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“What are you doing?” Lucy hissed as Kat stepped back inside Janice’s apartment.
“I’m going to take another look around while we wait for Andrew,” Kat replied.
“Did he tell you to do that?”
“No, but I’m sure he won’t mind.”
Kat wasn’t actually sure of any such thing. In fact, if she had to venture a guess she would imagine Andrew would be just as dismayed as Lucy by her urge to investigate. That was why she needed to hurry. Once Andrew showed up, it was quite likely he would banish her from the second floor altogether.
Bubbles whimpered as if he too had reservations about Kat’s plan.
Kat gave him a reassuring pat on the head. “You stay here with Bubbles,” she said to Lucy. “We don’t want him trampling over any evidence that could tell us where Janice is.”
Lucy’s lips puckered. “Don’t you think that applies to you too?”
“I’m not going to touch anything.”
Before Lucy could protest, Kat moved deeper into the apartment.
She stood in the middle of the living room. Unlike before when she had been hunting for Janice or an intruder, now she took the time to survey her surroundings. The first thing that caught her attention was a photo of Janice and Bubbles hanging on the wall. A pretty, black woman in her twenties, the smile on Janice’s face was mesmerizing. Kat hoped she was okay.
She forced her gaze away from the photo and continued her examination of the room. She didn’t see any evidence of a break-in. Nor did she see any tossed furniture, blood, or anything else that was immediate cause for concern. If it weren’t for Janice’s purse resting on the coffee table next to her iPhone, Kat might have thought her neighbor had merely stepped out for a minute.
Her eyes lingered on the phone. Was there something in Janice’s call history that could lead them to her whereabouts? If someone took her, it was possible he or she had announced their intention to stop by beforehand.
Kat stretched her hand toward the phone.
“I thought you weren’t going to touch anything.”
Lucy’s sharp tone stopped Kat mid-reach. She looked toward the doorway where Lucy stood with Bubbles.
“I thought you were going to wait in the hallway,” Kat retorted.
Lucy made a face. “I am in the hallway.”
“You’re inside the apartment.”
“I’m in the doorway.”
Bubbles barked as though to scold them for bickering over something so petty when his human might be in danger. Shame filled Kat. Bubbles was right, of course—assuming she had interpreted his bark correctly.
“I was only going to check Janice’s call history,” Kat said. “In case her kidnapper has been in contact with her. Since I don’t see any indication of forced entry, I’m guessing Janice knew whoever took her.”
“You really think she was kidnapped?” Lucy asked.
“It seems like the most likely scenario. I can’t see her leaving her door open if she left voluntarily, even if she was just making a trash run.”
Lucy chewed on her lower lip. “Then I guess you’d better take a look at her phone.”
Careful not to touch more of the phone’s surface area than she had to, Kat pressed the power button. The screen lit up, and a keypad materialized beneath a passcode request.
“What’s Janice’s passcode?” Kat asked Lucy.
“How should I know?”
Kat was tempted to start punching random numbers, but the odds of stumbling upon the correct code by happenstance was slim to none. Worse yet, if Janice had one of those apps that snapped a picture whenever an incorrect passcode was input, Andrew might end up seeing photographic proof of her snooping if the police took the phone into custody. That would be embarrassing.
She sighed as the phone faded to black, then shifted her attention to Janice’s purse. Using her pinkie finger, she pulled the top open and peered inside.
“What do you see?” Lucy asked.
“Sunglasses, a wallet, a pack of gum.” Kat’s heart gave a little leap. “And a flight itinerary.”
“A flight itinerary? You mean Janice is going somewhere?”
“Yeah.” Kat angled her head to read the text without removing the page. “It looks like she plans to visit Los Angeles next week.”
Lucy’s jaw dropped. “No way.”
“Way. Her name’s printed right on here. Janice Yolonda Moseley.”
“And she’s going to L.A.? Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“Maybe she planned to tell you tonight.”
Lucy didn’t respond, but judging from the way the sides of her mouth had bunched up, she wasn’t happy about being kept in the dark. Clearly Lucy was much closer to Janice than Kat.
Bubbles nudged Lucy’s hand with his nose. Lucy absently petted his head, still looking troubled by Kat’s discovery.
Kat refocused on the printout. “Hey, get this. Janice is flying first class.”
“What?” Lucy’s head snapped up. “Are you joking? Isn’t first class, like, crazy expensive?”
“I can’t see the price without taking the itinerary out. Maybe she found a special deal online.”
“Ahem.”
Kat spun around so quickly she knocked Janice’s purse onto the floor. Andrew Milhone stood in the doorway just behind Lucy and Bubbles, a stern expression on his face.
“Andrew.” Kat jumped away from the coffee table and folded her hands behind her back, heat creeping up her cheeks.
“Kat.” His tone made the word sound like an admonishment. But his voice was softer when he added, “Lucy.”
Lucy grinned. “Hi, Andrew.”
Bubbles gazed up at Andrew, his tail wagging. He seemed happy to have CHPD present and ready to assist.
Larry, the live-in building manager and landlord, stepped into view. Light danced off of the stocky man’s bald head as he clapped one hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “Found this guy standing outside the main entrance. He said you called him, Kat?”
Kat nodded. “Janice is missing.”
