Page 34 of Crow
“Me neither. It’s such a sad situation, and Ginny Kelly is taking advantage of the poor woman’s impaired memory. I know Mrs. Petrie is giving her money because she thinks Ginny is her daughter. I can’t prove it, but it makes me sick to my stomach. Ginny is another one who hates me.”
Joey chuckled. “I take it you’re not going to win any popularity contest at Madera.”
“Not with the women under thirty-five. The older ones love me, and most of the men are just leeches or creeps, except for Abe—he’s a sweetheart.”
“How do you get along with Jillian Keene?”
Touching the base of her throat, she groaned. “I totally forgot about her. She called me this morning to report seeing some guy lurking around the hallways last night. She said he comes around only at night and that the residents call him the ‘shadow man.’ She sounded terrified. Have you heard anything about that?”
“Yeah, I have. Some of the tenants described him as almost seven feet tall and walks up and down the hallways at night. They say he dresses in black and pulls the hood of his jacket down low so no one can see his face. Sometimes, they hear him whispering to himself.”
Shivers raced across Angie’s arms. “For real? I just thought Mrs. Keene was a bit strange. I didn’t know other tenants have seen this guy too.”
“Who knows how much is real and how much is lore? Over the years, I’ve heard so many stories of ghosts, tricksters, and other larger-than-life figures haunting the hallways of numerous buildings and the projects that I take it all with a grain of salt. You know how rumors go, and pretty soon, everyone thinks they see or hear something.”
“That’s true. I just never heard about this shadow man from anyone other than Mrs. Keene. How long has this story been circulating around the building?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe a year? Copeland probably started it to get back at the tenants or to make us think they’re crazy.”
Angie’s eyes widened. “Do you think so? I guess I wouldn’t put it past that dirtbag to do something like that.”
“Who knows? We’ve got our hands full with all these fraud and regulation cases, so I’m not about to start an investigation into an apparition.”
“I hope not!” Damon yelled.
Angie and Joey looked over at him: the stern lines around his mouth deepened, and his blue eyes were icier than usual.
“This is a private conversation,” Joey said.
“When you’re talking loudly, it’s no longer private. Don’t you two have some work to do instead of gossiping about the nonsense you hear from the clients?”
Joey narrowed his eyes. “Again—private conversation.”
“I don’t think Peter would agree.”
Damon stared at Joey, then at Angie, and if looks could kill, she was sure they’d both be goners.What is his problem?
Ever since she’d started working in the investigative unit, Damon Bellows had been a surly and bitter iconoclast. Joey had once told her that Damon had a major chip on his shoulder because he grew up in a low-income family, but his parents never accepted any government programs. For Angie, that explained why Damon was so hateful toward the clients they were supposed to help. He was constantly ragging on about how lazy and worthless the tenants at HUD properties were, and he was especially vicious about the homeless people he’d come across when he inspected the various HUD residences. She was amazed that he’d chosen to work for a government agency that helped the disadvantaged.
It’s no wonder he keeps getting passed over for a promotion. He’s miserable and wants everyone else to feel the same.
“Don’t make every damn thing into a federal case,” Joey said, turning away from Damon.
“You’re the idiot who keeps talking about some shadow man. How stupid are the two of you?”
Angie saw Joey’s fists clench and the vein in his neck bulge. She reached out and grabbed his arm.
“Damon’s not worth getting yourself into trouble,” she whispered. “He just hates seeing anyone having some fun. Ignore him.”
Joey slowly unclenched his hands, then sat back on the corner of her desk. “One of these days, I’m going to belt him right in the mouth. I’m so fucking sick of him.”
She giggled. “I think you’re going to have to stand in line for that privilege.”
Damon slammed his desk drawers with a dramatic flair, then stuffed a few folders into his briefcase and stormed out of the office.
“Good riddance,” Joey muttered.
“That was strange, even for Damon. I wonder why he flipped out like that when we were talking about that shadow man.”
