Page 145
Story: Mess With Me
I can’t help but notice how the dingy carpets and scuffed beige paint are such a far cry from the family home Laura grew up in. Her mom made “cozy home” her whole personality, with bright throw pillows on every couch and a constant rotation of baked goods in the oven.
“Did his ex-wife have any info?” Ford asks, clearly thinking the same thing.
“She hasn’t heard from him in over a year.”
I saw the pain on Laura’s mother’s worn face when she saw me and the concern when I said we couldn’t locate her ex-husband. But she quickly replaced it with stony indifference. “I don’t really care where he is,” she said. “I’m sure he’ll turn up in a dive bar somewhere.”
I didn’t tell her he’d quit drinking. It didn’t matter. He didn’t handle the loss of his daughter well—though who would? At least he’s been sober the last couple of years.
She reached out and gave my hand a squeeze before she slammed the door in my face, a nod to the happy times we’d once shared, before everything went so terribly dark.
I focus on the matter at hand. Lionel’s apartment is at the end of the hall. Halfway there, my phone buzzes.
It’s Sasha. The dim hallway seems to brighten just by me picturing her face.
SASHA: Hey, you!
GRIFFIN: Hey, sweetheart.
SASHA: You busy?
I don’t ever want to answer her yes to that question, but I stopped when I saw her name, and Ford’s already almost up at Lionel’s door.
GRIFFIN: A little. You okay?
Three dots pop up. Then a new text appears. But it’s not Sasha.
FORD: Signs of forced entry.
I whip my head up. He’s standing with his back up against the wall next to Lionel’s door, his elbows bent, weapon pulled. He’s looking pointedly at me.
“Fuck.”
I shove my phone into my pocket. If she’s not texting me911, it’ll have to wait.
I sprint up the hallway as quietly as I can.
Ford glares, pocketing his phone. “Way to pay attention, lover boy.”
I grunt, glancing at the door. He knows I’m sorry.
The door’s closed, but the frame is bent out of shape.
“You hear anything?” I whisper.
Ford shakes his head. “Think it’s clear.”
I nod. We’ll still go in on the assumption that someone’s inside. Better safe than sorry. I move to the other side of the door.
“Ready?” I ask.
Ford nods.
I bang on the door. “Lionel.”
I tip my ear toward the wood. No sound at all. Then a little pattering and a scratch.
“Chipps,” I whisper.
“Did his ex-wife have any info?” Ford asks, clearly thinking the same thing.
“She hasn’t heard from him in over a year.”
I saw the pain on Laura’s mother’s worn face when she saw me and the concern when I said we couldn’t locate her ex-husband. But she quickly replaced it with stony indifference. “I don’t really care where he is,” she said. “I’m sure he’ll turn up in a dive bar somewhere.”
I didn’t tell her he’d quit drinking. It didn’t matter. He didn’t handle the loss of his daughter well—though who would? At least he’s been sober the last couple of years.
She reached out and gave my hand a squeeze before she slammed the door in my face, a nod to the happy times we’d once shared, before everything went so terribly dark.
I focus on the matter at hand. Lionel’s apartment is at the end of the hall. Halfway there, my phone buzzes.
It’s Sasha. The dim hallway seems to brighten just by me picturing her face.
SASHA: Hey, you!
GRIFFIN: Hey, sweetheart.
SASHA: You busy?
I don’t ever want to answer her yes to that question, but I stopped when I saw her name, and Ford’s already almost up at Lionel’s door.
GRIFFIN: A little. You okay?
Three dots pop up. Then a new text appears. But it’s not Sasha.
FORD: Signs of forced entry.
I whip my head up. He’s standing with his back up against the wall next to Lionel’s door, his elbows bent, weapon pulled. He’s looking pointedly at me.
“Fuck.”
I shove my phone into my pocket. If she’s not texting me911, it’ll have to wait.
I sprint up the hallway as quietly as I can.
Ford glares, pocketing his phone. “Way to pay attention, lover boy.”
I grunt, glancing at the door. He knows I’m sorry.
The door’s closed, but the frame is bent out of shape.
“You hear anything?” I whisper.
Ford shakes his head. “Think it’s clear.”
I nod. We’ll still go in on the assumption that someone’s inside. Better safe than sorry. I move to the other side of the door.
“Ready?” I ask.
Ford nods.
I bang on the door. “Lionel.”
I tip my ear toward the wood. No sound at all. Then a little pattering and a scratch.
“Chipps,” I whisper.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176