Ellen sat at the kitchen table the next morning, staring into her coffee cup, the warmth seeping into her hands. The heat felt good, but her mind was all over the place with everything that had happened. Mason was moving around upstairs, and she could hear his footsteps. She knew he would come down soon, and she had so many questions.
When Mason finally entered the kitchen, he looked as composed as ever, but Ellen could see the tension in the way he carried himself. His face was calm, but his eyes were shadowed with concern. She looked up at him as he sat down across from her, and for a moment, they just sat there in silence.
Then, Ellen cleared her throat, gathering her thoughts. "Did the police find anything?" she asked quietly, her fingers absently tracing the edge of her cup.
Mason’s eyes flickered to hers, and he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "They’ve made some progress," he replied. "The culprit... well, they’re pretty sure it was just one person."
"Just one?" Ellen repeated, surprised. She had imagined some kind of group, not a single person.
Mason nodded. "Yeah. He covered his entire body and face, but from what they could tell, it was definitely a man." He paused, watching Ellen’s reaction, before continuing. "He destroyed all the security cameras in our house, but thankfully, a few of our neighbors’ cameras picked him up."
Ellen blinked, taking that in. "So they caught him on camera?"
"Sort of," Mason replied. "He parked his car at the end of the street and walked the rest of the way to and from the house. The police are working on tracing the car now."
Ellen bit her lip, feeling a strange combination of relief and discomfort. It was good that the police had something to go on, but knowing the man was still out there unsettled her. "Do they think they’ll be able to find him soon?" she asked.
Mason’s expression was careful as he answered. "They’re working on it. They have leads, but it’ll take time."
Ellen nodded slowly, her mind still racing. "What about the security guards?" she asked, her mind going back to the frightening thing Helga had said. "What happened to them?"
Mason’s face darkened slightly, and he leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "They were found unconscious in the backyard," he said, his voice grim. "Whoever this guy is, he knocked them out without anyone noticing."
Ellen felt a chill run down her spine. "Are they okay?"
"They’re fine," Mason reassured her. "They’re in the hospital now, but the doctors say they’ll recover fully. Just... knocked out, like I said."
Ellen let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. "Wow," she whispered, shaking her head. It was so much to take in. Someone had come into their home, knocked out their security, and disappeared into the night. It felt surreal, like something out of a movie.
But this was real life, and the man responsible was still out there.
At least she and Mason hadn’t been there—who knows what could’ve gone down. Just thinking about it made her shiver.
Her eyes flicked to Mason again, and a thought struck her. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should ask, but the question had been gnawing at her since the break-in. "Mason," she began carefully, "not that I want to make this weird, but... do you have enemies? I mean, like... serious enemies?"
Mason raised an eyebrow at her, his expression softening slightly. "In the business world? A lot," he admitted. "The police are looking into it too, but... it doesn’t add up. If this was some kind of business rival, why would they just mess up the house? Why not they do something to me like—"
Ellen’s eyes widened, and before Mason could finish his sentence, she shot out a hand, covering his mouth. "Shoosh!" she said, shaking her head quickly. "Don’t say something like that. Don’t even think it."
Mason’s eyes twinkled with surprise and a grin as he lightly took her hand away from his mouth. "I was just saying—"
"I know what you were going to say," Ellen interrupted. "And I don’t want you to curse yourself by even suggesting it."
Mason chuckled softly, his fingers lightly brushing hers as he placed her hand back on the table. "Alright, alright," he said. "I won’t say it. But you don’t need to worry, Ellen. Everything’s going to be fine. The police will catch this guy soon."
Ellen looked closely at Mason’s face, looking for any signs that he wasn’t as calm as he appeared. She could see that he was trying to reassure her, but there was still a tension in his eyes—a flicker of worry he couldn’t quite hide. "You really think so?" she asked quietly.
Mason nodded, his expression serious again. "I do," he said firmly. "We’re taking all the precautions we can. We’ve got new security in place, and the police are on top of things. I promise, you don’t need to worry."
Ellen wanted to believe him. She wanted to feel as calm and confident as he seemed. But the truth was, with the culprit still out there, she didn’t think she would be able to relax. Not yet.
"It’s just... if this was a robbery or something, that would be one thing," she said softly. "But some stranger just... coming into our house and ransacking it? It’s terrifying."
Mason’s hand reached across the table, covering hers with a gentle but firm touch. "I know," he said quietly. "But we’ll get through this. I won’t let anything go south like last time."
Ellen’s heart squeezed at his words, and for a moment, the knot of fear in her chest loosened just a little. She nodded, offering him a small, grateful smile. "I know," she whispered. "I hope... I hope they catch him soon."
Mason squeezed her hand gently before letting go, his gaze softening. "They will."
She glanced out the window, watching the world outside slowly come to life as the sun rose higher in the sky. She hoped, with everything in her, that Mason was right—that everything would be okay.