Ambrose rounded the corner and was immediately concerned with the blue and red flashing lights. The closer he got to his home, the more he realized they were parked near his home. He noticed an ambulance as well. Suddenly his chest felt tight while fear flooded his body. Unable to pull into his driveway, he’d stopped his car as close as possible to his front door. Ambrose jumped out the car then ran towards his front door. He was met by officers.
“This is my house. Where’s my wife?”
“Let him through,” he heard someone in the background call out.
When Ambrose entered his home, he surveyed the scene. There were two detectives, some EMT’s and uniform officers milling around. The EMT’s were flanking his wife who was seated on the couch wrapped in a blanket looking disheveled and distressed.
“What is going on here?”
“Mr. Camden, I’m detective Anderson. Is this the first you’ve been home today?”
“Yes, I’m just returning from work.”
“What do you do sir?”
Detective Anderson inquired as he jotted things down on a small notepad.
“I’m an ad exec.”
“It’s late. I didn’t know ad execs worked this late.”
Ambrose furrowed his brow. He didn’t appreciate the tone in the detective’s voice.
“Often.”
He said flatly.
“So, it’s normal for you to come home at this late of an hour.”
Detective Anderson stated more than asked.
“Yes.”
Ambrose had become annoyed by the questioning, he wanted to know what was going on.
“Sir, there was an intruder in your home this evening. Your wife was assaulted.”
“What do you mean assaulted?”
Ambrose peered over the detective’s shoulder, trying to make eye contact with his wife but her head was hung low. He pushed past the detective then went to her side.“
Ashley, are you alright?”
She looked up at him then jumped up into his arms. Ambrose stood there hugging his wife, holding on to her, hoping to soothe her pain. Ashley sobbed uncontrollably into his chest. An hour before……Ashely had just stepped from the shower, drying herself, she thought she’d heard something bumping around in the kitchen.
“Ambrose is that you?” She called out.
She paused, listening for a response. There was none. Ashely shrugged telling herself she was imagining things. She continued with her nightly regimen of lotioning her body, moisturizing her face, brushing her hair and teeth before dressing for bed. Ashley made her way down to the kitchen to prepare her nightly tea when she hit the bottom of the stairs, she thought she saw something move. Quickly, she turned her head in the direction but saw nothing. Ashely place the tea kettle on the stove then walked to the refrigerator to retrieve her nightly snack. When she closed the door there was a man in a Santa suit and ski mask standing there. She didn’t scream, or run, they stood staring eye to eye for several seconds. Ashley began slowly backing away from the masked man. He said nothing, made no moves toward her. She searched her head, trying to remember where she’d left her cell phone. Mentally, she wondered how’d he’d got in, how she would get out, what he wanted and if she could make it upstairs to her gun. Santa stood there, she could see his chest moving with each breath. His eye burrowed into her as if he were trying to read her thoughts. Ashley wondered if he in fact, knew what she was thinking. She never stopped backing away that was, until her back touched the wall. The tea kettle whistled, the assailant turned his head in the direction of the stove. Ashley turned on her heels and darted from the kitchen. She could her him stalking behind her but didn’t dare turn to see him. Her foot hit the bottom step but she wasn’t ascending. He’d caught her, grab her by the hair. Instead of climbing the stairs, her feet were in the air, her breath was knocked from her body as her back slammed to the floor. He straddled her body with one hand now around her neck. She hadn’t noticed before, he had on gloves. Tears rolled from her eyes but she didn’t fight. Santa leaned in close to her face, she could smell his breath, his aftershave, his skin. She heard him inhale deeply. He placed his knitted cotton cover cheek against hers. Santa whispered in her ear. In the present time…..The medics had done all they could. Ashley refused to go to the hospital, she reasoned that her injuries were not that severe. She’d answered all the detectives’ questions with a promise to call if she’d remembered anything else. They’d been given the camera footage. Ambrose and Ashley were sitting with drinks in front of them. Ashley hadn’t said anything in the 10 minutes since all the cavalry had been gone. Their glasses had been drained, Ambrose stood to refill their glasses. When he returned sitting the fresh glasses on the table, Ashley looked up at him.
“Where were you?”“Work.”
“I don’t believe you. What have you gotten yourself into?”
“What do you mean?”
She stared blankly at him. Ambrose felt a lump form in his throat, he drained his glass.
“Santa told me to tell you time was running out.”