A local woman missing- Mary Kubica

thought someone had tried to break in; she installed a new handle
on the door herself, something more secure and foolproof. She
boarded up the one window with plywood, though the only person
getting up there without a ladder was Spiderman. It seemed
excessive and a bit paranoid, if I’m being honest. But I told myself at
the time that, if it made Bea feel more safe, so be it. I didn’t argue. It
was shortly after all that happened with Shelby Tebow, Meredith and
Delilah. The whole neighborhood was on edge. It was
understandable that Bea might want to take extra security measures
to feel safe.
The new lock, she said, only came with the one key. She told me
she’d have another made for me. Now that I think about it, she never
did.
One of the officers asks, “Do we have your permission to knock
the door down?”
Without hesitation I say, “Yes. Of course.”
I need to know what Bea has been keeping from me.
The officer goes back to his vehicle. Minutes later, he comes back
with a battering ram. It doesn’t take long. The door busts violently
open, ricocheting off the wall. From where we stand, I see Bea’s
equipment. Nothing looks amiss.
I release my pent-up breath.
The officers step heedfully inside the studio. One has a hand on
the weapon in his holster. Josh makes an attempt to follow.
“Sir,” one of the officers says firmly. “You need to stay put.”
Josh does as he’s told. He, Leo and I stand together, waiting. It’s
all so like that day they found Meredith, when the female detective
told Josh, there in the parking lot of that seedy motel, that Meredith
was dead of an apparent suicide, which was later confirmed by
autopsy. He fell to pieces on the concrete lot. The rest of the day
was a blur for all of us. I don’t remember much.
From where we stand, I just barely see the officers probing around
Bea’s space. It doesn’t seem like they’re finding anything of interest
to them.
Suddenly the officers stand at attention. One of them points
upward, to where the attic is. The three move to the stairs. They start