She swallowed and straightened. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Um. I don’t have much expensive jewelry but I do have a lot of costume stuff.” She bent to pick up several bangle bracelets. “Like this. Doesn’t look broken so there’s that.” She stood and looked around. “Royal, can you take pictures, please? The insurance company might like that.”

He hated to walk away from her but she had pulled herself together. He knew her motto about surviving first and crying later so he leaned in to kiss her. “All right.” This way was better anyway. He’d chronicle the damage, and she would be spared at least having to take pictures of it.

“The few pieces of more expensive stuff, mainly art nouveau, some hair combs, a sapphire brooch and earrings to match. I wear the ring all the time though.” She raised her hand to show her right index finger.

“This is my jewelry box, but I keep the valuable stuff along with my handgun in a safe attached to the underside of my bed.” She went to her knees and felt around. “Still here and closed.”

“Just check to be sure.”

She opened it and put the handgun on the bed along with a box of ammo and the clip, which was stored apart from the weapon. “I have all the necessary paperwork on it too.”

“When did you get a gun?”

“I’ve had it for several years. One of my old cases came complete with a crazy person and death threats. I got it and learned to use it then. This is the same box of ammo I bought like four years ago. I haven’t even gone to the range in something like two years.” She flipped open the box holding the jewelry. “It’s all here. Like I said, it was just a few pieces.” She put it back and stood again, dusting off her pants.

In the bathroom, it was a mess of her lotions and creams with soap and shampoo drizzled all over it. Some of her clothes had been tossed in the bathtub and then covered with whatever had been within reach. Her shoes had been tossed everywhere, and she nearly broke down when she saw that the ridiculously high and delicate stilettos she got in Paris had been totally destroyed.

“I cannot even with this guy. He needs to be punched in the butthole a few times.”

Shane barked out a surprised laugh.

Royal spoke up from where he took pictures of the ruin in her closet. “She’s full of wisdom just like this.”

“I’m special.” She opened her medicine chest. “Um, stuff missing. I had to get dental surgery and I had leftover pain meds from it. I also had leftovers from something else. They were both probably expired.”

Shane wrote on his pad as she walked out into the hallway.

“This whole hall was full of framed photographs,” she said, stepping carefully over the piles of broken wood and glass from the frames.

The office was a mass of torn paper.

“Those were strapped to the walls.” She looked at the wall where the bookcases had once stood.

Shane looked close. “They’ve been cut. Hacked at, so probably a knife.”

It was like that all over the place.

An hour later after Shane and the rest of the police had left, she called her insurance company and arranged for someone to come over and for the police report and photographs taken to be sent to her agent. The door had been replaced and she had a set of new keys and she still did not feel safe in the slightest.

She also found it interesting that Royal had taken on a hard outer shell over the last half an hour or so. She wasn’t sure if it was about her or him or what had happened, but as he was still being sweet to her, she figured it was anger at the situation and she sure empathized. She’d give him the space. Heaven knew she needed it right then as well.

“I need to call Melissa. Jesus.”

“You call her and you tell her she and Clint are invited to dinner at my house tonight. That’ll give us time to get this mess dealt with. And you can make a list of whatever you’ll need and we’ll get the important stuff and tomorrow we can hunt down clothes for work and that sort of thing.”

“I’ve got clothes at your house. I just did laundry there. Two suits and some other work stuff. My birth control pills are at your place, along with my makeup. My journal and laptop. Thank goodness for that, I’ve got work on it.”

Royal was glad to see her getting herself together.

“Let’s see what we can salvage here. My office is plenty big for you to share with me. Especially when our work is really so different. Or you can use the kitchen table if you prefer. We’ll load some stuff into your car too and you can drive it to my place.”

“What? Wait, what are you talking about?”

“You calling Melissa and inviting her. That’s step one.”

Which she did. Melissa was outraged and immediately offered her a place to stay if she wanted, and when Caroline had said thanks but no, she’d also offered to come over and help her clean up.

“You know how when you’re all worked up and mad and on the verge of tears? I just need to work it through a bit. I’m not okay right now.”

Melissa made a soothing sound. “I got it. We’ll see you tonight. I’ll bring some of what we have here for the barbecue. Definitely all the makings for margaritas.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Call me if you need anything before I see you later on, okay? I’m glad Royal is there with you.”

Caroline hung up, tucking her phone in her pocket.

Royal put down the photograph he’d managed to save from the mangled remains of a frame and took her arms.