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Pushing away the insanity, I grab my purse and lock up so my place doesn’t get burglarized. Although, I doubt that’s what happened to our landlord. He was shady and probably screwed with the wrong people.
Rushing out of the building, I head down the street and then run into a lady who lives a few buildings down. “Hey, what happened by your place this morning?” she asks. I don’t know anything about her except that she’s in her later years and pretty nosy.
“My landlord was killed.”
She presses her hand on her chest, gripping her housecoat. “Oh my God. Someone finally got that bastard.” Her expression changes from shocked concern to intrigue. “Did he hit on the wrong woman?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure. I was at work so I have no idea, and the cops don’t have any information that they’re sharing, but I can’t say I’m too bothered by his death.”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t be either. He was a stinking pig, and he had his eyes on you.” She wags her finger, warning me as if I didn’t have a clue. The man singled me out over my sister and friend, even though he showed interest in them too.
“Thanks. As much as I disliked the man and never wanted him around me, I never wanted him dead.”
“That’s good to know, Ms. Beaman.”
“Oh, Detective Sable,” I gasp, turning around to find the detective from earlier. “What are you doing here?”
“We just finished questioning the neighbors.”
I nod. “Anything for me to worry about? Do you think they’ll come back?”
“No. It looks like it was a personal attack on him.”
“As terrible as that is to hear, that is good for me. We don’t have anything of value at home, other than our lives.”
“Well, we can have a patrol out for the night.”
“It would be a waste since none of us will be here, unless it’s to protect the elderly couple.” Oh goodness, why did I just give out my schedule? I know he’s a cop, but I shared too much personal information already, just like my mystery man said I did.
“Do you have someone you can stay with?” he asks.
“I don’t know. Maybe I can find someone.”
“That might be a good idea, just in case they come back.” A shiver of panic shoots through me. For the first time, I’m glad I’m going back to work because there could be someone looking to get in my apartment and attack me. The thought petrifies me.
“Shit, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s okay. Frankly, I’ve been taking it a little too nonchalantly when I should be concerned.”
“Yes, your safety should always be a priority.”
“Thanks.”
He hands me his card. “Don’t hesitate to give me a call if you have any questions.”
“I will.” He nods and leaves us.
“He’s cute,” she says, staring off at his backside as he walks away. The man is attractive, but I don’t have any interest in him whatsoever.
“Yeah, but I’m not interested and it’s clear he’s married.”
“Too bad. You’re a beautiful young lady who shouldn’t be single and working so hard to survive.”
“Well, I have my degree, so hopefully I’ll find a good job and not struggle too much longer. Maybe one day I’ll find a good husband to help expand on my success.”
“That’s great too. I just don’t like seeing you with no support. This world is hard.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Clemons. I’ve got to get going before I’m late to work, though.”
“Okay. Take care.” She waves me off, and I get hustling down to the bus stop. Right before the bus arrives, it starts raining, making my day even better. Because of everything, I didn’t think about checking the forecast, or at least I would have been prepared for a late spring storm. I jump aboard, pay with a tap, and quickly take a seat.
The entire ride, Mrs. Clemons’s words were in my head about finding someone to care for me. The only man that comes to my mind is the stranger whose name I don’t even know. There is a tingling in my body that starts in my stomach and spreads out whenever I think about him.
Only a few encounters with him, and I’ve forgotten about right and wrong because I know for certain that he is a bad man. It’s written in the way he moves, the way he commands a room, and the way my boss looked when he returned to work, but it doesn’t stop the lustful need that pulls my thoughts right to him.
The sudden stop is the only thing that jolts me from my thoughts. I look out, and thank goodness I did because I only have one more block until I have to get off. Before I reach my stop, I hit the button and stand, moving toward the back door. The rain has slowed but the clouds are there, keeping it nearly pitch black out, and the sun is about to set anyway.
