About five minutes had passed before Neil came out from the living room, his brows furrowed in consternation.
He apparently hadn't found Russel, which was concerning, but even more troubling was the thought that he may not have found any strange man either.
"Did you find anyone?" I asked anxiously. The worst-case scenario was Neil not finding anyone at all. What would I do if I found the man after Neil left?
I had a strong intuition that someone had indeed entered the house.
However, Neil couldn't possibly conduct a thorough search. If Russel really was here, as Neil suggested, he wouldn't have hidden.
"No, Russel isn't here. Why are you so nervous?" Neil asked, puzzled.
"I..." I wanted to tell him about the fugitive murderer in the neighborhood, but I was worried that it might not be appropriate, especially since I had invited him in to have a cup of coffee and search for the living room. My intention was clear.
What if Neil thought I was trying to endanger him.
I was alone with two children at home, and the consequences would be unthinkable if something happened. Even if Neil accused me of having bad intentions, I had to say.
"Norah isn't home today. She called me in the evening to say that there was a..." I was midway through my sentence when Neil's phone rang.
I instinctively shut my mouth as he glanced at the caller ID and signaled with his eyes that he needed to answer the call.
From the conversation, it seemed like Karina was on the line. Hiram had sneaked out again, and she couldn't find him.
"I'll be right back," Neil responded immediately. It was dangerous for a child to be out alone late at night. For some reason, Hiram was particularly bold in this regard.
I wanted to continue talking about the situation, but Neil left in a hurry, not giving me a chance to say another word.
It was clear how concerned he was for Hiram's safety.
Watching as the gate closed again, I immediately reopened it and took Serena and Brandon out for a walk. If there was a police station nearby, I planned to bring back a couple of officers to check the house.
Half an hour later, I returned home with two police officers. Given the situation involving a fugitive murderer, they were very cautious and thorough, searching the entire house. Strangely, they found no one.
I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed, wondering if I was being overly suspicious and wasting police resources.
"Miss, we didn't find anything unusual. But you should still be cautious, especially since you're home alone with the kids. Make sure to check all the doors and windows, and have some self-defense tools ready. If there's any emergency, call the police immediately. We'll be right over!" An older officer advised me carefully.
I nodded. "Okay, thank you."
"You're welcome. We'll be on our way then." The two officers said goodbye and drove away in their patrol car.
The house fell silent again. Both kids were asleep. I carried them to their bedroom, checked everything carefully, and was about to wash up.
"Crash!"
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