The banging on the front door frightened her even more than the whispering had. What were they doing? Why were they banging on the door? What was the point in whispering in the living room and then banging on the front door?
"Johnson Police." She could hear a man's voice through the door. "Everyone okay?"
The police! 911 was here! She almost collapsed with relief. She ran to the bedroom door and ripped it open. She sprinted down the hall to the front door, terrified the axe murderers would be waiting for her in the living room, but also gambling that they would be startled by the arrival of the police, and she would be able to make it to the front door and the safety of Johnson's finest.
"Here! I'm here!" She struggled to get the door open. "Help me!"
She pulled the door open and was about to rush out onto the porch into the arms of Dadcop, who motioned her to the side with a tip of his head. His hand was on his weapon, but it was still holstered.
"Is someone inside?" Drivercop, who was a few steps behind, asked her. Dadcop was already entering.
"Yes, but I don't know where they are," she whispered urgently.
He nodded and stepped in front of her, his eyes on Dadcop and the room beyond. He bent his head, still watching the interior of the house and said something into his radio.
A pair of headlights moved rapidly down the street and Leo's truck pulled into the driveway somewhat recklessly. The vehicle was barely stopped when the door opened, and he rushed out. He ran up the sidewalk, taking in cops, house, Emily, everything.
Emily was suddenly aware of standing on the front porch in an extra large t-shirt and yoga pants. She was freezing. And yet, the sight of Leo flooded her with warmth. Without even thinking about it, she rushed to meet him halfway, wrapping her arms around him, out of pure relief.
If he was surprised by that, he didn't show it. He pulled her in tightly and said, "It's okay. It's okay."
She could feel the tension in his body as he hugged her. He was understandably concerned, and she had dragged him out of bed yet again. She should feel bad about that, but she didn't. She felt relieved that he was here. Safer. She nodded, unable to trust her voice.
"Here. You're freezing." He stripped off his coat and wrapped her up in it. It retained his body heat, like getting hugged from all sides. He enclosed her in his arms again. "You okay? What happened?"
"I heard them," she mumbled into his chest. He smelled like soap and safety and she could feel his strong heartbeat against her cheek. And why was she thinking about how he smelled and how he felt? She was terrified. Why was that not foremost in her mind? "They were talking. It wasn't geese."
"Okay. It's okay," he said softly. "What happened? What did you hear?"
"I—" She shook her head, burrowed deeper into his chest.
Dadcop emerged from the house and conversed with Drivercop. Drivercop spoke into the radio again, as Dadcop approached them. Emily stepped out of Leo's arms and wrapped the coat tighter around her.
"Leo," He nodded a greeting, then gave Emily a disappointed glance. He nodded back at the house. "Let's get you back inside before you freeze."
"Did you find them?" she asked.
"Let's go inside." He led her to the door. He stepped inside, then motioned for her to follow. Leo followed her and then Drivercop.
"Did you find them?" she repeated.
"What did you see? Tell me what happened," he said calmly.
"I was sleeping," she started. "No, I was trying to sleep, but I couldn't. I was on my phone, online."
"Did they come in the room?" he asked.
"No. No," she was trying to speak calmly, but was having a lot of trouble, given the amount of adrenaline in her system. "I just heard them."
He nodded, his face impassive. "You heard them? What did they say?"
She hesitated. "They said love."
"Love?" He tried, but he couldn't keep the disbelief off his face.
She frowned. He thought she was making it up or imagining it. "Well, I had said that out loud just before."
Still, he nodded, as if he were just collecting information about the case and not interviewing a crazy lady. "To whom?"
"To no one," she mumbled. "To myself, I guess."
"You said love?" Was he clarifying? Or making fun of her? He wasn't smiling, but she could feel her cheeks getting hot.
She sighed. "I said love isn't real."
"Love isn't real?" Repeating her words was becoming annoying. She was beginning to feel foolish. "Why did you say that?"
Leo was watching her carefully.
"I don't know. I was just talking to myself," she mumbled. "I was kind of talking to the stupid Instagram posts."
He nodded. He wasn't writing any of this down. "Out loud."
"Yes. Out loud." She rolled her eyes. "I was talking to myself out loud. Lots of people do that. You didn't find anyone in the house?"
"So you were talking to yourself out loud about Instagram and you said love isn't real and then someone answered you?" To his credit, Dadcop didn't roll his eyes or look at his partner or anything. He was at least listening to what she said.
"I don't know if he was answering me or not." She frowned. "He just said love and then she said sh."
Dadcop nodded. "Two of them?"
"Yes. At least." She sighed miserably. "Well, that's all I heard, two. A man and a woman."
"And then what happened?" He still looked at her. Actually, that stare was getting a little intimidating. It was making her feel like he didn't believe her, like he wanted her to confess to making it up or something.
"He said don't shush me." She looked down at her bare feet on the carpet. "And then I got up and slammed the door and locked it and called 911."
"Okay. I'm going to ask you some questions now that I have to ask, okay?" Dadcop looked around the room, as if he were going to ask her to sit down. But there was no furniture in the room, so he just dipped his head to make eye contact with her. "I want you to be completely honest, okay? That makes things easier for both of us and I know you want to get this sorted out, right?"
"Yeah." She nodded.
"Have you had anything to drink tonight?" he levelled. "Alcohol?"
"No." She was only slightly offended. She knew that he had to ask those kinds of questions, given how crazy the situation was. "Nothing."
"Drugs?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No."
"You know, even something you might not think of as a drug," he suggested. "Cough medication, sleeping aids, diet pills."
