Ghost of a Chance

Chapter 4

"That's it?"  Jenny fought to keep her tone level and respectful. 

"For now."  The young officer snapped his notebook closed.  "We'll check the area pawnshops over the next few days.  If you notice anything else is missing, give us a call."  He nodded toward the other officer, and Jenny turned her attention to him.

"This is for your insurance.  You'll want to file a claim in the morning, probably."  He tore a yellow sheet from his tablet and handed it to Teddi. 

Jenny shook her head.

Teddi spoke up.  "Aren't you going to question anybody else?  Look for witnesses or something?"

The older officer sighed and stood up.  "Television stuff.  I'm sorry about your cameras, miss, I really am.  But if we go around knocking on doors in this neighborhood at this time of night, no one is even going to answer the door.  And if they do, they didn't see or hear anything.  And maybe they didn't.  There's a ton of crime like this.  It's part of the cost of life down here.  Now, we're going to get a few pictures of your damage.  You should do the same, if you have another camera."

"For the insurance."

"That's why you have it."  The door closed softly on their departure, and Jenny turned the lock on her door just as softly.  She looked at Teddi and smiled.  "I guess that's that. Do you have insurance?" Probably an addict, thought Jenny, and that's what they think too. But maybe not.

"Yes, but I don't know what all it covers.  Or what the deductible is.  My parents take care of that."

Jenny nodded.  She had lived on her own since the age of seventeen. Her parents had been killed in a car accident, and after the shock had dissipated, she applied to the court to become an emancipated minor. The court granted her request. On her own, she finished high school and applied for college. She worked her way through college, graduating in just three years, and then applied to Pennsylvania University of the Alleghenies to begin her post-graduate studies. She lived alone in her small apartment, taking classes in the daytime, and working at night. She accumulated very little debt, and her life was on the track she had envisioned for herself.  She felt protective of Teddi.

"We'd better get some sleep," Jenny suggested.

Teddi nodded. "I'll call the insurance company in the morning.  And my dad." She clutched her copy of the police report like a relic.

"Try not to worry about it. The insurance should pay for everything, and Mike can't blame you for what happened."

"I know. But he's probably wondering where the pictures are. And now someone else has them, too. Any other night, it wouldn't be a big deal. Now, though, I...I just don't know."

Reflecting, Jenny decided to check on her own car, and jogged down the stairs. Her old Focus was safe and sound. No one had molested it. Still, she was cautious as she returned to her apartment; she kept her keys in her hand and unlocked her door with one smooth motion. Typically, every movement Jenny made was small and purposeful. Now she could not shake the feeling that whoever had broken into Teddi's car was still lurking around. She enjoyed her life, and liked things to be quiet, neat and clean, with no surprises. Nothing that had happened pleased her, and there were too many puzzle pieces she was unable to fit into the frame.

Jenny closed her door and turned the lock. She dropped her keys on a small table near her entrance, which was not her usual habit. The picture Teddi had shown her disturbed her greatly. It simply did not fit into her world-view. Now that they were back upstairs, with the iPad on the table, right where they had left it, she tried to shake the feelings she was having out.