Page 24 of Wild Escape

“No. I read a lot. I’m not some dumb bimbo.”

Daphne had street smarts, but also a helluva lot more.

We stepped aboard the elevator and vaulted up to the fifth floor. I told Jack to wait down the hall with Daphne. I walked to #514 and put a heavy fist against the door.

Footsteps shuffled down the foyer, and the peephole flickered as someone peered through. "Who is it?"

I flashed my badge. "Coconut County. Open up.”

"You got a warrant?"

"Why would I need a warrant? I just want to talk." I got the suspicion that maybe Brock was in the apartment.

I signaled to JD, and he approached, towing Daphne along. They held up a few doors down and stayed out of view of the wide-angle peephole.

"I'm looking for Brock,” I said. “Is he here?”

"No. I haven't seen him.”

"He's a fugitive from the law. If you are aiding and abetting, I will take you to jail.”

There was a long pause, then the deadbolt unlatched. She pulled the door open. "I ain't helping that motherfucker."

Nadia was a good-looking woman. Long Raven hair, tan skin, brown eyes, and an hourglass figure. I'm not quite sure what she was doing with a loser like Brock.

"You're aware he escaped from the county jail and killed a guard in the process," I said.

Her mouth tightened. "Yeah, I saw that on the news."

"Has he tried to make contact with you?"

"Hell no. No phone call, nothing. If you find him, tell him to go fuck himself. When he first got arrested, he was trying to get me to bail him out of jail. I told him, ‘I ain’t putting my ass on the line for you.’”

"You know where he might be hiding out?”

"He's probably with that skank, Belinda.”

"Who's Belinda?"

"The stripper I caught him in bed with.” Anger gritted her teeth. "I would have given her a beat down, but I didn't want to go to jail.”

"Smart thinking,” I said. “What's Belinda's last name?

"Hell, I don't know."

"You know where we could find her?”

"Selling her ass at Forbidden Fruit.”

"Is that where Brock met her?”

"That's what I think.”

"Mind if I take a look around your apartment?”

"You got a warrant?" she said with a sassy head movement and a hand on her hip.

I smiled. "What have you got to hide?”