She pulled with remarkable strength helping me out of the water fast.
We turned to see the man flailing and struggling with the sinking lounge chair.
“Can’t swim!” he screamed.
We looked at each other, both knowing the danger of trying to rescue a panicking victim. They would grapple and drown you both—plus he could still have had the knife. Neither of us had seen a life ring or any rescue equipment around.
“Remember how to talk to a victim?” she asked. “I’ll go find something to reach him.” She sprinted into the dark.
“Okay, calm down,” I told the man in a commanding but soothing tone. “Don’t panic. You will not drown. Hear me? You’re okay. We’ll get you. Try swimming towards me.”
“Can’t,” he said, flailing and barely keeping his face out of the water. The lounge chair had sunk completely.
She returned with a pool skimmer—a net basket on the end of a long pole—and extended it to him.
“Hold on to this,” she yelled. He grabbed the end and clung, sputtering and wide-eyed.
I helped her steady the flimsy pole. The thief tried pulling himself along it to reach the pool edge, but we shoved it back, making him almost lose his grip.
“Stay right there at the end,” I said. “You’re safe now. Don’t struggle or try getting close or this pole might snap.”
That calmed him. He gripped the end and floated, blinking and snorting water from his nose.
“You okay?” she asked, panting. “I’m so sorry! If I knew he had a knife I would have gone with your plan and ran.”
My heart still thudded in my ears. “I’m good,” I said. “We couldn’t have known. Thanks for the assist.”
I held the pole while she ran to the house and returned with our clothes.
She dressed then took the pole, keeping the thief far out in the water while I pulled on my shorts and shirt.
“Okay,” she said, “hold him there while I call the police.”
“What? They’ll arrest us too! I can’t have a record!”
“Just keep him in the pool!” she called, hurrying to the house. At the patio doors. I watched her pull something from the pocket of her shorts, unlock the doors and step into the kitchen. She flipped on the kitchen lights, backyard floodlights, and pool lights, then picked up a phone and called.
~~~~
Police arrived in minutes, multiple cruisers wedged into the cul-de-sac with red and blue lights reflecting off the houses and radios squelching. At the gate, she entered the combination and the police swarmed in and took over. They dragged the burglar from the pool, handcuffed him and led him out to the street.
An officer interviewed us.
“That’s right, officer,” she said, “I’m Ron Mason’s niece. Taking care of their property while they’re on vacation. Here’s his number. Please call him now. We were just chilling in the backyard, looking for meteors. Of course I know it’s 2:30am. It’s the best time to see the Perseid meteor shower. Did you know it’s starting now? We hid when that creep climbed over the gate and tried to break into the shed.”
We produced our IDs. After the officer copied our information and returned them, my partner in crime handed me her ID with an apologetic look. Her name was Eva, 21 years old, from a town a six-hour drive away.
I gave her my ID. She read it and handed it back with a smile.
“That’s a terrible picture of you… Carter,” she said. “You’re way more handsome in real life.”
On the phone, Mr. Mason confirmed her story and that they knew me and my dad. After a stern lecture on confronting criminals and taking the law into our own hands, the officer said, “One last thing. The suspect says both of you were naked.”
Eva looked shocked. “Dude must be high.” She looked at me. “Were we naked?”
“We were just looking for meteors,” I said. “Why the hell would we be naked?”
“Even if we were,” she said pointedly, “this is private property, well out of view of neighbors and the street. My uncle, a prominent member of the community who donates heavily to the police benevolent fund would be very unhappy to see any such unfounded, irrelevant allegations in your report.”
“Yes, Miss,” the officer said. He looked at me then back to her with a knowing smile. “It doesn’t have any bearing on the case. No reason to document it.”
When the last patrol car left, we stood near the gate and hugged.
“That was intense,” she said. “I was terrified for you when he pulled that knife. Your battering ram idea was genius.”
“It was all I had,” I said, squeezing her. “I wanted to beat him to death for threatening you. Thanks for helping me out of the water. I don’t think I’ve ever got out of a pool that fast.”
“No way was he going to get you,” she said, squeezing back. “I was ready to throw every lawn chair there was on him if he got close to you.”
~~~~
In the cool of the kitchen, we perched beside each other on stools drinking beer. Outside, the pool glowed pristine blue with the underwater lights, the chaise lounge sitting incongruously upright at the bottom of the deep end. We figured we’d get it out in the morning. The knife we had scooped from the bottom with the skimmer net and given it to the police.
“So… you lied to me,” I said.
She gave an apologetic look. “I… I misled you. I said I was staying at a relative’s house and I am. I’m sorry. You caught me naked in the backyard. I didn’t know who you were or what you were like. Uncle Ron would absolutely totally freak if he found out I’d been swimming naked. My dad would be way worse. If either of them talk to you, please please please don’t tell them!”
“We were just looking for meteors,” I said and sipped some beer. “Eva’s a pretty name, by the way. Really nice to meet you, Eva.”
I extended my hand, but she pulled me into a hug. “Carter’s a cool name too,” she said. “So, are you mad at me?”
“I’m not mad, Eva. I understand. You’ve been living here the whole time?”
“Yup. For two weeks now. Normally our whole extended family goes to Uncle Ron’s chalet in July. I got laid off and was so sick of my boring town and never spent much time here in the city, so… I offered to house sit.”
“Earlier tonight, you hopped the gate to throw me off, didn’t you?”
Eva grinned. “I thought you’d get suspicious if I was already here again when you arrived. I went out the front door and around. Pretty sly, huh?”
“You’d make a good criminal,” I said.
She laughed. “Maybe. Growing up in a law enforcement family, you learn a lot of tricks. But I inherited a justice boner from my dad. I’m all about rules and the law.”
“You didn’t call the police when I sneaked in.”
“You only came to swim. Plus, you’re a friend of the family. And… super cute.” She smiled. “Anyway, I’m sure my uncle would’ve given permission if you’d asked.”
“Maybe,” I said. “Mr. Mason is very kind. Very generous. He’s helped my dad lots.”
“On the phone, he said your dad’s helped him with business deals, too,” Eva said. “And know what? He’s sure we met before. When we were really little. My family was visiting one summer during one of Uncle Ron’s pool parties. I barely remember swimming here with a bunch of other kids. He says you were one and we played together for hours after the other families had left. They had a hard time separating us when you had to go home.”