All I've Ever Wanted - Adrianne Byrd [56]
She sighed in relief. At least she knew now that no harm had come to the Warners.
She raced over to the closet and jerked it open, not surprised to find the same chaos as the rest of the house. She dug around until she found her small tote bag, and then stuffed whatever clothing she could find into it. A quick dash into the bathroom revealed a shattered mirror and strewn toiletries. Again, she sucked in her horror and grabbed what she needed before heading up front.
Wanda visibly relaxed when Kennedy emerged from the dark hallway.
“I’m all set,” Kennedy announced.
“Where are you going?”
She wanted to kick herself. Of course Wanda would wonder that, and she couldn’t risk telling her. “I’m just going out of town for a couple days.”
Wanda set her balled hands on her hips. “All right. Out with it. What’s going on? And don’t say ‘nothing.’ I’m not blind, you know.” One hand swept out to indicate the apartment’s condition.
Kennedy paused to contemplate how much she should divulge. She knew her friend would be safer if she kept her mouth shut.
“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Wanda crossed her arms.
“I can’t.”
The two friends simply stared at each other. A strange, awkward silence enveloped them.
A car horn blared in the distance.
“I better go. Bennie’s giving me a ride to the bus station, and I can’t keep him waiting.”
“Are you coming back?”
Kennedy felt a pang of regret as she forced a reassuring smile and lied. “Of course, I am.”
Chapter 26
Max’s car screeched to a halt outside Kennedy’s apartment. He jumped out of the driver’s seat just as a car backfired in the distance. Startled by the sound, he looked up and caught a glimpse of an older model, blue Buick Regal. Out of habit, he took note of the license plate before the car disappeared from view.
He took the stairs to Kennedy’s apartment two at a time. He stopped short of knocking when he noticed the door stood slightly ajar. He automatically reached for his weapon.
“Damn, you guys are quick,” a woman said. “Don’t worry, there’s nobody in there.”
Max pivoted in the direction of the voice and saw a heavyset woman struggling with a pair of crutches as she descended the staircase.
“Ma’am?”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “You’re a cop, aren’t you?”
His hand moved away from his gun. “Yes, ma’am.” He reached for his badge instead.
She held up a hand. “Save it. I can’t tell a fake badge from the real deal. But you definitely look like a cop.” She continued to struggle down the stairs.
Max rushed over to help. “Here, let me.”
“My, aren’t you a strong one? I tell you, these stairs are going to the death of me yet.”
He smiled, but wasn’t quite sure of what to make of the woman.
“You must have already been in the neighborhood. I swear, it hasn’t been but a few minutes since I called,” she continued.
He frowned. “I’m not quite sure I follow you,” he said.
“Aren’t you responding to my call to the police?”
Max shook his head, hating to disappoint her.
She pulled away from him. “Then why are you here?”
He glanced over to Kennedy’s door. “Let’s just say, I’m here to check on a friend.”
The woman’s earlier friendly demeanor vanished. “Kennedy doesn’t have many friends, and certainly none that look like you. Trust me, I would know.”
Max smiled at the woman’s ability to pay him a compliment while calling him a liar. “We just met recently.”
She crossed her arms and gave him a look of disbelief. “Where?”
“Here.”
“She invited you here? Not likely.”
He was impressed by the woman’s interrogation skills. “No. My partner and I weren’t invited. We came to question her about an incident.”
“What incident?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name Mrs….”
She studied him for a moment before responding. “Mrs. Overton, Wanda Overton.”
He tilted his head. “It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Overton. Now, what’s this about a call to the station?”
“A friend, huh?” she asked, ignoring his question.
Max nodded.
Wanda’s lips