But what do they even want?
Jen put her hand on Livvys shoulder and gently turned her so she could look into her eyes. Anything they can sell, I would guess. Theres the silver, my jewelry, the computersany number of things. Theyll take it and theyll go.
She could see Livvy trying, wanting, to believe her. She tried to make herself believe it, so her face would convince Livvy.
I need to talk to Daddy, she said as calmly as she could. Can you play with Teddy and keep him busy for a few minutes?
Livvy nodded. She looked a little better, some of the panic gone from her eyes.
His old toys are in here, Jen said, getting a cardboard box down off the shelf. I havent had a chance to get them over to St. Vincent De Pauls yet. Go ahead and get them out. Whatever he wants.
Livvy talked softly to her brother, kneeling down on the cold concrete floor next to him and peeling the tape off the box. Jen and Ted went to the far side of the basement where the old living room furniture was stored, the pieces that Ted kept meaning to put on Craigslist. Ted lifted the old lamp shades off the couch and brushed off the cushions. When they sat down, he took her hands in his.
I dont understand why they picked us, Jen said in a low voice. Its not like we have the biggest house in the neighborhood. And we were home. Why wouldnt they pick a place where nobody was home? I mean, all they had to do was keep knocking on doors until they found one that nobody answered. Then they could just go around the back and break in.
I dont know, maybe they were worried about alarms. Everybodys got those signs in their yard, those ADT warnings.
Not everyone, Jen said. Lots of people dont. They didnt, for instance. Theyd talked about a home alarm system, but theyd felt that Livvy was too young to be depended on to arm and disarm the system.
I think we have to assume its just random, Ted said. Just bad luck.
But youd think theyd at least watch the house for a few days. I mean, thats what you always read in the papersthey watch the house to figure out when the owners come and go, right? But these guys came at exactly the wrong time. This is the time of day theres most likely to be someone home. It doesnt make any sense.
Im scared, she wanted to say. She wanted Ted to put his arms around her and tell her everything was fine. She wanted him to do for her what he had done for Livvy, to hide his own fear and promise her they would be safe. But she wasnt Livvy. She and Ted were the adults, and they had to face the truth.
I dont know, Jen, Ted said. His voice was oddly detached, and he was looking past her shoulder at the shelves behind her. Im guessing theyll have one of us go up there and show them where everything is. Where your jewelry is, the safe, stuff like that.
Oh, God. Jen felt a wave of nausea, and she doubled over her knees, letting go of Teds hands. Theres nothing in the safe but papers. What if theyre expecting more? Like cash or somethingwhat if theyre angry that there isnt more to take?
Well, theres the electronics, the silvertheres lots of stuff, Ted said, putting his hand on her back and rubbing absently. His offhand touch was the opposite of comfort; it made her flinch and shrink away.
If the men upstairs were disappointed with what they could take from the house, they might take it out on her family. She pictured them opening the safe, andonce they had seen that there was nothing but insurance policies, passports, copies of the willbecoming enraged. In her imagination, Dan swung his gun around, his eyes accusing, and pointed it at her face.
She whimpered.
Oh, hon, Ted said. He gathered her into his arms and held her tightly. You cant let yourself think the worst. Do you hear me? Were just going to take this one step at a time. We have to stay calm and trust thatbelieve that things will be all right. These arent some hopped-up drug addicts up theretheyre professionals. Professional thieves. Believe me, they want things to go smoothly just as badly as we do.
How do you know that? Jen drew back and looked deeply into his eyes, trying to find the source of his certainty. How can you be sure?
Im not surehow could I be? His gaze skittered away, avoiding hers. But what choice do we have but to believe it?
I just feel like theres some connection, that if we thought about it we could figure it out. Youre sure youve never seen these guys anywhere? Jens mind raced through her routines, the small world she inhabited: the kids schools and the grocery store and the yoga studio and the restaurants and coffee shops downtown. She was sure shed never seen these men anywhere she went on a regular basis.
She thought of something. Remember when your wallet was stolen from the locker room?
That was almost a year ago. Even if someone had kept it all this time, why would they wait so long to come here?
