[Critique Group 1] My submission for critique, approx. 1600 words

[Marilyn Smith]

Late One Night
by Marilyn Brandt Smith

It's Saturday night. You're home alone, with doors locked, and security 
alarm set. Suddenly you spring upright in bed because your clock says 
it's morning. I was there on April 16, 2016.

"Alexa, off." I call, trying to exceed the Amazon Echo's piercing 
shrieks. Funny, I don't remember that setting. The headboard beside me 
is silent. This isn't my clock, it's the security alarm. Is it fire, 
burglary, or a false alarm? I'm up stairs, scantily clad.

While I wait for the monitoring station to call, I throw on the clothes 
I wore, was it yesterday? No, my watch says it's still Saturday night.

"Is everything all right?" my new source of survival information asks.

"I don't know," I hesitate, "what are you showing?"

"Unauthorized entry, front door," she says.

"No," I sigh, "you'd better dispatch. Should I go down stairs? I guess I 
have to so I can let the police in, don't I? I don't want to go down 
there," I whisper as if she could make things better.

I wait five minutes, then unset the alarm so the blaring sirens on both 
floors won't disorient me. I'm totally blind. I need to be able to hear 
if anything's going on in each room or stairway before entering.

I creep softly and uncertainly toward the unknown. The house is silent, 
only the ticking of the grandfather clock welcomes me to the foyer. I 
reach for the doorknob and deadbolt, but the front door is ajar about 
six inches. I stop dead in my tracks, "How does this change things," I 
wonder, "or does it? Should I go out and wait on the porch in case 
someone is still in here?"

Out on the porch, I listen for street noise. The police car arrives in 
another five minutes. They follow me inside.

"No sign of forced entry," he announces.

"This is a very large home," she responds.

They obtain the operational details of our alarm system, and we all 
agree it will be necessary to check the house top to bottom. I tell them 
the attic, my husband's man cave, is deadbolted from the inside so that 
search isn't necessary. Closets, storage areas, and unused rooms turn up 
no evidence of occupancy or vandalism. The computers are still here, the 
sound systems seem to be intact.

We discuss possibilities. Did someone make a key? Repairmen, former 
drivers, relatives, and friends have been in and out for the past 
twenty-seven years, with the same deadbolts in place. On the other hand, 
perhaps a good lockpicker thought no one was home and didn't know about 
the alarm. When he heard it, he ran.

Once my husband Roger accepted a ride home from our local all-night 
diner when it started raining. The guy walked to the front door carrying 
part of the food we ordered. He peeked in when Roger opened the door and 
commented about our nice furniture. He even asked to come in, but Roger 
told him we needed to eat while the food was hot. Roger mentioned this 
to me because he thought it was odd, and didn't expect the guy to be so 
curious. Did this plant a seed? Was he actually hoping to case the place?

The police offered some suggestions which I took to heart. They told me 
to call if I heard anything suspicious. I shut the door and set the 
alarm, just to make sure there were no other doors open, and there was 
nothing wrong with the system.

I breathed a sigh when they left, but it wasn't exactly a sigh of 
relief. The house probably looked vacant for the past two weeks. My 
husband and son were in southern Kentucky, about 130 miles away. The 
motor home was parked in the back yard, and the gate was locked. I 
wasn't as careful as I should have been about turning on and off lights 
in different areas, and I didn't spend much time outside. I changed all 
that immediately. For the rest of the night, to quote an old country 
song, every light in the house was on. I moved trash receptacles around, 
and items on the porches found new homes. My family returned in two 
days, then I breathed a sigh of relief. We could plan together.

Roger and Jay, my son, asked all kinds of questions to make sure I 
wasn't a dumb blonde. Could the wind have blown the door open? Not 
likely, since the storm door cut off all wind. Was I sure I used the 
deadbolt? Absolutely! When alone at home, I lock everything. Finally 
satisfied, we decided it was time to upgrade our security.

