It was hard to miss the dirty handprint on the wall next to the open window in my new apartment. It hadn’t been there when I’d left the evening before.
The previous day—full of excitement at the prospect of having my own place in this city neighborhood—I had picked up the keys to my apartment and brought over a first load of belongings, including some valuables. During the night, someone had climbed the building’s fire escape, pulled himself through my window, and stolen some of my most prized possessions.
It was quite a shock. The intruder’s handprint on the wall was a vivid invitation to believe that I would not be safe in my new home.
