“When seconds count, the Police are only minutes away.”
Twelve, to be precise.
This evening after coming home to an empty house, I heard noises of something in the still dark master bedroom at the back of the house. It sounded like someone rummaging about in one of the closets. Moving away from the bedroom, I retrieved my handgun for protection and left the house. I then called 9-1-1 and described the situation including the fact that I was armed for self-defense. The dispatcher took down my description and the call ended.
9:38PM on my watch.
At 9:50PM, twelve minutes later by my watch, the first officer arrived. I identified myself and held the handgun pointing up. He had me put it on the hood of a car in the driveway.
A minute or two later the second officer arrived and they entered and searched the home.
Ten or so minutes later they reported the house was clear. I asked to retrieve and pocket my handgun and they agreed, then asked me to come in and check valuables and look for disorder.
All valuables were OK but a basket in the bedroom, now on the floor, seemed out of place.
Strange.
After a thorough personal check, I decided nothing was amiss and thanked the officers for coming and apologized for the apparent “false alarm.”
Best I can figure is that the mouse that’s been plaguing us for several weeks was in that darkened bedroom and, after the dogs greeted my initial entry, the big one heard the mouse and went sniffing for him. In the bedroom, he must’ve temporarily cornered his quarry and pounced, knocking the basket onto the floor. I conclude it was the dog’s scuffle I heard.
I doubt I could’a hit that little mouse with my 38 snubbie.
But those “twelve minutes”, now that was informative.