But they knew your name. She remembered the faint smirk on Dans face, as he looked down on her in her own family room.
Jen, they could have found out our names on a two-second Google search of the address. Hell, they could have gotten our names on their way up the sidewalk by just looking on their phones. That doesnt mean anything.
Jen was silent a minute, thinking through her familys routines. Teddy was always with her unless he was at school or the Sterns house. Livvy went to school and soccer and out with her friends, less often since shed been grounded last fall
What about Sean? she said. He had trouble with the police. Remember?
Seans sixteen years old, Jen, Ted said incredulously. Hes a child.
But he was arrested.
You mean that vandalism thing? That was just a stupid prank. He wasnt even the instigator.
It had happened after a football game, shortly after Livvy had started dating him. One of Seans friends had a key to the equipment shed, and theyd broken in and dragged the lacrosse goals into the parking lot and shot smashed beer cans into them. When the police came, Sean and one of the others were drunk enough that they fought ineffectively back and got assault charges tagged on, which were later dropped. The school got involved and suspended the boys for a week.
Im just saying he might know the young one. Ryan. Jen tried to sort it out. He could be friends with him. He could have told him to come here. Sean was in our house half a dozen times. He could have a grudge against Livvy from the breakup...or maybe all he did was tell them about the house, our stuff....
He broke up with her, Jen. Why would Sean have a grudge against her? It doesnt make any sense.
Jens mind raced with possibilities. Or what about Renaldo?
Ted stared at her, his eyebrows knit together. Seriously? Our yard guy?
He has access. I mean, I know anyone could come through the gate, but hes been in our yard so many times. She felt ashamed of the betrayal even before she stopped speaking. Renaldo was a nice guy, respectful and dependable, and he never forgot to blow the bits of grass off the patio after the first time she had to remind him.
Jen. How would Renaldo know those guys? And even if he did, why would he send them herewhy wouldnt he just come when he knew we were out of town? You always call to let him know when well be away.
Jen tried to corral the swirling thoughts in her head. She looked at her children, sitting on the carpet remnant Ted had laid out in the middle of the concrete floor. Livvy was talking softly, moving a plastic car along an imaginary track, a row of Playmobil people looking on. Teddys bubbling laughter was punctuated by growling engine noises and honking horns. Livvy was so good with him; shed managed to banish the fear from his mind, somehow tamping down her own terror for his sake.
Because thats what you do, Jen thought. When you love someone, you make yourself stronger for their sake. As strong as you can, as strong as you muststronger than you ever believed you could be. Your love makes the other person all that matters, and how can you let your fear rule you when you have something so much more important to protect? Livvy had been shaking with fear when they came down the stairs, but now she was sitting cross-legged with a smile on her face, a smile she had conjured from nothing for her little brother.
And now she had to do the same for Livvy. For both of her children, and for Ted, too, because she was the center of their family. She was the axis on which the rest of them turned, and if shed occasionally resented it, if sometimes it seemed thankless and even pointless, she had also spent the past fifteen years of her life building a core of strength that could support all of them even now. She would take over for Livvy and let her daughter be a child, and she would do her job.
Im sorry, she said, running her hands through her hair. Youre right. About Renaldo, and SeanI was just trying to figure it out, but like you say, its probably just random. Just bad luck. Listen, can you see if you can talk to Livvy? Who knows whats going through her head right nowjust tell her what you told me, that everythings going to be all right. And Ill take over with Teddy.
Jen knelt on the floor with her children. Wow, I havent seen these old toys in a long time, she said.
Shepherd, Teddy said, holding up an androgynous plastic figure with a yellow bowl haircut and a crook in its hand.
Thats right, shepherd! Where are the sheep, do you think? I wonder if theyre in the box?
While she upended the box of toys on the carpet, Ted took Livvy by the arm and led her to the couch. He sat with his arm around her and Livvy pressed her face to his shirt, shaking with silent sobs. She was trying to stay quiet for Teddys sakeand Ted enfolded her in his strong arms, comforting her like he always did after the worst disappointments. When her soccer team lost in the semifinals. When Sean had broken up with her. Ted was the one Livvy wanted when her world was falling apart.