“Missing, eh?” Larry craned his neck to see into the apartment as if he thought Kat might have merely overlooked Janice sitting on the couch.
Bubbles whined and pressed closer to Andrew.
Andrew gave Bubbles a brief pat on the head before getting down to business. “I need to make sure the apartment is clear.”
“It’s clear,” Kat said. “I already checked.”
Andrew didn’t look pleased by her initiative. No doubt he was picturing her coming face-to-face with a dangerous criminal. “Even so.”
Kat didn’t argue. Instead, she watched as he eased past Lucy and started making his way toward the short hallway that led to Janice’s bedroom and bathroom.
“Police,” he called out, blowing his sandy hair out of his eyes. “Anybody here?”
The only response was an agitated bark from Bubbles. Lucy slipped her fingers underneath the dog’s collar to keep him from following Andrew.
Andrew disappeared down the hallway only to return a moment later. He performed a quick inspection of the kitchen, then came to stand beside Kat. “Is everything as you two found it?”
Kat bobbed her head. “I didn’t touch anything.”
He surveyed the living room with a cool, assessing gaze. “You knocked her bag over.”
“That was an accident. It happened to be unzipped, so I took a little peek, and then you showed up and startled me . . .” Kat trailed off with a swallow.
“You see anything noteworthy?”
Kat relaxed a little. Apparently he was going to let her off the hook for disturbing the purse. “Yeah. Janice is planning to go to L.A. next week.”
“There you go,” Larry piped up, clapping his hands together as if the case had just been solved. “She must have gotten the bug and skipped out a few days early.”
“She wouldn’t have left her door wide open,” Lucy said. “And she certainly wouldn’t have left Bubbles.”
“That is cause for concern,” Andrew agreed.
Nobody said a word as Andrew started circling the room. Kat found herself praying that his trained detective’s eye spotted some crucial clue she had missed.
But after a minute Andrew came to a halt, looking none the wiser. “There’s no sign of a struggle. If she was taken, it’s possible she knows whoever is responsible and voluntarily opened the door for him or her.”
Lucy nodded. “That’s what we were thinking.”
Andrew fixed his gaze on Kat. “You were, were you?”
Kat offered him a sheepish grin. Fortunately, she was saved from having to answer when Janice’s cell phone belted out a dance number.
Andrew and Kat both turned toward the iPhone. The name ‘Dorothy Fairchild’ was lit up on the screen.
Kat frowned. She knew Dorothy Fairchild from her volunteer work with Furry Friends Foster Families, a local animal rescue. Dorothy, who preferred to be called Lady Fairchild, was a staunch supporter of 4F. The wealthy, older woman often made generous donations to not only 4F but other local charities as well.
But why would Lady Fairchild be calling Janice? Kat wasn’t aware that the two even knew each other.
Before she could dwell more over the call, Bubbles broke free from Lucy and rushed into the room. He shoved his nose against the ringing cell phone, sending it sliding across the coffee table. The bark he let out when it fell to the floor broke Kat’s heart. It was as if he thought Janice might be calling and no one was bothering to pick up.
The phone fell silent after another ring. So did Bubbles. But the dog did circle around the coffee table and sit down next to the iPhone as if he expected the caller to try again soon.
Andrew pointed at Bubbles. “Does this guy have anywhere to go?”
Lucy and Kat exchanged looks. As Janice’s neighbors, Kat figured it was up to them to watch over Bubbles. Yet between Matty and Tom and Lucy’s cat Tabitha, keeping him in one of their apartments didn’t seem like a viable option.
She supposed she could try to track down a 4F foster family who had room to take in one more dog. But she hesitated to overstep her boundaries by phoning volunteers so late in the evening.
“He can stay with me,” Kat said, making a snap decision. “I’ll keep him in my bedroom, away from the cats.”
Andrew nodded, as if he’d already predicted her answer.
“Why don’t I take him for a walk first?” Lucy said. “Who knows when he’s been out last.”
Andrew swept his arm toward Bubbles. “Be my guest.”
Lucy grabbed the leash by the door and shook it at Bubbles. “Come on, buddy.”
The dog’s ears pricked. He sprinted over to Lucy, his tail wagging. Lucy snapped the leash to his collar and led him out of the apartment.
Larry backed away from the door. “Well, I oughta be heading back downstairs, let you do your detecting.”
“You going to be home all evening?” Andrew asked.
“Yep. You can find me in 1B, right downstairs.” Larry folded his hands in front of him. “And you come get me if I can do anything to help locate Janice. That gal is a good kid. I hate to think something bad’s happened to her.”
“I’ll do that,” Andrew promised.
Larry left, leaving Kat and Andrew alone. She faced him, wishing he weren’t working and she could turn to him for comfort. Oh, why not, she thought, slipping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his shoulder.
Andrew kissed her forehead as he returned the hug. “Looks like I got to see you on your birthday after all.”
“Given the circumstances, I’d rather you hadn’t.”
Andrew pulled back far enough to look into her eyes. “Try not to worry too much, okay, Kat? I’m going to do everything in my power to find Janice.”
Kat knew he wasn’t making an empty promise. Andrew took his job seriously, and Kat had never known him to shy away from a difficult case.
But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t fail despite his best efforts.
