Page 33 of Crow
“You bitch! These lowlifes keep destroying things and have no respect for the property. It’s easy for you to judge me because you don’t have a fucking clue!”
“I understand your frustration, but I’m also frustrated … with you. My colleagues and I have given you more than enough chances. I would think you’d have more pride in your building and more humanity toward those who are dealing with a tough life. If you lack compassion, then you’re in the wrong business.”
“You think you know everything, don’t you,bitch.”
“Pleasedon’t try to flatterme, Mr. Copeland.”
There was a stretch of silence, and she thought he’d hung up. Just as she was ready to put the receiver in its cradle, she heard his short breaths coming through the phone.
“You better get your fucking nose out of my business. I know people,” he said in a low, warning tone.
“This phone call is over, Mr. Copeland.” She pressed down on the disconnect lever.
“Your face is beet red. What the hell did he say to you?” Joey asked.
“I’ve had it with that jerk. He makes the slumlord over at Garden Terrace seem like the landlord of the year. I wish I could kick his ass out of the program, but I worry about the tenants. I hope he does the repairs. If he doesn’t, he’ll have to pay the fines, and that’s when some of the jerks drop out of the program.”
“You shouldn’t let Copeland get to you. He’s just there for the money.”
Angie huffed out a breath. “It gets old being the punching bag, you know? The tenants yell at us, the recipients of the housing programs yell at us, the landlords, our boss, even our colleagues.” She tipped her head to Damon, who was hunched over his computer, tapping away. “Sometimes, it just gets to be too much.”
Joey pushed back from his desk and walked over to her. He handed her a tissue. “I hear you—some days just suck. I think maybe you get too involved with the residents and the cases. I remember when I first started here, I thought I could change the world. I thought I could clean upallthe shitholes in the program and fixallthe tenants, but after all these years, nothing’s changed.”
Dabbing the corners of her eyes with the Kleenex, she said, “Don’t tell me that; it’s too depressing.”
Joey shrugged. “It’s the way it is, but over the years, I’ve helped individuals get their lives back on track. Once, I busted a voucher scam, and I was also part of the team that rescued several women who were being sex trafficked in a couple of the housing projects. What I’m saying is, when I changed my mindset from ‘saving the world’ to helping who I can to the best of my ability, everything sort of fell into place. Of course, I still get pissed at assholes like Copeland or”—he glanced over at Damon—“at bitter misanthropes like him. But that’s why we have government holidays, vacation time, and for the most part, weekends.”
Tossing the crumpled tissue into the trash, she smiled at him. “Thanks for the pep talk—I needed it.”
“That’s what I’m here for, and that’s why we’re going to High Dive after dinner tomorrow night. You need a break from all of this, and so do I.”
Angie pressed her hand against her forehead in a mock salute. “Yes, sir,” she said, then broke out in a laugh.
“What do you have going on?”
“I was going to head over to Madera Crossing to see if Valerie Stockton will talk to me. I’m almost positive she has a boyfriend living with her. I was there yesterday and saw him come out of her apartment; then, he told her that he had to work a double shift at the factory and would be home late. I staked it out early this morning and saw him entering the building.”
Angie didn’t share how relieved she was when Crow wasn’t the guy who’d come down the hallway from Valerie Stockton’s apartment. Ever since she’d bumped into him at Leroy’s the other night, he’d been on her mind. The fact that it had been the fourth time they’d run into each other in a short amount of time didn’t escape her or her two best friends, who kept claiming it was a sign. Even Silvia had to admit it was pretty freaky. And the way Silvia carried on about how good-looking Crow was and how he was into Angie didn’t help to keep him out of her thoughts.
“Are you okay? You zoned out there for a moment,” Joey said, waving a hand in front of her face.
“Sorry. So what were we talking about?”
He laughed. “You need to pack it in early and go home.”
Snapping her fingers, she said, “Yeah, that’s right—I’m off to talk with Valerie Stockton.”
“It’s past four. I’ll go with you on Monday.”
“Maybe that’s a good idea. She seemed real hostile toward me. I was even thinking of calling a deputy to accompany me.”
Whenever the housing authority investigators felt their safety might be threatened, they were authorized and encouraged to ask the sheriff to provide a deputy to escort them. Since the investigators weren’t armed, sometimes a confrontation with a resident could turn into a lethal situation, and law enforcement helped to ensure their well-being.
“I’ll give her all the charm I can muster.”
She laughed. “That’ll be fun to see. I’ll go over and check on Mrs. Petrie. I worry about her.”
“I worry about Eileen too. I keep trying to track down any family, but so far, I haven’t had any luck.”
