Page 34 of If She Sensed

Ruth Calder's apartment building was a three-story brick complex set back from the road behind a shallow parking lot.Being so late at night, most of the lot’s spaces were occupied.It was 12:19 when Sloane parked beside an old, black work truck.When they stepped out into the night, Kate observed the building.A few lights were on as night owls watched TV or scrolled around aimlessly online.She supposed that if Ruth Calder was indeed keeping tabs on the Fresh Horizons social media and forums, she may very well be one of those night owls.

An exterior walkway started on ground level and stretched up to the second floor But Kate could see that it led to a secondary door, with a card-reader built in near the frame.They made their way to the front doors—twin glass-paneled models that were slightly glazed so it wasn’t easy to see inside.

They tried the door and found it unlocked.When they stepped inside, they were greeted by a small foyer.Three banks of mailboxes were installed into the wall to the left.Low, fluorescent lighting gave the area a dreamlike feel.

“Apartment 14c,” Sloane said, reciting the apartment number from memory.

They found the stairs to the left and took them slowly.Kate still wasn’t sure what to expect from this visit… other than someone who would very likely find it irritating that someone was knocking on their door after midnight.They came to the second floor hallway, approached apartment 14C, and Sloane knocked.They waited several moments, but there was no answer.

The hallway stayed quiet.“She might be asleep, naturally,” Sloane said with a shrug.

“Could be.”

Sloane nodded and knocked again, a bit harder this time.When there was still no answer after twenty seconds, Sloane pulled out her phone."I'll get the manager," Sloane said, already scrolling on Google for the building's contact number.

Kate looked up and down the hallway as Sloane called and, a few seconds slater, started speaking to someone.The hallway was quiet.She could just barely hear the muttering noise of a TV through the walls but that was all.

In the quiet of the hallway, her thoughts turned to Allen.She had texted him from the car on the way over, just a quick heads up that things had extended much further than expected.He had replied with a thumbs up and nothing else, which was either a sign that he was fine or a sign that he was already asleep and had responded on autopilot.She hoped it was the latter.Michael had a half-day at preschool in the morning and Allen would handle it, because Allen always handled it when he needed to.And he usually did it without complaint.But then again, one of the facets of this new agreement about her returning to work on a consultant basis was that late nights would be exceptionally rare, to the point of virtually non-existent.

He said he was okay with it.He had always said he was okay with it, even back whenokayhad clearly been a generous characterization.She believed he meant it now more than he ever had before, that the years had genuinely settled something in him about who she was and what the job asked of her.Even now, with fewer hours and much less danger.But there was a difference between being okay with something in principle and being okay with it at midnight on a Tuesday when you were alone in the house with a three-year-old and no clear sense of when your wife was coming home.

She made a mental note to do something about that this weekend.Something intentional.She smiled at the idea of it, of maybe getting away for the entire day and doing something special as a family.

"He's coming," Sloane said, pocketing her phone.She leaned against the wall beside Kate, staring at the door.“He was pissed at the late call but then seemed very helpful when he understood what was going on.”

“Most landlords do,” Kate said.“Having a potential murderer renting from them doesn’t exactly look great.”

They stood in silence for a moment.Kate eyed the door, thinking of trying to knock again.Before she could give it much thought, Sloane spoke up.

"DeMarco's going to want an update tonight," Sloane said, looking out at the lot."I keep meaning to call her and then something moves."

"She'll understand.She’s been where you aremanytimes.She knows how it goes."

"You think she's settled into it?The director role?"

"More than settled."Kate considered it for a moment, wishing she’d been around to watch the day-by-day progression of DeMarco and her new role."She was ready before they gave it to her.Probably before she knew she was ready."

"You two were partners for a while, right?"Sloane asked.

"Right.For nearly three years," Kate said."She was sharper than me, honestly.I’d like to say it was because she came on young while I was aging, but it wasn’t just that.She was damned good at her job.I wish I’d had more time with her, honestly."She smiled slightly at the memory of standing in hallways just like this one in the middle of the night, assured that she was safe with DeMarco as her partner.

Sloane laughed quietly."You know, she mentions you quite a bit."

“Oh, does she?”

“Yeah, she really respects you.”

“Well, I assure you, the feeling is mutual.I hope you get to work under her for a long time.

This was true.Even from just the limited time she had spent in the field office, she could tell that DeMarco had built something in that office that didn't exist in a lot of field divisions — a culture where people were supported when the work got hard.Kate had spent enough years in environments that operated differently and far too well what a rare thing that was.

Sloane nodded slowly, looking out at the lot."Yeah, I do to."

Footsteps on the staircase announced the building manager before he appeared on the walkway.He was heavyset and in his mid-fifties, wearing a quilted vest over a sleep shirt.He looked like he was till half-asleep.He stopped a few feet short of them and looked them over with an expression that was equal parts worry and fear.

"You the ones who called?"he asked.

"Special Agents Wise and Sloane," Sloane said, holding up her credentials."We need to get inside this apartment."