A citrus-tinged chemical aroma blew in through the open door—some kind of antiseptic or cleanser. The odor overwhelmed the other stray smells that his senses had barely registered. Rather than hiding them, however, the cleaner forced them to his attention. Both fresh and soiled bedding, various unidentifiable medicinal smells, coffee too long in the pot, a touch of hope, hints of despair. Ted tuned them all out.

“Fine. Cheryl’s boyfriend tossed my apartment last night. I wasn’t there, of course. Lester and I spent another night in the church. Anyway, I’m now in the market for a new apartment and furnishings.”

Her chest rose and fell. The machine whooshed. He noticed, for the first time, the hint of a blue vein in her cheek. Had her pallor revealed it, or did she keep it hidden with a dusting of makeup? He felt like he knew her better having discovered this minor secret.

“You okay? I’m not upsetting you, am I? At first I was sick over it. And scared. Now I’m just pissed off. Like you said, it’s time to go get these SOBs.”

Whoosh.

“Not SOBs. Bastards. That’s what you said. Bastards.”

He paused.

“So how do I do that? Suggestions? The floor is yours.”

Silence, broken by a soft sob from the corridor. A bent woman in raincoat and rubber boots—a visitor who must have arrived during the deluge the night before—passed down the hall and out the electric-gated door.

“Yeah. I draw a blank, too.”

And a thought came to him.

“Where’s your phone?”

-49-

-49-

Kenzie’s belongings were in a flimsy wardrobe: the slinky black dress, ripped and ruined by bloodstains. The spiked heels, which she wouldn’t be wearing anytime in the near future. The wig had been stuffed soaking wet into a plastic bag, which was clouded up with condensation. And on the top shelf, shoved to one side, was her purse, a glass-beaded black clutch with a brass clasp. It looked old, like something she might have found it in a vintage clothing store.

Ted sat down again. “I’m going to look in your purse. Normally I would never do that, but these aren’t normal times.”

She didn’t object.

Lipstick. Keys. A slim metal credit card holder with a Visa and a folded, crisp twenty-dollar bill. And her cell phone.

“See? Success.”

He noticed a zippered pocket. There was something inside. He debated for only a moment. He opened it and found two foil-wrapped condoms.