Page 48 of Crow
“How can you stand going to Abe’s?” Ginny asked Crow. “The guy gives me the creeps. He’s always looking at my boobs.”
Angie clenched her teeth.Then stop displaying them.
“He’s all right,” Crow said. “And all men look at chicks’ boobs.”
Way to go. Such insight, such wisdom. Ugh!
Ginny giggled. “I don’t mindsomeguys checking out my boobs.”
I have to get out of here.“Have a good day, Ms. Kelly.”
“Wait, now that you’re here snooping around, you should check the stairwells. Some homeless men have been sleeping in them. They piss and shit in them and they smell like hell. Can’t you clean up the town? Get rid of them—they’re disgusting.”
The irony of Ginny complaining about unbathed men—when each time Angie had seen the woman’s children, with the exception of that moment, they looked like they hadn’t washed in a few weeks—would be laughable if it wasn’t so sad.
“I’ll contact the landlord. Since I don’t work for the county, I can’t do much about housing the homeless. I’ll check out the stairwells before I leave today.”
“You do that. I pay good money to be here, so I shouldn’t have to put up with those creatures.”
“You’re paying less than two hundred dollars a month, and the taxpayers are picking up the rest.”That was snarky. Damn, she gets under my skin.“But you have the right to live in a decent place and be safe. I’ll look into it,” Angie quickly added, ashamed at her unprofessionalism.I have to go before I say something I’ll regret.
She turned away and walked toward the elevator.
“Why are you leaving, Crow? I thought you could come inside, and we could talk and maybe have some fun.” Ginny’s voice floated down the hallway.
Angie rounded the corner and reached the elevators. As usual, one was broken, so the wait for a car took longer than it should. She made a mental note to penalize Copeland on that. She was getting so sick of his shit.
“You’re not really going to check the stairwells on your own, are you?”
Startled at Crow’s voice, she jumped. “I didn’t hear you coming. And to answer your question, yes, I am. I need to write a report about it.”
“There’s no fuckin’ way I’m letting you do this by yourself. I’ll go with you.”
Irritation scratched up her backbone like a fingernail. Angie clenched her teeth and waited a second before replying, “I don’t need your permission to do my job. If I need help, I’ll ask my co-worker.”
Crow laughed dryly. “A lot of good he’ll be if you run across a lunatic.”
“And you’re supposed to be Superman?”
“No—the Dark Knight.” He chuckled. “Lighten up, will you?”
“You don’t get that I’m at work right now. Why don’t you go back and chat with Ms. Kelly and leave me alone.”
“You’re bothered by Ginny? Damn, woman, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you had the hots for me.”
If Angie stayed there one more second, she couldn’t be held responsible for what she’d do.
“Goodbye, Crow.” She walked away and headed to the stairwell.
The minute she pushed open the metal door, the rank odor of excrement hit her in the face. Suppressing her gag reflex, she scanned the area to make sure no one was around and then stepped onto the landing. The smell made her forget her anger, and cupping a hand over her nose and mouth, she took out her cell phone and flicked on the flashlight.
The light illuminated the cement stairs and the dark corners on the landing. Needles, syringes, beer cans, empty wine bottles, and fast food containers littered the floor.The maintenance people are supposed to clean up this area. Damn, I can’t stand Copeland.
Gingerly walking down the stairs, she paused and cocked her head to the side. In the distance, faint footfalls echoed. Gripping the flashlight, she shone it toward the next landing. No one was there, but the footsteps sounded like they were coming closer.
“Pretty lady,” a hoarse masculine voice said from someplace below.
A shiver tiptoed up her spine. She shook it off and picked up her pace, deciding to go back into the building when she reached the next landing.
