Page 50 of Crow
Spinning around, she cried out, then relaxed when she saw Joey.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said, his gaze falling to her knees. “What the hell happened to you?”
“I fell on the stairs.”
“Ouch. That looks pretty nasty.” He took out a couple of tissues from his pocket. “You’re bleeding.”
Thin tracks of blood were running down her shins. “Just great.” Taking the tissues, she thanked him, then wiped both legs. She rummaged through her disorderly purse. “I have alcohol wipes somewhere in here. The stairwell is horrible. It has needles and syringes that any of the kids who live here could pick up. And don’t get me started on the smell.”
“I’m not surprised.”
Gritting her teeth, she swept the wipes across her knees. “I thought for sure you’d be finished with your interview,” she said, looking up.
Joey shrugged. “It took longer than I thought. Are you done here?”
Crumpling up the wipes and tissues, she tossed them into a trash can in the corner of the hall. “I think so.” She wanted to wait for Crow and make sure he was okay, but she had a feeling that wouldn’t set too well with Joey.
“Then we might as well head out.” He pushed the elevator button.
As they walked toward the car, Angie wished she’d had Crow’s number so she could send him a text or something. If he hadn’t come when he did, she wasn’t sure what would’ve happened to her. Not wanting to think about the way she threw herself into his arms, she focused on whether someone was just fooling around or if the voice belonged to the shadow man. Angie felt a quiver of fear at the thought.
Joey got into the SUV, and she pretended to be looking for something in her purse. All she wanted to do was stall for a bit to make sure Crow was safe. The honking horn made her jump, and Joey opened the door.
“What’s taking so long?” he asked.
“I’m just checking some important emails. We’ll get going in a minute.”
He grumbled something under his breath, then shut the door.
Where are you?She kept her eyes glued on the front entrance, and when Crow walked around the corner of the building, warmth spread through her, and she bounced on her toes and waved at him. He lifted his chin as he swaggered over to her.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. I was worried.”
One corner of his mouth hitched up in a bemused grin. “Really? That’s sweet.”
“I mean, therewasa murder in that stairwell not too long ago.”
“I didn’t see anyone, but I figured he heard us talking and took off.”
“It was probably just a tenant having some fun.”
Crow shook his head. “I don’t think so. Do you usually come out here alone?”
“Yes, we all do at HUD’s various housing contracts. If we need to do a search or something, then we come in pairs and with a deputy sheriff.”
“It’s not safe for you to be here alone.”
“I’ll be okay.” She laughed. “I can’t quit my job over one incident that I overreacted to. Anyway, I’ll make sure to stay out of the stairwells and the garage—those places have always given me the creeps.”
“Be careful. You should have”—he bent down and pointed his finger at Joey through the window—“him go with you, at least for a while.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. And speaking of Joey, I have to get us back to the office. I’m sure my boss is having a fit over how much time we’ve been gone.”
Crow opened the car door. “Take care.”
Shuffling in place, heat crept up her neck, and she lowered her gaze toward the ground. “Thanks again. I sort of flipped out and acted kind of foolish back there. I normally don’t do stuff like that, so it surprised me. I think I’ve been stressed about my caseload.”
He reached out and ran his finger down her arm. “No need to apologize.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “I like you pressed against me.” Then he stepped back. “Your friend’s getting pissed.”
