Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 111860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
“Looks like just the one airbag,” the man said. “Lucky.”
Lucky. Right. Good fortune was really having its way with her. “Did you see who did it?”
The man shook his head. “They’re quick. I just came out here. You could knock on some doors, see if anyone else saw something, but I doubt it. People don’t blink an eye at it anymore.” He gestured up the street, and at first she wasn’t sure what he was pointing at until she realized there was broken glass sparkling from the gutter for as far as she could see, making it clear just how common it was.
The man turned back to the laundromat window. “You can’t change it,” he told her. “Police don’t give a shit, so you just have to learn how to minimize the damage. I’d tell you to take the bus, but that’s risky too.” He dipped his long-handled device into the bucket and then brought a big soapy spongeful of cleaner to the window. Lennon turned back to her vehicle and opened the door to inspect the seat. Thankfully, most of the broken glass had landed on the floor. She picked the few pieces off her seat and dropped them in the empty cup holder of her center console and then climbed inside, hoping no rogue slivers would pierce her ass.
Her career as a lone ranger was already off to a booming start.
She lowered her visor and saw the twenty-dollar bill she kept clipped there for emergencies that the thieves hadn’t found. “Ha!” She decided the money was a sign not to let this setback deter her, and so she pulled out her phone and did a Google search for the Tills Apartment complex the woman had mentioned. She was almost surprised that it really did come up and that the woman hadn’t lied and bilked her out of two hundred bucks and a couple of personal items. The address was listed, and Lennon whispered it under her breath, committing it to memory before opening the link and glancing over the page.
The building, what had once been a residence, was owned by the Tenderloin Development Company. The tagline read: Serving 25 individuals who currently experience mental health challenges and who were previously unhoused.
There were many such apartment buildings in the Tenderloin, low-income housing that had once been SROs and now catered to underserved populations. She put her car in gear and pulled away from the curb. In her rearview mirror, she saw that the line of cars on Geary had doubled in size since she’d arrived. The johns had gotten off work and decided they deserved some stress relief.
A car was just pulling out in front of the Tills Apartment, and Lennon swooped into the spot and got out. If thieves were going to steal her other airbag, at least now they wouldn’t have to break a window.
She set her mouth as she looked up at the structure. There were fire escapes connected by ladders up the front of the building and a metal gate protecting the entrance. Lennon scrolled to the bell that said BRANDY LOPEZ and pressed it. A minute later, the intercom buzzed, allowing her entrance, and Lennon pulled the gate open and climbed the stairs to apartment 3A. When the door was pulled open by a young woman with black bushy curls holding a toddler, Lennon said, “Brandy?”
“I thought you were DoorDash. Who are you?”
Lennon flipped open her empty badge and quickly flipped it shut. “I’m Inspector Lennon Gray, and I just have a few questions.”
The woman’s expression curved into derision. “If this is about that dude who—”
“This is about your roommate, Cherish.”
Brandy’s mouth gaped slightly. “You know where Cherish is?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Her body was found a little over a week ago. She was murdered.”
The woman let out a groan and leaned back against the wall, wrapping her other arm around the little girl and bringing her closer. “Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Where?”
“Shit,” the little girl repeated.
Brandy put two fingers to the toddler’s lips. “No,” she said. “Don’t say that.”
“I’m sorry to break the news like this,” Lennon said. “Cherish wasn’t carrying ID, and I only found you through a woman on Geary who recognized Cherish from a photo.”
Brandy stared into space for a minute and then pushed herself off the wall, putting the little girl on the floor, taking her hand and turning. “Come on in,” she said.
Lennon started to enter when she heard Brandy’s buzzer. “There’s my food,” she murmured. “Hold on.”
Lennon followed her into the tiny apartment, which was clean and neat except for an overturned basket of toys. The woman buzzed in the DoorDash driver. She waited at her open door until a young woman appeared, handed her the food, then turned back toward the stairs.
Brandy brought the bags in, and Lennon waited while she set the toddler up in a high chair and cut up a burger and fries into bite-size pieces.