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What kind of man beats a woman when she’s pregnant ...

I’d never fully understood why Noelle hired a private investigator to find Dawn or why her situation was different than the other women who came to the women’s center, until now. Sure, I’d started connecting the dots between Dawn, Noelle, and the tennis club ... but learning Dawn was pregnant?

It changed everything.

Before I left Austin’s office, I asked him how he knew about Dawn’s baby. When Noelle took Dawn to be looked over by a doctor, Dawn asked Noelle to sit in the waiting room while she met with him. And for good reason. The doctor ran a few tests, and upon discovering the pregnancy, he asked Dawn if she knew she was with child. She did, and she admitted she’d only agreed to go to the hospital to make sure the baby was all right.

At first, Noelle knew nothing about Dawn’s pregnancy. But once the doctor learned Dawn had left the women’s center and was missing, his conscience got the better of him, and he couldn’t keep quiet. He shared news of the pregnancy with Noelle, hoping she would do what she could to find Dawn.

That’s when she hired a private investigator.

As I thought about Dawn and what the odds were she was still alive, Giovanni pulled to a stop in front of her apartment.

Turning toward him, I said, “I’m not sure what to expect. The apartment could be rented to someone else by now.”

He nodded. “Let’s find out.”

We exited the car, and as we approached the front door, I noticed a woman eyeing me from the next building over, the look on her face one of skepticism. We made eye contact. She was around my age I guessed and on the shorter side with curly, red hair and matching eyeglasses.

Wagging a finger at us, she speedwalked our way, her bright, flowy, multicolored dress swishing from side to side as she shouted, “You two. Stop right there!”

We did as instructed and waited for her to catch up to us.

When she got to the door, she said, “This is a private residential community,” she said. “I’ll not have you or anyone else nosing around. And just so we’re clear, I want no part of your news article or podcast or whatever you people are here for, either.”

“We’re not reporters, and we’re not with the paper or a radio show,” I said.

“Well then, who are ya? And what’s your business here?”

I made the introductions, explaining who we were and why we were there, adding, “We weren’t even sure coming here was a good idea. Dawn’s been missing for several weeks now, long enough that I expect her place might be rented to someone else.”

“Dawn’s paid through the end of the month. As far as I’m concerned, the unit is still hers until I have no choice but to rent it to someone else.”

“I take it you’re the apartment manager?”

“And her friend, I’d like to think, which is why I’m so protective about people coming around, poking in business that isn’t theirs.”

“All we’re trying to do is find her.”

She studied me like she was trying to decide whether to believe me or not. “You aren’t the first ones to claim you care about Dawn’s whereabouts. Betting you won’t be the last either.”

Giovanni smiled at the woman. “We’ve just introduced ourselves, but you haven’t done the same. Miss ...?”

“Ramona Olson.”

“Ramona, what a lovely name.”

She moved a hand to her hip, brow furrowed. “Well ... you’re a charming one, aren’t ya? Let me tell you a little something about me. I know all about men like you, men who’ll say anything to get what they want. Let’s get one thing straight?—

I’m not the gullible type.”

Giovanni tipped his head back and laughed, and I couldn’t help but do the same.

“Why are you laughing?” Ramona asked. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re one feisty woman, Ramona,” I said. “I can relate.”

She elbowed me in the side. “Us broads have to be if we wanna make it in this world.”

“I agree.”

“Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, what is it you want?”

Straight to the point.

I liked it.

“I was hoping we could take a quick peek inside Dawn’s apartment,” I said. “I’m looking for any clues to assist me in locating her.”

“You ever consider she up and left because she wanted to leave this place, start over, and the like? What makes you think she wants to be found?”

“If she’s alive, there’s a good chance she’s on the run, that she left because she didn’t think she had any other choice.”

“Now just hold on a minute. Why’d you say what you just did ... if she’s alive? Why wouldn’t she be?”

I put the comment to the side for now, changing subjects.

“You said the two of you are friends,” I said. “What do you know about the man she was dating?”

“What man? There’s no man. None I’ve ever seen around here, anyway.” There was a long pause, and then, “Except ...”

She tapped a finger to her lips.

“Except what?” I asked.

“A few times, right before she took off, Dawn didn’t come home after work. I know because the lights in her place didn’t come on. I’m up at the crack of dawn, making the most of my day from the start, and a few times I noticed she got home at six, seven in the morning. She’d go into her apartment, change into her work clothes, and leave about an hour later. Always wondered where she’d been all night.”

“You didn’t ask her?”

“Didn’t want to seem nosy.”

She may not have wanted to seem nosy, but it was obvious she kept tabs on her neighbors—or Dawn, at least.

“When’s the last time you saw or talked to Dawn?” I asked.

“Let’s see now ... would have been about a week before Noelle Winters reported her missing. She stopped by here, looking for Dawn ... you know, before she was murdered.”

“What did the two of you talk about?”

“She asked if I’d seen Dawn, or if I knew where she was, and I told her I did not. She seemed real worried, kept saying Dawn was missing, and she needed to find her. Then she left.”

As much as I liked where the conversation was going, I needed to get inside Dawn’s apartment, and I hoped Ramona had warmed up to the idea.

“Would it be possible to have a look inside Dawn’s apartment?” I asked.

“Even if I wanted to let ya’ll in, I can’t. Privacy and all. Wouldn’t be right, and besides, I should be getting back to the office.”

Before I had a chance to reply, she’d turned, offering us a slight wave as she trotted off.

If I wanted to get inside Dawn’s place, I had to think fast.

“Hey, Ramona, I need to tell you something, but it needs to stay between us,” I said.

Knowing how attentive she was to Dawn’s goings-on, and I bet every resident who lived in the community—I was sure she’d jump at the chance to hear a bit of juicy gossip.

And I was right.

She marched back our way, saying, “Oh, I’m good at keeping secrets. I know so many things about the people who live here.”

I had no doubt.

“Before I say anything more, I’d like for us to make a deal,” I said.

“What kind of deal?”

“If I tell you why I believe Dawn is missing and why she’s in danger, will you give me fifteen minutes inside her apartment? No one has to know you let me in. It will stay between us. You have my word.”

She tapped a shoe to the pavement, mulling over my offer. “Your word means nothing. I don’t even know ya. On a scale of one to ten, just how juicy are we talking?”

I shot her a wink. “Ten juicy.”

“If it’s a ten, you get ten minutes inside her place, and I’ll be coming with you, to supervise, make sure everything’s above board.” Thumbing at Giovanni, she said, “Just you, though. Not him.”

“You have yourself a deal.”

Ramona glanced around, making sure we were alone, and then she leaned in close. “Go on, then ... this better be good.”

“Right before Dawn disappeared, she checked into the women’s center that Noelle Winters founded. She’d been badly beaten. Noelle convinced her to see a doctor. Not long after, Dawn left the center, and she hasn’t been seen since.”

Shaking her head, Ramona said, “Why didn’t you tell me this in the first place?”

“Oh, I’m not finished. You wanted a ten juicy, and here it is ... during the doctor’s assessment, he discovered something about Dawn.”

“Something like ...?”

“Dawn is pregnant.”