We thought about changing deadbolt cylinders, but that didn't seem like 
enough. The obvious best plan was to contact the man who installed and 
maintained our alarm over the past twenty-seven years. Over that time, 
he'd become a family friend. We'd shared trips to Texas and Florida. He 
was still in the security business, and would know the latest and 
greatest equipment and ideas.

Roger called Gregg on Monday, and he was here the next day. "Those 
snakes probably scared them off," Gregg said, knowing we still kept two 
snakes as pets from our former snake breeding business. "Seriously 
though," he continued, "let me tell you about the electromagnetic lock 
system a lot of businesses use."
The job took about two weeks of his time working nights and weekends. He 
works for a security firm which requires him to travel to nearby states 
for installations and repairs. Cincinnati and Indianapolis took 
precedence, but we now have an expensive upgrade which should keep me 
safer when they go down to the country this Summer, and which will make 
us all feel better at home or away from home.

We kept all present deadbolts in place. In addition, the first floor 
front and back doors are secured by 1200 pounds of electromagnetic 
pressure. To leave, we need only approach the door and turn the knob as 
usual. A motion detector releases the lock. To enter from the outside, 
we hold a card or fob near the reader by the door. We paid extra for my 
son to have access to the software that allows him to add new cards to 
the system, and disable lost or stolen cards. He can also access records 
of card usage.

I wanted slide lock thumb bolts on several interior doors to slow an 
intruder's journey. We didn't use cameras outside or inside. We were not 
prioritizing to locate the guilty parties, although cameras can be a 
deterrent. Our primary concern was safety for the individuals inside the 
house. Stolen electronics, jewelry, etc. can be replaced. That is the 
purpose of insurance.

We repaired the flood light in the back yard, and vowed to keep front 
porch lights on at some hours each night. We randomly change light 
patterns inside. Old glass breakage detectors provided too many false 
alarms, so we had not kept them. We installed some newer units with 
sensitivity settings which allow you to move silverware around, sneeze, 
or drop something on the floor without tripping them.

Granted, if someone wants to break in, they will find a way. If thieves 
are shopping your block for a house to target, why not discourage yours 
from being chosen? We have stickers on several windows around the house 
announcing our protection level.

The decision about how much money to assign for security is a difficult 
one. The homeowner's peace of mind is really the determining factor. Our 
cost to upgrade was about $3,000. Less expensive systems are readily 
available, and someone with technical and mechanical skills could tackle 
the installation independently. Many alarm sales promotions are 
available with monthly payment plans. Costs for monitoring can range 
from $15 to $45 depending on the company chosen and the features 
desired. Apartment and co-op dwellers are often provided a level of 
security. Anything additional may have to be approved by the landlord or 
owners' organization.

Whether an alarm system is chosen, with or without monitoring, some 
basic equipment and practices can offer simple and inexpensive personal 
safety. We've always used double-keyed deadbolt locks with a key readily 
available near the inside lock for escape in case of fire. A guard chain 
or a speaking tube in a storm door can offer conversational options if 
someone unexpected drops by. Speakers and intercoms also allow 
identification. Battery-operated units are easily installed. When moving 
into a new neighborhood or apartment building, it's not a bad idea to 
find out what level of security your neighbors have chosen. You don't 
want to be the only one without extra protection.

I've been living in a house or apartment as an independent adult for the 
past fifty-two years. Here are a few ideas I've gathered. Change locks 
or cylinders every few years if you've needed to let others have key 
access while you were at work or on vacation. If someone you trust is 
housekeeping, pet sitting, etc. ask them not to bring others you don't 
know into your home. Change lighting patterns every few days, even if 
you don't need the lights, so it's obvious the house is occupied. If you 
have not scheduled a visitor or repair person, don't admit a stranger 
without verifying with a phone call that he is who he says he is. Don't 
let mail or packages accumulate. Make pickup and yard work arrangements 
if you go out of town. If someone you don't know well asks too many 
questions about your comings and goings or your possessions, change the 
subject. There's no need to be paranoid or obsessive, but there is every 
reason to be careful.