Teddys eyes went wide at the pile of toys on the carpet. A few round pieces from the KNex set rolled across the floor. The poor kid was never allowed to make a mess like this; Jen was forever cleaning up around him, sorting his toys into their various bins and baskets. Well. Ifwhenthey got out of this, she would try to loosen up a little.
She plowed her hand through the center of the pile, the figurines and building toys and vehicles clattering against each other. She dug out a Star Wars figurine. She didnt know its nameit was from the new movie, some sort of soldier with a head scarf obscuring his face.
Teddy took it from her solemnly. Bad mans, he whispered. He stared at the inscrutable painted eyes, the plastic rifle nearly as tall as the figurine itself.
Jen took a deep breath. You mean the men upstairs? They were a little scary, werent they?
Teddy nodded, his lips quivering. He gripped the toy tightly. He didnt put me down. I wanted him to put me down but he didnt.
Oh, I see. I can understand why that was upsetting.
They had guns.
What the hell was she supposed to say now? In all the womens magazines Jen had read over the years, the ones that promised solutions to everything from dry skin to marital disharmony to kids behavioral issues, there had never been a single piece of advice for what to do when your child is threatened at gunpoint. Jen flashed through the possibilities and decided to lie. If it was the wrong decision, shed do her penance later.
Oh, those were just pretend. Those guns? Toys, like these, only bigger.
Jen took the toy back from Teddy and bent the rifles stock. She waggled it back and forth.
Dont break it, Mommy!
Oh, sorry. Here you go. She handed the little soldier back to Teddy. They were playing a game, kind of like when you and Rand and Mark play in the backyard. Remember? With the Super Soakers? Those were pretend guns.
I shot Rand, Teddy said. Rand shot me and Mark.
Thats right! Jen said, warming to her lie. And remember when Mark was crying because he didnt understand that it was just a game? And I had to take the Super Soakers away and you guys all had quiet time? Well, upstairs it was kind of like that. Daddy and I didnt understand it was just a game at first and so we were kind of upset. And now were having some quiet time down here so everyone can calm down.
Teddy regarded her skeptically. Jens smile felt frozen in place. They have to leave now, he said. Im hungry.
Oh, yes, it is almost dinnertime, isnt it? Jen said, faking surprise. But Im just having a nice time down here with you guys. Lets play for a while longer, okay?
Tell Livvy, Teddy said.
Tell her what?
That its a game because she was scared. Before Jen could react, he reached into the pile of toys and pulled out a chubby little sheep. I found him!
Jen helped him find the other sheep, the lambs, the pieces of fence and the plastic bushes. Livvy joined them on the rug, helping Teddy assemble the imaginary pen. Jen looked at the windows and saw that it had grown pitch-dark outside. What did that make it, seven? The lights worked down here, thank God, even if it was just a few naked bulbs in the ceiling.
Ted was sorting through the shelves, pulling bottles of water from the emergency supplies. Jen went to help him.
You got Teddy calmed down, Ted said quietly.
Hows Livvy?
Okay, I think. I think I convinced her that they werent here to hurt anyone.
I just wish I knew if they were coming back. I mean, maybe they just took what they wanted and left already.
No, they would have had to bring a car to load it all, and gone through the garage, unless they were really stupid. We would have heard the garage door. Besides, I hear them moving around up there.
Oh. Jen tried to keep the disappointment from her voice. Why were they still in her home? Maybe theyre just waiting until everyones in for the night, so they dont call attention to themselves.
Maybe. Though pulling up a car late at night has its own risks, if someone sees them. Theyd be more likely to notice a strange car at three in the morning.
Whos up at three in the morning? Jen demanded, and then wished she hadnt, because the look Ted gave her conveyed what they both knew: that she was up at that hour as often as not. Lately, sleeping through the night had been nearly impossible for her; her doctor said it might be from perimenopause.
I think we need to prepare for the possibility that we might be stuck here overnight, Ted said.
Oh, my Godtheres no way. They cant just leave us down here