“Everything’s fine,” I reassured him, though my smile felt forced. “Let’s have dinner.”
Just as we started eating, there was a knock on the door. I tensed, but relief washed over me when I saw Leona through the peephole.
“Kids, stay here and finish dinner,” I said before stepping outside to speak with her. I explained everything to Leona—Ravi’s note, his strange behavior, and what I found in the trash. She listened carefully, her eyes scanning the street.
“You did the right thing by calling me,” she said. “I’ll take a look at what you found and get it analyzed. In the meantime, I strongly recommend you increase your security. We’ll patrol the area all night.”
That night, sleep was impossible. I spent hours researching security systems, jumping at every little sound. By morning, I was jittery from lack of sleep and too much caffeine. At 8 a.m. sharp, I called a security company.
“I need cameras installed around my house. Today.”
“Ma’am, our earliest slot is next week—”
“No,” I interrupted, my voice breaking. “Someone’s planning to break into my home. I need those cameras now.”
The urgency in my tone must have struck a chord because the receptionist softened her voice. “Let me see what I can do. Can you hold for a moment?” After what felt like an eternity, she returned with good news. “We had a cancellation. Our team can be there in two hours.”
The security team arrived, and I paced the house as they installed cameras. Every passing car, every dog walker suddenly seemed suspicious. Just as they were finishing, Leona pulled into my driveway, her expression grim.
