The watchmaker

chapter five

It was then another crunch sounded, very close outside the window behind her. Then one more even closer.

That's no squirrel.

Out came the Glock, one shiny 9 millimeter round in the chamber and thirteen underneath it. Sachs made her way quietly out the front door and circled around to the side of the house, pistol in both hands, but close to her side. A fast look. the side of the house was clear. Then she moved toward the back, placing her black boots carefully on the walkway which was thick with ice.

A pause, listening.

Yes definitely footsteps. The person was now moving hesitantly, maybe toward the back door.

A pause. A step. Another pause.

Ready, Sachs told herself.

She eased closer to the back corner of the house.

Which is when her foot slid off a patch of ice. she gave a faint, involuntary gasp. Hardly audible, she thought.

But it was hard enough for the trespasser.

She heard the pounding of feet fleeing through the backyard, crunching through the snow.

Damn.....

In a crouch just in case it was a feint to draw her to the target she looked around the corner and lifted the Glock fast. She saw a lanky man in jeans and a thick jacket sprinting away through the snow.

"I'm a police officer.Stop!" she started sprinting after him, I'm not going to tell you again stop!"

No response

Shit I'm going to loose him

But nature intervened. A branch protruding from the snow caught his shoe and he went down hard with a grunt that Sachs heard from forty feet away she ran up and gasping for breath rested the side of the Glock against his neck.He stopped squirming.

"Don't hurt me! please!"

"Shhhh." out came the cuffs

"Hands behind your back"

he squinted"I didn't do anything"

"Hands"

He did as he was told but in an awkward way that told her that he'd probably never been arrested before. He was younger than she thought a teenager his face dotted with acne.

"Don't hurt me, please!"

Sachs caught her breath and searched him.No ID no weapons, no drugs.. Just money and a set of keys. "What's your name?"

"Greg."

"Last name?"

A hesitation "Witherspoon"

"You live around here?"

He sucked in dry air, nodding to his right "The house there, next door to the Creed's"

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen"

"Why'd you run?"

"I don't know,, i was scared"

"Didn't you hear me say i was police?"

"Yeah, but you don't really look like a cop.... a policewoman. You really are one?"

She showed him her ID. "What were you doing at the house?"

"I live next door."

"You said that. What were you doing?" she pulled him up to a sitting position. he looked terrified.

"I saw someone inside I thought it was Mrs Creed or maybe somebody in the family or something. I just wanted wanted to tell her something. Then I looked inside and saw you had a gun. I got scared I thought you were with them"

"Who's them?"

"Those guys who broke in That's what I was going to tell Mrs Creed about"

"Broke in"

"I saw a couple of guys break into their house. a few weeks ago, it was around Thanksgiving ".

"Did you call the police?"

"No I guess I should have, but I didn't want to get involved, they looked like tough"

"Tell me what happened "

"I was outside in our backyard and I saw them go to the back door look around and then kind of you know break the lock and go inside"

"white, black?"

"white I think. I wasn't that close. couldn't see their faces. They were just like you know guys Jeans and jackets. One was bigger than the other".

"color of their hair"

"I don't know"

"How long were they inside"

"An hour I guess"

"You see their car"

"No".

"Did they take anything?"

"Yeah a stereo, CDs, a Tv some games I think., can I stand up?"

Sachs pulled him to his feet and marched him to the house.She noted the back door had been jimmied. Pretty slick job too, she looked around. A big screen tv was still in the living room. There was a lot of nice china in the cabinet. The silver was still there too. The theft wasn't making sense. Had they stolen a fer things as cover up for something else?

she examined the ground floor. The house was immaculate except for the fireplace. It was a gas model but there was a lot of ash. With gas logs there was no need for paper or kindlings. Had the burglars set a fire?

"Did you notice if those men had a fire going when they were here?"

"I don't know, maybe"

It was then her cellphone vibrated.She checked it an urgent message from Adam. she was needed back in the city ASAP. She sent an acknowledging message.

What had been burned? she wondered staring at the fireplace.

"so," Greg said "like can I go now"

Sachs looked him over "I don't know If you are aware of it but after any death the police conducts a complete inventory of everything in the house the day the owner dies."

"Yeah?" he looked down.

"In an hour I'm calling the Westchester county police and I'm having them check the list against what's here now if anything's missing they'll call me and I'll give them your name and your parents"

"But--"

"The men didn't steal anything did they? after they left you went through the back door and helped your self to what?"

"I just borrowed a few things is all.From Todd's room"

"Mr Creed's son?"

"Yeah and one of the Nintendos was mine he never returned it"

"The men? Did they take anything"

A little hesitation "Doesn't look like it "

She undid the handcuffs"You'll get everything back by then, put it in the garage I'll leave the door open" she said

"Oh , like, yeah I promise" he said

The boy started to leave she asked"one thing? when you heard that Mr Creed killed himself were you suprised?"

"Well yeah"

"Why?"

The boy gave a laugh "why would anyone that drives a BMW kill themselves right?"