“Ha. Take that, Billy. I still got it,” I taunt to the air, fist pumping with glee.
A woman in her late seventies, if I had to guess, walks by at that very moment side-eying me and moving to the farthest edge of the sidewalk as she passes by. I drop my hand to my side, and that’s when I realize I’m standing on Main Street wearing pants that are too small and a bra that just barely contains my floppy size Cs, celebrating the fact that children noticed me.
Oh, how far I’ve fallen.
Five of Swords
Nick
“ARE YOU SEEINGthis?” My partner Eric chuckles, pointing out the window that takes up the entire front of Milly’s.
Across the street, outside of ZenFlow, a half-dressed woman wearing black leggings and a pink sports bra appears to be interpretive dancing. I’ve seen some things in my day, but this woman is a truly shit dancer.
“Do you think she’s high on something?”
I shrug, taking a bite of my scrambled eggs. “Not our problem.”
He shakes his head, shoulders shaking slightly. “Good call.”
My gaze wanders back to the woman, who’s just stopped mid-dance, glancing down at herself. There’s something oddly familiar about her, but I can’t quite place what.
Lanie Anderson joins her on the sidewalk, and they appear to be in an intense conversation. The way the woman’s back straightens and hands ball into fists, it isn’t hard to tell she’s angry. She shifts her body away from Lanie, and her face comes into full view. I lean forward, squinting my eyes. My fork falls from my grip, clanking against my plate.
“Jesus.” I breathe, eyes sweeping the woman from head to toe, to be sure. “That’s Alyssa Mann.”
“Who?” Eric asks, leaning forward too, trying to get a closer look like I’d been doing.
“My neighbor.” I don’t turn my head, watching the scene unfold. Alyssa’s hands fly up into the air and Lanie plops her hands on her hips, watching her friend have what appears to be a meltdown. Curiosity is eating at me. What is going on over there and why does Alyssa look two seconds away from jumping into traffic? I consider getting up and going to intervene but think better of it. They’re close friends. I’m sure whatever is happening, they’ll work it out. I’d only make things worse.
“You gonna eat that?” Eric gestures to the bacon I’ve been pushing around my plate for the past few minutes.
I stare down at my half-eaten breakfast and shake my head. “Nah. Go for it.”
He doesn’t ask twice, grabbing it with a stab of his fork and shoving it whole into his mouth.
“For the love, Malone, chew. You’re gonna choke on that, and I’m in no mood to play savior today.”
He smirks around a mouthful, taking his time to gnaw his way through the leathery bacon. His brown eyes alight with mirth.
“Idiot.” I chuckle, watching him attempting to swallow and half choking.
He’ll be fine. The kid’s got eight more lives.
Eric Malone might very well be the luckiest son of a bitch I’ve ever encountered. He’s been my partner for the last three years, and he’s skated by death more times than I have in my whole career. He chases danger and manages to drag me along with him.
He’s the youngest in our unit at twenty-eight, having joined the academy right after high school graduation. Being the formerchief’s son, it’s in his blood. Nepotism runs rampant in these parts. Hard not to, when Knox Harbor rarely sees newcomers.
Either way, Malone has more than proven himself. I’m damn lucky to have him at my side.
“What’s your deal? You’ve been sulking over there for the better half of an hour. Break’s almost over, and you’ve barely touched your food.”
He isn’t wrong. I’ve been distracted, and now that I’ve seen Alyssa, it’s even worse.
It’s been three days since she showed up on my doorstep, soaking wet and scared as hell. In that time, I haven’t gotten any closer to making sense of the situation. I didn’t find any indication that a break-in occurred, but she was insistent a man was in her room. A seasoned criminal could have escaped without trace, but it’s unlikely. My search was thorough.
The report was filed and it’s in the hands of patrol, but there’s a level of responsibility I carry to offer some explanation of the events to Alyssa. With her being in that house alone, I won’t sleep until I have concrete proof that she’s safe.
“Earth to West. What gives, man?”
