies for stealing all of Chrissy's memory cards without leaving dummy-cards in their place. I guess it doesn't matter, since they don't know Ian and Chrissy are aware of the card. Still, that pulled me out of the story a little to think about how unprofessional Becka was to leave evidence Chrissy immediately picked up on. Also; did Becka bug the apartment? I don't know if that's totally necessary, but it seems like a paranoia Ian or Chrissy might pick up.

[Craig2591]

Yeah, I thought about bugging the place. It would make sense. Even if she didn't, Ian and Chrissy should have considered the possibility and went outside to talk.

It didn't occur to me that Becka should have left dummy cards. That's a good idea.

Most people (like Ian) wouldn't notice that Becka was a little careless in her search. But Chrissy isn't most people.

Thanks for these pointers. I might have to make some revisions to make it more real.

[C. Rose]

Haha Becka is bad at her job. I like Stephanie better anyways.

I question how Chrissy noticed the changes. She hadn't been home since she left for work. How does she know Ian didn't move the remote or happened to need to move her camera?

[Craig2591]

Ian hadn't been home either. He left straight from work to meet her and go to Benjamen's.

[SpeedyHobbit Armstrong]

Chrissy is definitely an observant woman. I cannot blame them for using the chairs as a safety measure! You do a good job of manifesting their struggle to conceal the fear that if someone got in once, they could do it again.

[Craig2591]

Thank you.

[Tina Kline]

Good reading. Chrissy noticed right away someone had been in their home. very alert and totally aware of her surroundings. I'm thinking it might take a little longer for some to notice with such little things out of place that Chrissy noticed.

[Craig2591]

Thanks for reading and reviewing.

[K.]

Very interesting, I loved the background on Becka in the last chapter and the fact that Chrissy noticed that someone has been inside their apartment shows us that she is more attentive and notices more things then we thought in the first place. Especially because you noted that Jon had taught them very well.

[Barbara Walker]

I can see John's point, but I think that Becka and company don't realize how aware Chrissy is. A lot of people would not notice the movement of a few small items. And as for the memory cards, most wouldn't miss them for awhile and when they did wouldn't connect it to anything, thinking they had misplaced them. I don't think they would have bugged the apt. because they think they got the card. As always, looking forward to reading more!

[Craig2591]

Hmm... you make some good points, too, Barbara. Perhaps they would not leave an expensive bugging device behind if they didn't really need to. I will leave the chapter as is for now and adjust it if I do a rewrite.

Thanks for the review.