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Mrs. Winslow has snow-white hair, and her complexion looks barely touched by the years. She wears charming tortoiseshell glasses and a stylish kaftan dress over leggings.
“We missed you, boy,” she says tenderly, holding Alex’s face and kissing him with all the care of a grandmother.
“I missed you too, Mrs. Winslow!” Alex says, his mood instantly uplifted. “Let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Mrs. Winslow!”
Alex puts an arm around my shoulders, and I feel like I’m meeting one of his parents. “This is Olivia, but we call her Liv. Say hello, Liv!”
“Hello, Liv!” I laugh then wave, then put a hand forward to greet her.
The older woman ignores my hand and goes straight in for a tight and protective hug, very maternal in its nature.
“Welcome to the family, girl!” she says, then waves us in. “I remember you at the stables, but I was too distracted by the horses and watching the children to be properly introduced. Now come on in. I’m cooking lunch, but we can talk in the kitchen.”
We head inside, leaving the security guard stationed outside the door. The apartment smells brand new, and even the walls are all shiny and clean. It’s clear that a renovation has taken place, making it completely unrecognizable from when I saw it being ripped apart.
“What about Keisha and Jason, Mrs. Winslow?” Alex asks as we reach the kitchen. It’s small but comfortable.
“At school!” she says, busy stirring over pots and pans. “Keisha just started middle school and is so full of herself!”
“You must be proud,” I remark and she nods emphatically.
“And how are you adapting to the new place?” Alex asks, his eyes looking around the place with approval.
“Oh,” Mrs. Winslow seems to wilt. “Everybody wants a piece of it. Especially Big Teddy’s boys.”
Alex and I exchange a glance, raising our eyebrows.
“How come, Mrs. Winslow?” I ask, not sure if I really want to know the answer.
“Well, some of the boys came here, offering peanuts for the apartment, I obviously said no, but I’m afraid they’ll come back,” she says, uneasy.
“And why would they want to buy the apartments for so cheap?” I innocently ask.
“To deal drugs from, Liv,” Alex says. “I figure they think this would be a good spot for them, right in the entrance of the neighborhood, and brand new, so they don’t have to invest a dime.”
“Dirty scoundrels!” Mrs. Winslow curses, slamming her fist against the stove. “What should I do if they come back, boy?”
“I assume they won’t come back empty-handed…” I say in a tone of a lament.
All I see is Mrs. Winslow shaking her head and on the verge of a panic attack and Alex gritting his teeth, growling in frustration at the sight of her distress.
“You’ll be safe, Mrs. Winslow. You and your grandchildren, I’ll take care of it right now, if you excuse us…”
“I’ll walk you to the door!” Mrs. Winslow dashes forward with small and quick steps.
We bid her our goodbyes, meet the security guard as we walk out, and then go downstairs. As we head to the car, I see the other security guard spot us and start up the car.
Alex asks him to roll down the window. As he does, he looks to both officers and asks, “How much for either of you to keep watch over one of these apartments for the rest of the day?”
The guard in the car says he can’t that day, but the other one raises a confused eyebrow and replies, “That needs to be settled in the office, sir.”
“Take it as freelance, how much? Two hundred? Three? Four?” Alex shoots straight, and the man in front of him seems to be swayed.
“I can do four hundred,” he says, finally interested in the offer.
Alex says, “I don’t carry cash on me. Will you take a transfer from a cash app?”
The guard smiles and tell him which app he takes, and Alex grabs his phone. The guard also takes his out and the transaction is done in a few seconds.
