Light the Fire (Jackson's Hollow #1)

Chapter 43

Jo got water while Ryker had another coffee before they moved to the living room. Apparently they'd spent time today checking in with the police again, getting a locksmith out, and cleaning up the house--mom said it gave her the heebie jeebies to think of some stranger rifling through her things. Dad gave Jo a long-suffering look--apparently he'd been put to work vacuuming, which was his least favorite of chores.

"Well, we can help out with anything you need finished up after dinner," Jo said firmly. Oops, she hadn't meant to speak for Ryker. She looked over at him and he smiled and nodded, reaching out to squeeze her hand with his. His thumb rubbed over her knuckles in a gesture that instantly relaxed Jo.

That's right, Mr. Fix-it probably lived for this kind of stuff. She just hoped he wouldn't be too tired for the drive back home. Even though he said they could stay as late as needed, she didn't want to push it too far--she cared about her parents, but she also cared about her boyfriend too. They were both important to her.

"Really, there's not much more that needs to be done," her mom said, shaking her head. "They didn't take anything or really even do much." She sighed, leaning back, her hands wrapped around one knee. "It's so strange. But hey, how about you go upstairs and check your room while we finish getting dinner ready?"

"We didn't think much in your room was moved, but it's your stuff," her dad added, "You know everything in there better than we do."

Hmm, that made sense. But if she remembered correctly, her room had been a little messy... Oh well. "I guess I could."

"We'll call you down when everything's ready," her mom said.

With Ryker following, she headed upstairs, past the pictures of family vacations and holidays that lined the walls. A tug at a loop of her jeans made her stop on the stairs, looking back at Ryker. He pointed to one of her baby pictures, the one where she was covered in sugar from a cotton candy stick, pieces of the candy fluff stuck in her hair. Her grin was huge, probably because little three-year-old her was definitely on a sugar high.

"Sweet tooth, much?" Ryker asked.

She reached back and gave his shoulder a playful shove. "It starts early! And you're not allowed to ask for more embarrassing pictures."

"No promises."

Her room was the first one on the left off the second floor landing. She still had the same bedspread she'd had throughout high school, one that looked like it was covered in watercolors. Painted handprints from her friends covered her wall along with pictures, posters, and sketches she had done in high school. Before moving to the mountains, she used to like to sketch. Now there never seemed to be free time for it.

While stepping into her room should've felt like stepping into her own inner sanctum. But it didn't. And it wasn't just the time that had passed or how much she had grown in the past few months. No...

Everything was just a little off. Pictures had been moved a tiny bit, the things on her dresser were off-kilter, her shoes weren't where she left them on the floor.

"What's wrong?" Ryker said almost instantly, stepping around her so that he was in front.

"I...they were in here," she said. Normally she would've been amused that he was trying to protect her from a threat that wasn't there anymore, but...She moved past him and opened one of the drawers on her vanity.

It had been gone through. The papers and old notebooks and trinkets that had been in there were still there, but she knew that they had been gone through. She opened another drawer. Same thing. Hurrying to the dresser, she opened the top of it. The diary she had kept in middle school was still there, but the lock was popped.