My heart raced as I tried to remain calm for my kids. “Why don’t you two wash up while I get everything ready?” I suggested, sending them out of the kitchen. Once they were gone, I dashed to the backyard, Ravi’s message echoing in my mind. I approached the trash cans, my hands trembling as I lifted the lid of the first one. Nothing out of the ordinary, just our usual garbage. But when I opened the second can, I froze. Inside, wrapped in an old blanket, was a collection of gloves, a few small tools, and an unlabeled bottle filled with a mysterious liquid. Panic surged through me.
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“I’m fine, sweetie. Just checking something. Go on inside, I’ll be right there.”
As soon as Isla was out of sight, I called the sheriff’s office.
“Sheriff’s Department, this is Leona speaking.”
“Leona, it’s Nora. I need you to come over immediately. I found something disturbing in my trash.”
Leona’s voice turned serious as I described the contents of the can. “Don’t touch anything. I’m on my way. Stay inside with the kids until I get there.”
After hanging up, I couldn’t shake the fear. Our neighborhood had recently experienced a series of break-ins with eerily similar methods—chemicals to weaken locks and meticulous clean-up of evidence. A chilling thought crossed my mind: my house was next on the list.
“Mom, what’s going on?” Kai asked, noticing my unease.
Just as we started eating, there was a knock on the door. I tensed, but relief washed over me when I saw Leona through the peephole.
“Kids, stay here and finish dinner,” I said before stepping outside to speak with her. I explained everything to Leona—Ravi’s note, his strange behavior, and what I found in the trash. She listened carefully, her eyes scanning the street.
“You did the right thing by calling me,” she said. “I’ll take a look at what you found and get it analyzed. In the meantime, I strongly recommend you increase your security. We’ll patrol the area all night.”
