Don’t grab anybutts.
I already spent your bailmoney.
Brookie:Heyfool.
Where’d you go lastnight?
Iwantto protect her in every sense. I can’t bring myself to tell heryet.
Work stuff and then I passedout.
Catching up on chatsnow.
Brookie:Coolcool.
I’m at thecourthouse.
I’ll text you when I win thisbitch.
Ilaughand try not to wince at the soreness in my ribs where the man slammed me against thecounter.
Gonna win itduring
opening arguments, areyou?
Brookie:Ahduh.
You’ve seen mework.
BrooklynOut.
Iturnmy phone over and slide my hands into my lap. I glance over at Scott and he flashes me a tight smile before he goes back to hiscall.
* * *
Mrs. Ridner,the president of our building association, is standing outside talking to a cop when Scott and I pull up. I hop out of the cab and my stomach clenches at the heat.The temperature feels like it’s already risen ten degrees during the drive. It’s gonna be another miserably hot day. I knowit.
“Elizabeth!” she says as soon as she sees me. The cop takes that as his cue to run away from her and back into the building. I understand. The woman does not take hints. “Oh girl, I am so glad you’reokay.”
“Yeah I’m fine,” I say as she ignores my bandaged wrist, grabs both of my hands and almost makes me drop my phone. “I just wanted to get some of mythings.”
“Uh, I don’t know if that’s gonna work, honey,” shesays.
“Wha—”
“They are still waiting for the crime scene technicians to show up. They need to ‘process’ the scene,” she says with finger quotes, like the cops are actually up in my apartment playingcards.
I look up at the building’s facade, even though my place faces the other side. “Is he stillup—”
“Oh no. They took care of that. I saw them haul the body bag out of here a little while ago. I was so worried it was you, but I asked the officer and he said it was a male,” she says all in one breath. I look up again as a different officer comes out thedoor.
“Excuse me,” I say, pulling myself away from Mrs. Ridner. I start up the stairs and step in front of the cop before he can getby.
“There’s no information I can share with you at the moment ma’am,” the cop says before I can get a wordout.
“It’s my apartment,” I say with a little force. “I just wanted to grab some of mythings.”
His eyes open wide for a second and I wonder what he’s seen. I wonder if it’s as bad as I remember it. “Oh yeah, no, we can’t let you in, but someone will contact you as soon as they finish up,” he says and then his face pinches a bit into a frown. He’s still staring atme.