“Well… someone definitely was.”
I thanked her and walked inside.Language Resources
But I couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d said.
At first, Tom thought she might have confused our house with someone else’s.
That seemed unlikely.
Our backyard was enclosed, and the hot tub sat directly behind the house.
There was almost no way to mistake it.
Then Lisa added something that made the situation even stranger.
She said this wasn’t the first time she’d heard people in our backyard while we were away.Home Swimming Pools, Saunas & Spas
Suddenly, what had sounded like a misunderstanding began to feel like something else.
Something deliberate.
We checked everything.
The gate.
The locks.
The hot tub cover.
The patio.Bathtubs
Nothing appeared damaged.
There were no obvious signs of forced entry.
But the more we thought about it, the less comfortable we became.
So Tom suggested installing a small security camera overlooking the backyard.
We didn’t tell anyone.
The following weekend, we made sure our neighbors could see us leaving.
We packed the car.Home & Garden
Loaded our bags.
Closed the trunk.
Pulled out of the driveway.
And drove away.
At least, that’s what we wanted Jim and Lisa to believe.
Instead of leaving town, Tom and I checked into a hotel about forty minutes away.
We stayed there overnight.Patio, Lawn & Garden
The next morning, we returned home.
Before we even unpacked, Tom opened the camera footage.
Within minutes, he stopped scrolling.
“Come here.”
I walked over.
And then I saw them.
Our neighbor Jim was walking directly into our backyard.Writers Resources
He wasn’t alone.
