Diva Runs Out Of Thyme

And began again. I still didn’t bother to get up. But when it rang a third time, I feared the worst, stepped out of the tub, and wrapped a towel around me. The phone stopped ringing before I could answer. I was on the verge of checking the caller ID when it jangled again and I finally picked it up.

Nina’s voice said, “There’s someone in your house. Get out now.”

TWENTY-THREE

From “THE GOOD LIFE”:

Dear Sophie,

I’ve inherited a collection of copper pots and pans from my aunt-in-law who is downsizing. They’re gorgeous, but I never use them because I hate cleaning the copper. She’ll be offended if I give them away. Any suggestions?

—Copper-phobic in Coeburn

Dear Copper-phobic,

If you decide to use them, make it easy on yourself by keeping a salt shaker and a vinegar cruet by your sink. Shake on a hefty dose of salt, add a splash of vinegar and the tarnish will clean up as if by magic.

If you still don’t want to cook in them, hang them over your cooktop or display them on a baker’s rack as a beautiful decoration.

—Sophie

Terror gripped me unlike any I’d ever known. I was on the second floor. I couldn’t leave the house without walking down the stairs. Where was he? Had Nina called the police? Had the intruder hurt Daisy?

Clutching my towel, I padded softly to the stairs and listened. I heard a chair scrape across the floor. I tiptoed down the stairs, trying to remember where they squeaked. At the landing in the foyer, relief flooded over me. Daisy wagged her tail, panting and perfectly fine. I picked up Mochie and peered around the entrance to the dining room.

Panic hit me full force. The intruder, dressed in baggy gray sweatpants and a sweatshirt, was pawing through the silverware drawer. Seeing the intruder scared me silly. He could have all the silverware he wanted as long as he didn’t hurt any of us.

Moving stealthily, I crossed behind the opening to the dining room, toward the front door, and safety. A floorboard creaked under my bare foot and the intruder turned around. He wore a Paula Deen mask and Paula’s friendly smile took on the sinister appearance of a fake clown smile. I screamed and lunged for the door. My fingers trembled and I fumbled with the lock. Seconds passed like an eternity but I swung the door open, called Daisy, and ran onto the front lawn.

Police sirens pierced the quiet night. My wet skin prickled in the freezing winter air. Two squad cars pulled up and blocked the street as Nina ran to me with a fuzzy bathrobe and a huge blanket. She held Mochie while I gratefully donned the bathrobe and dropped the wet towel to stand on. At least it was an improvement over the freezing brick of the sidewalk.

Two police officers rushed into the house. Wolf arrived minutes later. His face grim, he stopped to ask me what happened. “I don’t like this,” he grumbled. “Not one bit.”

“Do you think it could be the same person who broke into Vicki and Andrew’s house earlier?” I asked.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”

When the house had been searched, Wolf and Nina ushered me into the kitchen to warm up. My teeth chattered, partly from the cold but mostly from sheer terror. One of the uniformed officers called us into the sunroom where the door to the backyard stood ajar.

“I presume you didn’t leave the door open,” said Wolf. “Any sign of forced entry?” He stepped around the door to examine the exterior and the lock.

The uniformed cop said, “Either it was unlocked or her intruder picked it.”

Wolf scrutinized me from head to toe. Even though I wore the robe Nina brought me, I felt exposed and vulnerable. I’d pinned up my hair haphazardly for my bath and my feet were bare.

He shut the door and studied the sunroom, still not saying a word. I followed his gaze. Nothing had changed since he sat here earlier with Bernie. I hadn’t even taken the tray into the kitchen yet or removed their coffee mugs to be washed.

“How big was the intruder?” he asked.

I felt foolish. All I could see in my mind were the baggy sweats and the mask. “I don’t know. I was a little panicked.”

Wolf walked out of the sunroom, down the hall, and up the stairs to the second floor. Nina and I followed.

“Where’s the bathroom?” he asked.

I pointed to the open door.