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Dev’s brow wrinkled. “Do you know how to pick a lock?”
She shrugged. “It made me mad when my foster families locked doors to keep the foster kids out of certain areas of the house. Like we’d steal things. I was curious. I liked knowing what was behind those locked doors.” She held up her hands. “I never stole anything. I mean, why risk being kicked out of yet another home? But I could have. I also use my skills at the resort when someone loses a set of keys to a storage room, and we’re desperate for more toilet paper. A girl has to do what a girl has to do.” She stuck the file into the lock and worked it.
Dev kept watch for anyone entering the hallway.
In less than a minute, he heard the click of a lock being triggered. Kiana twisted the handle and grinned up at him.
He put his hand over hers. “Let me go first.”
She nodded and stepped back, letting her hand fall to her side.
Pulling his handgun out of its holster, Dev nudged the door wider and peered through the gap.
When nothing moved inside, he checked the hallway again, then stepped through the doorway.
The apartment appeared like a bachelor pad with a worn leather sofa and an end table made of an old wooden crate with a pizza box lying open on it. The pizza remaining in the box had mold starting to grow on the crust.
Behind him, Kiana entered the apartment and stood just inside, pulling the door closed behind her.
Dev gave her a brief nod and slipped into the only bedroom. The bed was a twist of sheets, and a dark comforter was tossed to one side of the mattress. A chest of drawers stood in one corner, the drawers hanging open as if someone had been in a hurry and hadn’t bothered closing them. A closet door stood open with several items of clothing hung inside alongside several empty hangers. A few more hangers lay on the floor again, as if someone had been in a hurry removing clothing from the closet.
There was no one in the bathroom and no sign of shaving gear.
Dev holstered his handgun and returned to the living area, where Kiana waited by the door. “Looks like he left in a hurry.”
Chapter 11
Kiana wandered through the apartment, a frown denting her brow. “I don’t know what I expected to find.”
“See anything belonging to Meredith?” Dev asked.
“Not so far.” She entered the bedroom, pushed aside the few items of clothing on the hangers, and then bent to pick up the hangers on the floor. She had them all neatly gathered in her hand when she reached further into the closet and pulled out a pair of hot pink running shoes she recognized.
Kiana straightened. “These are Meredith’s old running shoes. She probably left them here at some point.”
Dev shook his head. “What do they tell us?”
Kiana’s lips twisted. “Only that she’s been here at some time. Not where she is now.” She sighed. “I don’t see anything that will help us.”
“Let’s go back to Hank and Sadie’s, grab something to eat and regroup,” Dev said. “Maybe Swede will find something on the internet that will help.”
Kiana’s shoulders sagged. “There has to be something that will give us a clue. The only thing giving me hope is that the gang came after me.”
“Why does that give you hope?”
“If they’re trying to grab me, they might want to use me to get to Meredith. Which means they don’t have Meredith.” Kiana headed for the apartment door. “What I don’t understand is why she hasn’t called or texted me. Why hasn’t she tried to contact me?”
“Maybe she contacted Tish, and that’s why she’s in the hospital in a coma.” Dev stepped in front of Kiana before she could open the door.
She waited while he checked the hallway.
“All clear,” he said and held the door for Kiana.
“I wonder if she did try to contact me.” Kiana looked up at Dev as she walked past him into the hall. “Remember when we were in the bar, and I got that call from someone who told me to get out?” It didn’t sound like her voice, but do you think it could’ve been Meredith?”
“We should have Swede trace the number.” Dev shook his head. “I forgot about that. So much happened so fast after that call, it completely slipped my mind.”
“Same.” She walked with him to the end of the hall and down the stairs.
