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"I suggest we take a look at the dae before you attempt any cleanup"

"Oh, yes, of course"

He walked into the living rooh a cyclone had gone through, leaving its devastation behind The furniture was toppled and yellow spray paint had been blasted across her piano and bookcase

Most distressing of all hat they’d done to the fa the fireplace mantel Shocked, Faith covered her mouth with both hands

"This has to be personal," Troy muttered He reached for the picture of Scott and his wife and children Each face had an X through it, drawn in bright red ink The photo of Faith’s daughter, Jay Lynn, had received the saraph of her late husband, Carl, had coe had been utterly blotted out

"Who would do such a thing?" Faith cried

"Have you argued with anyone lately?" Troy asked

That was basically the same question Deputy Weaver had asked and the answer hadn’t changed "No…"

"Think, Faith," Troy insisted "Whoever’s responsible for this--and it could beto hurt you"

"In that case," she snapped, "they’ve succeeded"

"I’entle, kind For a moment it looked as if he wanted to take her in his arladly have slipped into his embrace She would’ve welcomed the comfort he offered, the reassurance that, in his arms, she was safe and secure

Thankfully he remembered that they weren’t a couple anyer appropriate He dropped his arm and took a small step in retreat

"What about the bedroouise the uncertainty of her resolve

"You sure you’re up to this?" Troy asked

Would anyone be? "I…I’ll need to face it sooner or later"

"True" Again he led the way

They were forced to step over drawers that had been dragged into the hallway, over chair cushions and books and la she owned It seeh the contents of her entire home had been emptied in the hallway

When she saw her bedroom and the chaos there, tears filled her eyes and she couldn’t stand to look at any more With a sob, she turned and hurried out of the rooine who’d done this Whoever it anted to disrupt the peace and serenity she’d worked so hard to achieve since ’s been taken?" Troy asked She suspected he was trying to distract her fro rooe that this ain Whoever had broken in had probably taken whatever valuables they could find

Why target her? Faith didn’t own more than a few pieces of expensive jewelry, so band and the pearls that had been her mother’s--were tucked away in a safety-deposit box at the bank

"Is anything obviousI want you to do is get a new lock," Troy said, exa the front door "Make it a dead bolt Consider an alarestion kept her fro

"My faraphs of her children and grandchildren "Are they safe?"

Troy shrugged uncouess is this is a scare tactic"

"But why?"

Troy’s face creased in a dark frown "I can’t answer that I wish I could tell you, but I can’t"

"I want to knohy…"

"I do, too," he said, "and I pro in my power to find whoever’s responsible"

That was fine, but Faith’s biggest concern remained her family "Why would anyone cross out their faces? I won’t be able to sleep at night if there’s any chance ht be at risk… It’s all because of me," she said in a rush "What could I have possibly done to deserve this?"