"No. No. No." She shook her head. "Nothing like that."
"Okay." He nodded. "You said you were trying to go to sleep. Is it possible you actually did fall asleep without realizing and—"
"I didn't dream it." She crossed her arms over her chest. If Dadcop didn't believe her, who would? "I was awake."
"Okay. I have to ask those questions," he said evenly, calmly. He took a breath and then raised both eyebrows at her. "I have to tell you, we found no one in the house and no evidence of anyone else having been in the house."
"They were there," she insisted. "I heard them."
He didn't respond to that directly. "All the doors and windows were locked from the inside."
"It is possible to leave this house and have the door lock behind you," she grumbled. "I know that for a fact."
Leo suppressed a smirk. "That's true."
"Nothing is out of place. Nothing is moved," Dadcop continued. "There's no evidence of anyone besides you being in the house."
She waved a hand at the room, frustrated. "Except that I heard people in the house."
"There's no evidence of that. There's barely evidence of you in this house," Drivercop chimed in. Dadcop shot him a look.
"So what now?" She exhaled angrily. "Just try and sleep and hope they don't come back and axe murder me?"
He didn't respond to that. He just told her, "Call again if you hear something again."
"I heard them," she said. "Are we just going to ignore that?"
"Leo," Dadcop nodded to him as he left. "I'll see you on Friday."
"Yeah, thanks." Leo closed the door after the two police officers. He carefully locked the door and then turned back to Emily. "You okay?"
"No. I mean, yeah." She frowned. "Leo, I heard them."
"It's okay." He gave her a comforting smile. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. We'll figure it out. Don't worry."
"I heard them," she said softly, although now she was beginning to doubt it herself. Was she just overwrought with stress? Did she fall asleep and dream it? She'd never had bad dreams before. Why would she start having bad dreams now, as an adult? "I did."
"I know." He looked around the room. She was going to have to get some chairs. Everyone always seemed to be looking for a chair in this place.
She sighed. "What did he mean see you on Friday? You know him?"
"Everybody in Johnson knows everybody." He laughed softly, obviously grateful for the change in subject. "His daughter is in varsity choir. We have the Christmas pageant this Friday."
"Oh. Yeah. You said." She nodded.
He gave her a weak smile. "You should come."
It took her a moment to process what he was saying. She was still working on the other events of the night. "To the high school Christmas pageant?"
"Yeah. It will be fun." His smile grew a little bolder. "You'll like it."
A smile twitched the corner of her mouth. "I'll like the high school Christmas pageant?"
"Everyone goes to it." He was only slightly offended. "You'll meet a lot of people. It will be good for you to make some friends."
She let the smile break free. He was a good guy, trying to take her mind off things, trying to make her think of something ordinary and banal. She shook her head. "I don't think so. That's not my thing."
"What if you had a special reserved spot in the front row?" He raised his eyebrows. "I know the director."
She laughed. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up."
His smile faded only a little. "No problem. You okay?"
"Yes. No." She shrugged and looked around the room. "Yes?"
"You want me to stay?" He met her eyes.
Yes. No. Yes.
"I uh—" She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.
"Out here. On the floor," he said. "Not..."
"Yeah, I know," she cut him off, embarrassed. "I didn't think you... I'm okay. I was just scared. I'm okay."
He nodded, then shook his head. "I wasn't saying—"
"I know," she said. "I was just scared before."
"I'm okay if you just give me a blanket and a pillow." He motioned to the floor between them. "You go inside the bedroom and lock your door."
"I can't ask you to—" She sighed. "I don't even have another blanket or pillow."
"You want me to go get one from my house?" He was completely serious.
She was starting to be a little embarrassed now about calling him again. "No, it's okay."
He cocked his head toward the door. "You want to go to my house?"
She shook her head. "No. I'm okay."
"You can go to my house and I'll stay here?" He laughed lightly.
She laughed too. "It's okay. I'm okay."
He nodded and looked around the room, then back to her. "You want me to stay a little bit longer?"
"No, I'm good." She looked around the room, too. Drivercop was right. There was no evidence anyone had been there. "I know you have school tomorrow."
"Okay." He sighed. "Keep your phone close. Lock the doors."
"I know," she said.
"Call me if you need anything," he looked around the room again.
She nodded. "I will."
"Anything," he emphasized the word. "Just call me."
He looked at her a few seconds before heading toward the door. She said to his back, "I really did hear them, Leo."
"I know." He turned and gave her one of those sweet boy smiles.
She couldn't help but smile back. "No, really. I'm not crazy."
"It's okay." He shrugged and winked. "I've got a soft spot for crazy ladies."
"Get out," she laughed.
"Need my coat." He motioned to her, still wearing his coat.
She shrugged it off and handed it to him. "Thank you."
"Not a problem." He slipped it on. "Just a coat."
"No, I mean thank you," she said. Thanks for always coming whenever she called. Thanks for not thinking she was a crazy person. Or if he thought she was crazy, thanks for not acting like he thought she was crazy.
He nodded and smiled. "Call me if you need anything."
She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, I will."
He was serious, though. "Even if you're just scared."
She met his eyes for a moment. "Thank you."
He smiled broadly. "Or if someone else breaks in and wants to philosophize on the existence of love..."
"Get out." She laughed even harder.
"Okay. I'm going." He turned. "I'll check on you tomorrow."
She wanted that. How should she say she wanted that? "I'm okay. You don't have to."
"I know." He shrugged. "Makes me feel useful. Humor me."
She shut the door behind him, still smiling.