99. The Cops (Part 1)

Third Person POV:

The living room was still doused in half-darkness, the only source of illumination coming from a single lamp casting a muted glow. She didn't had enough mind present to care for such a thing, right now.

The red and blue lights from the police cars parked outside flickered through the windows, staining the dimly lit space in a rhythmic, eerie dance.

Rose stood in the center of it all, wrapped tightly in a blanket, but the chill running down her spine had nothing to do with the cold.

She watched as uniformed officers combed through her home, their movements methodical, their murmured conversations low and indistinct.

Yet, none of it felt real.

She had done what she thought she wouldn't.

Rose was out of it after what had happened to her and in her foggy state of mind she did what felt right. Calling the cops for help.

Till it was all just harmless obsession like roses, she felt like she could handle it on her own; was even thinking of taking taekwondo lessons in case of need be. 

Now, no amount of martial arts seemed enough of protection to her after she had seen him with such close proximity.

A female officer approached, her posture firm, one hand resting instinctively on the belt at her waist—a habit born from years of being on the job; never be too far from the weapon even if you are interviewing an innocent victim.

Her gaze was steady, assessing.

"Miss, so far, we see no signs of breaking and entering around this house."

Of course there's no signs. He doesn't leave any but for single flower. Should she mention that?

Instead of answering, Rose turned her head toward the back windows.

Through the glass, she watched as another group of officers emerged from the woods.

An older man, likely the one in charge, gave a short wave to a duo who then split off, walking along the side of the house toward the front where their patrol car idled.

The older officer stepped inside, his boots thudding softly against the hardwood floor as he met Rose's gaze.

"Well, looks like the woods are only home to the crickets and owls tonight. Didn't find anyone else lurking about."

Rose clenched her jaw.

Of course, they didn't.

She knew he wouldn't still be there, not when armed officers were sweeping the area instead of an unsuspecting, defenseless woman.

Coward.

The thought of him vanishing like smoke only deepened the unease curling in her gut.

Still, she couldn't shake the sting of disappointment. If they had just found him, it would all be over.

"And no sign of a burnt tree or any ongoing fires," the older officer added, relief lacing his tone.

Rose's brows knitted. "What?"

The female officer beside him sighed, shaking her head. "If you ask me, I'm glad that part wasn't true. Forest fires are a nightmare to deal with and terrible for the environment—like we aren't already—"

Rose cut her off sharply. "Excuse me? What do you mean by that? Do you think I'm making this up? Are you calling me a liar?"

Her voice was tight with anger, her chest rising and falling in short, agitated breaths.

"There was a man in my house!"

The old officer held up a calming hand, his voice measured. "Alright, miss, calm down. My partner didn't mean to call you a liar. Please, take a seat."

But Rose didn't budge. "No, thanks. I'm fine standing."

A beat of silence passed before the older officer nodded, relenting. "Alright. How about we go over your statement again? Can you tell us exactly what happened?"

Rose swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the blanket draped over her shoulders.

The flickering lights outside continued to bleed into the shadows of her home, a stark reminder that despite the police presence, she still didn't feel safe.

She wasn't sure she ever would again and began regretting her hasty decision of bringing the cops into this.

Rose began patiently again.

"Wait, you say he was inside your house. Where do you think he could have gotten in from? Did you leave your doors unlocked? Because there was no sign of forced entry," the man said.

"I don't know. Maybe he got in through the back door, the same one he left from," Rose shrugged.

"So it wasn't locked then," the lady officer assumed as she jotted it down. Rose watched her anxiously. Why was she making her feel like this was her fault?

Should she tell her? About how the doors and windows in this house automatically lock and unlock on their own?

Nope. She already thinks I'm a liar, no need to add 'lunatic' to that list.

"So what happens next?" the officer asked, looking up from the small notepad in her hand.

"I saw him and went after him when he left through the back door." Rose felt it pointless to repeat what she had already told them.

"Wait a second, you willingly followed after him? A strange man in your home, and your first instinct was to follow him?" She stopped before nodding. "Interesting."

This was getting on Rose's nerves.

"No, I am not some thrill-seeking junkie!"

Though… I kind of am, Rose thought, but refused to acknowledge her own errant mind.

"I thought it was Jake. That's why I followed him," she clarified, willing herself to stay calm.

"Jake, your uncle, right? But he isn't home," the older officer said.

"Yes, I know. He's at work. He'll be getting home late."

"So you talked to him?"

"Not really. I saw the note on the refrigerator." Rose pointed toward the kitchen area, where a piece of paper was stuck on the fridge door with a magnetic berry.

"So you knew he was going to be running late and wasn't home yet, but you still thought it was your uncle?" The older man looked genuinely confused.

"No! I didn't know that."

"But there's a note on the refrigerator. You said it yourself," the lady officer added in.

"I saw it afterward."

"After you saw the stranger, or after you followed him?" The lady narrowed her eyes at Rose and flipped open her notepad again.

The constant note-taking was agitating Rose more than she liked to admit.

"What is this? A courtroom drama? Why are you acting like you're trying to make me confess something—" Rose looked visibly pissed. "I saw it after I ran back fearing for my life!"

"Hey, calm down. We're only here to help." The lady officer wasn't exactly sounding friendly, either.

What did Rose do to piss her off? Call her for help while she was sleeping?

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Rose sighed. "Look, I told you before—I thought it was Jake who came back from work, and I thought it wasn't safe for him to go into the woods. So I tried to stop him. When he didn't, I followed him to protect him from—"

"Protect him from what?" The woman caught onto that quickly, her suspicion evident.