Part 33 (1/2)
”What happened? Is she all right?”
”I checked her over. She's been drugged but seems to be all right.” She nudged his shoulder. ”Let the paramedics through.”
He moved, but not far. Serena gave the paramedics a rundown of what she knew, then watched them take her mother's vitals, load her onto the gurney, and push her out the door with her father trailing. He looked over his shoulder, his expression curious to her. ”What is it, Dad?”
”I want to go to the hospital with your mother, but I don't want to leave you with this crazy-”
”Go,” she said with a glance at Dominic and Hunter. ”I'll be fine.”
He didn't need any more encouragement. Her father gave her a short nod, but the look in his eye promised they'd talk soon.
Serena stood and dropped onto the couch, weariness flooding her. And she realized she was starving. And nauseous at the thought of eating. Then she sat straight up. ”Where are my animals? Yoda? Chewie?”
Dominic frowned. ”The house was clear.”
”They're not here?” she shrieked.
”Hey, calm down. We'll find them.”
Serena raced through the house, calling her pets but getting no response.
An officer entered through the front door and Serena rounded on him. ”Did you see a dog and a cat out there?”
”I didn't see a cat, but there's a dog in the backyard.”
Frowning, she raced back through to the sunroom door and opened it. Yoda nearly tackled her. Relief brought tears to her eyes and she blinked them back. ”Hey girl, why didn't you use your doggie door?”
Now that she knew she was all right, she pushed Yoda out of the sunroom and shut the door. She barked her displeasure, but Serena ignored her as she examined the dog's opening.
Someone had slid the hard piece of plastic into the holder, which effectively shut the door to keep the animals inside or outside. Her intruder had banned her animals from the house so he could go about his business unfettered.
She shuddered and walked down the hall to the guest closet. Opening the door she normally kept cracked, she spied Chewie in her favorite spot. On the top shelf of the closet organizer. Breathing another huff of relief, she turned to go back down the hall to the den.
Another thought hit her. The alarm hadn't gone off. Not when the intruder had brought her mother here, nor when the authorities cleared the house.
She walked back to ask Dominic. ”Why didn't my alarm go off?”
”It wasn't on.”
”What do you mean? Of course it was on. I never leave without arming it.”
He shrugged, his eyes clouded with his concern. ”Maybe you forgot this time.”
Frustrated, scared, and exhausted beyond belief, she placed her hands on her hips. ”I did not forget to arm it.”
Her phone buzzed and zombie-like, she pulled it from the back pocket of her jean shorts.
”Camille stopped by to let me know to call you and tell you that she was living with her father again, but they had a fight. I just checked and she's gone again,” Mrs. Lamb said.
Serena made an attempt to pull her thoughts together. ”I'm not surprised. Sad to hear it, but not surprised.” She was relieved that Camille seemed all right, but why hadn't she called or texted?
”I fed her a hot meal and gave her some prenatal vitamins.”
”Thank you.” Serena bit her lip and thought. ”All right, if she comes back, tell her I really need to talk to her and let me know, will you?”
”Sure thing. Sorry, love.”
”Me too.”
She hung up, her mind still buzzing, the ebbing adrenaline making her feel light-headed.
”Are you all right?”
”Yes. I think. I need to get to the hospital so I can be there when my mom wakes up.”
”I'll take you.”
She stared at Dominic, unsure whether she wanted him to drive her or not. ”You shouldn't have done that today.”
He didn't have to ask what she meant. Instead, he dropped his head, then looked up at her. ”Maybe not. I wanted to protect you.”
”You took away my choice.”
A frown flickered in his eyes. ”I didn't realize that's what I was doing.”
Serena sighed and looked away. Was she making too big a deal out of this?
Probably. But she was worried, tired, and cranky . . . and just plain scared out of her wits. ”It doesn't matter now, I guess.”
”Then can I drive you?”
”Sure.”
Serena moved with him toward the door.
Dominic said, ”I'll have someone stay on the house until everyone is finished up here. I don't think the guy will be back, but . . .”
”Right.”
As she stepped off the porch, Serena looked up to see Colton and Hunter standing next to Colton's car. Twin grim expressions graced their faces and Serena felt her stomach twist.
”There's another one, isn't there?” she whispered.
Colton nodded.
”She was found in the same park as Leslie, but sitting under a tree.”