“Can’t tell?” She snorts. “That’s bullshit.”

“Then go to med school and march your ass down there and correct them.”

“I’d rather go to Firehouse. You up for a Hook and Ladder sub?”

“Thought you were going no-carb.”

“That was last week. You coming?”

He straightens to his feet. “Only to keep you company.”

“Whatever, Trivette.”

“Trivette?”

“Yeah. You know, the black guy from Walker, Texas Ranger. I thought it could be a nickname.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

CHAPTER 34

Present

WHEN THE RAPS hit my door, I lean quickly forward. Finally. A chance to confront Jeremy and find out what all of this not-answering-his-phone bullshit is about. I end the session and walk to the door. Swing it open and smile. Stop smiling. “Who the fuck are you?”

The guy stares at me, slack jawed, a cardboard box hanging limply from his hand. It’s not entirely his fault. With my assumption that it was Jeremy, the timing right, the knock quick and familiar, I didn’t bother to get dressed, to put something on over my fishnet top and panties. I groan. “Just a second.” I shut the door and grab the closest shirt, yank it on, and jerk the door back open.

The man, a thirtyish redhead with an overly healthy amount of freckles, appears to have composed himself. He holds out the package and manages to look sheepish. “Deanna Madden?”

“Yes. Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m Gary.” He points to his name tag and I snatch the box, tossing it in the general direction of the others.

“Where’s Jeremy?” A stupid question I hate to ask. I should know this, I should know my boyfriend isn’t working, should know in intimate detail the reason for him to not be present, before me, right now. I touch, without thinking, the bridge of my swollen nose. Damn my dramatic chair crash earlier. Damn its effect on my brain and this inconvenient memory lapse.

“He’s out sick.” The guy fidgets uncomfortably.

“Sick?” Jeremy’s not sick. Didn’t so much as sniffle this weekend. I hold up a finger. “Wait here.”

“Ma’am, I don’t really have time…” I ignore him, my fingers quick across my cell screen before I hold it to my ear, praying this time I will be wrong, this time it will ring and he will answer. I listen to silence, then Jeremy’s voice mail. Hang up with a frown.

“Have you talked to him?” I snap my fingers in his face, bringing his eyes up from my bare legs.

“Uh. No. I work the south side normally. Just covering today. I need you to sign for the box.” He holds out the pad, and I take it. Scribble my name and pass it back. “And, uh. You had a pickup scheduled?”

Oh yes. The pickup had half been an excuse to force an interaction with Jeremy, half been necessary for self-preservation. I step back and point. “It’s the one on the table. It’s heavy.”

“Got it.” GoodLittleGary sets his pad on top of the box and squats slightly, sliding the box into his arms, then lifting with his legs in proper save-your-back fashion. He turns back to the door and misses my entire cam setup. I smile politely and he returns the gesture awkwardly.

I hold the door open behind him and look left, toward Simon and Chelsea’s, and wonder at what point in time Chelsea stopped stalking the hallway. Maybe she finally moved out. One good thing in a day full of bad.

CHAPTER 35

Present

“MR. EVANS, PLEASE sign this. It states that everything you will tell us from this moment forth will be part of your statement. After we finish our questions, you may be asked to write down a summary of our discussion. Do you understand you are being recorded?”

“Am I under arrest?”

“No, this is more of a witness statement. Do you understand that you are being recorded?”

“Yes.”

“Good. What is your full name and date of birth?”

“Simon Reynolds Evans. May 14, 1989.”

“Address?”

“It’s the Mulholland Oaks Apartments… I don’t know the street number. It’s on Glenvale.”

“What is your apartment number there?”

“6G. It’s on the sixth floor.”

“And when did you meet Deanna Madden?”

“Deanna? Uh… years ago. Right after I moved in.”

“When did you meet Jeremy Pacer?”

“Around the same time.”

“And what was your impression of their relationship?”

“He was the delivery guy. They didn’t have a relationship. I mean, back then. Now… I don’t know if they’re just fucking or what, but he’s there a lot. Sorry, am I allowed to say fucking?”

“Yes. Ms. Madden gave a statement that says you lock her in at night.”

A long pause. “That a question?”

“Do you lock her into her apartment at night?”

“Well… only ’cause she asks me to. That’s not illegal, right?”

“Why do you lock her in?”

“She says she sleepwalks. So I normally lock her door at night, unlock it in the morning. It’s called being neighborly.”

“Did you lock her door on the night of August 19?”

“When was that?”

“Night before last. Sunday night.”

“No.”

“No? Why not?”

“She told me not to.”

“So you did not lock her door on Sunday night.”

“Nope.”

“It was unlocked all night, she was free to come and go as she pleased?”

“Yeah.”

“Last question, Mr. Evans. Does Deanna strike you as a violent individual?”

“Violent? Out of everyone in our building, she’s the person who scares me the most.”

CHAPTER 36

Present

JessReilly19: something’s up with Jeremy

HackOffMyCock: in what way?

JessReilly19: he’s not answering my calls or texts. His phone is going straight to voicemail

HackOffMyCock: for how long?

JessReilly19: two days. Plus he isn’t delivering my packages. Some new guy showed up.

HackOffMyCock: I’m sure that went well.

JessReilly19: well, you know me

HackOffMyCock: give me 20 mins, let me see if I can track him down

JessReilly19: thx babe

HackOffMyCock: anything for you

HackOffMyCock: u there?

JessReilly19: yep

HackOffMyCock: when did you say the cops came by?

JessReilly19: Monday

HackOffMyCock: well… his truck’s at his house. It hasn’t moved in days. And the last place his cell pinged was near your place.

JessReilly19: meaning what?

HackOffMyCock: who the fuck knows? It’s weird. When’s the last time you talked to him?

JessReilly19: Sunday night. I think we got in a fight.

HackOffMyCock: a normal girl guy fight? Or…

JessReilly19: Maybe Or… I don’t know. Everything is really strange right now.

HackOffMyCock: think the cops are talking to you about Jeremy?

JessReilly19: I hadn’t even considered that. But now… I don’t know. You think something happened to him?

HackOffMyCock: maybe

JessReilly19: well that’s definitive. Thx

HackOffMyCock: its hard for me to know anything from Massachusetts.

JessReilly19: I have 2 go. Need to think.