Burlington County, New Jersey certainly wasn’t a side of town Deven frequented. Not that she avoided it, she just never really had a reason to stop during the rare times she passed through. And judging by the living quarters and mini marts fringed along the main roads, the area had an established reputation of equal parts hood and country, and the label had become a staple of the community. It definitely didn’t seem like the type of lifestyle Kennedy would pick as a residence. Maybe that was the whole point, Deven thought with skepticism. On the surface, this would be the last place someone would look for her. How idyllic if her goal was to disappear.

“Turn right,” the robotic voice prompted and on cue, Deven pulled up to a cluster of detached townhomes that had seen better days. In the entryway, a dilapidated sign poked through the weeds that read, Sienna Courts, and Deven knew she had reached her destination.

She turned into the neighborhood, rolling past shabby brick buildings that lined both sides. Screen doors and broken blinds barely sufficed as barriers against the destitution while trash and toys littered the driveways. The street was unpaved, another sign of the community’s neglect, and Deven had to ease around potholes as her tires bit the gravel. A few of the inhabitants looked her way as she drove by, their annoyed expressions seeming to mirror each other. They weren’t used to visitors, nor were they happy about the intrusion.

Building F was one of four in a cul-de-sac, nestled further back with a steep, pebbled driveway. It looked like two townhomes per building with a wide porch and two doors asymmetrical in the center. Sure enough, a For Rent sign was tacked to the door on the left. Deven parked against the curb near the mailboxes and sent a quick text to Paul to let him know she had arrived. Then, not bothering to wait, she turned off the engine and got out.

A breeze tickled the air, carrying with it an earthy musk that reeked off urine. Deven made her way up the path, swallowing her disgust at the living conditions. Even the dogs looked neglected, she noticed as one trotted by. He was scraggly with malnutrition and dander flakes caked in his fur. He didn’t even look up as Deven passed, clearly too consumed with sniffing in the nearby patch of grass. No, this was certainly not the sister she knew. Not living here.

The screen door was slightly off the hinges and pulled open easily with a loud creak. Up closer now, Deven could see the For Rent sign was merely scribbled on computer paper with the name Marez and a phone number at the bottom. She looked at the door frame, not seeing the doorbell, and balled her fist to bang her knuckles on the wood.