Turning back to Mallory, she shook the keys to get her friend’s attention. Mallory reapplied her lip gloss, leaning on the counter to get a look in a compact mirror she held in her other hand.

Lenore pulled the door open and tossed the keys back to her friend. Mallory barely had time to catch them, putting the mirror down.

“You owe me,” she muttered, tucking the keys into a purse behind the counter.

“Wine night soon, I promise,” Lenore called back.

We passed through a narrow, empty hall. My eyes adjusted to the dimness, leaving the brightly lit store for the space without any lighting at all. Mailboxes hung on the wall at the end of the hallway.

It opened into an entry with a single staircase. She led me up the stairs to the third level. There were only two apartments, and Lenore unlocked the door to hers, letting us in.

“It’d be easier if you just emailed it all to me,” I tried, hoping she’d change her mind. I didn’t want a partner. I hadn’t worked alongside anyone since I’d gotten my partner killed.

Brutally murdered, and it was my fault.

I coughed to clear my throat of the feeling of bile rising in it. The images of that final case were relentless.

“Water?” Lenore asked.

“Thanks.” I nodded.

I followed her down the short hall into the combined living room and kitchen. A soft brush against my legs startled me, and I almost tripped over the feline beneath me. Its black fur brushed against my light colored slacks.

“Alonzo, leave him alone,” Lenore scolded. “Sorry,” she added. “He likes attention.”

Odd creature. 

Most cats weren’t fans of socializing. In fact, cats were what I believed most referred to as small assholes—knocking things off counters, pestering for food, and refusing to cuddle when their owner wanted. I’d never owned one, but my observations all suggested the same.

“I fed him once and never got rid of him,” Lenore muttered.

Another cat trotted across the room, orange with a white belly. I did my best to avoid the two felines as I pushed further into the apartment.

“Birdie, not you too,” Lenore hissed.

I stood awkwardly in the center of the living room, unsure what to do with myself. I felt all too aware that I was now in a stranger’s apartment.

“You can sit,” Lenore offered. “Or keep hovering there. I promise, I’m not going to run with the research.”

I dropped my bag onto the couch and sat down, looking around the tiny apartment. It was a comfortable space, but I noticed little of Lenore’s personality in the decor. The walls were mostly bare, aside from a few frames bearing family and friends photos. I spotted one of Mallory and Lenore, her smile barely reaching her eyes.

My breath hitched thinking about the draining friendship.