“Sorry,” I hear behind me as I’m about to pull my phone out.

Turning, I see PJ on his leash, with Franny jogging down the block behind him. She’s wearing a tank and a pair of paint-covered baggy overalls that look ridiculous on her, and her long hair is braided to one side.

“I wanted to take him out before you got here so I wouldn’t have to while we were eating.” She stops in front of me with a smile that hits me right in the chest. “Were you waiting long?”

“No, I just got here.” I look down when I feel something hit my knee and find PJ standing on his back legs.

“Hey, bud.” I bend and rub the top of his head as she opens the door.

“How was your meeting?” she asks.

“Informative.” I follow her inside and glance around, which is something I didn’t take the time to do the last couple of times I was here. Her apartment is one of the bigger studios, but the windows at the top of the ceiling are set back in the concrete blocks, so there is no way to cover them. There is also no bedroom or real division of the space at all. And with all of her painting supplies and the boxes stacked here and there, it doesn’t look like anyone actually lives here. It looks like what it was meant to be for her: a workspace.

“Is that good or bad?”

“I’m not sure yet. I got some details today that I’m going to have to look into.”

“That sounds mysterious.” She glances at me over her shoulder as she unhooks PJ’s leash, and I smile.

“There is a possibility that the guy we want to bring a case against was a police informant during the time he committed the murder. If that happens to be true, it could explain why, when he confessed, officers attempted to discredit his confession.”

“So the guy you are building a case against already confessed to the crime?”

“He did, but he later said that his confession was coerced and took it all back.”

“And the officers didn’t want him to confess to a murder because they… what?” She frowns. “Could be in trouble?”

“Basically.”

“Wow, that all sounds really complicated.”

“A little.” I place the bag I’m still holding on the counter. “Are you ready to eat?”

“Yes, and I took the pill Dr. Bride prescribed me, which seems to actually be working.”

“Good.” I open the bag and start taking out the food. “How have you been sleeping?”

“I’m making it work. My mom got me a sleep mask and that’s helping a little.”

“What’s going on with the sale of the condo?”