The Police Checked the Property

Claire called the non-emergency police number.

She explained that the home was supposedly vacant but someone seemed to be entering it at night.

Two officers arrived later that afternoon.

Claire showed them the video.

They walked across the street.

The doors were locked.

The first-floor windows appeared secure.

There was no obvious evidence that anyone had broken in.

One officer eventually contacted whoever managed the property.

According to the property manager:

Nobody had permission to be there.

The officers searched the exterior.

Then they entered with authorization from the manager.

Twenty minutes later, they returned.

Nobody was inside.

Claire asked:

“Did you find anything?”

One officer replied:

“Nothing suggesting anyone’s living there.”

“What about the person on my camera?”

“Could have entered the backyard without entering the house.”

Claire pointed at the porch.

“They came through the front door.”

The officer looked again at the video.

“It looks that way.”

That wasn’t exactly reassuring.

Then Claire Found the First Note

Three days passed.

The porch light stopped turning on.

Claire assumed the police visit had scared whoever was using the house.

Then she opened her mailbox.

Inside was a small folded piece of paper.

No envelope.

No stamp.

Four words were written in black ink:

STOP WATCHING THAT HOUSE.

Claire immediately looked across the street.

Number 417 appeared empty.

She called the police again.

An officer came over and collected the note.

But there was no camera pointed directly at Claire’s mailbox.

Nobody knew who had left it.

That evening, Claire installed another security camera.