Harmonized by Mary Behre

exhaustion waiting to happen. Come on, let’s get you packed.”
    It took them less than fifteen minutes to gather her things, check out of the hotel, and hit the road again. Another thirty before they were headed into Gwyn’s apartment building.
    Karma started toward Gwyn’s apartment, but Zig headed instead for the row of silver mailboxes. “Over here, Karma.”
    He was running his finger across the name tags on each one, as she walked up. “Ooh, good idea. Do you see a Tina anywhere?”
    â€œNo, but there’s one T. Anderson in apartment 101.” He pointed down the hall. Like in his building, Cupid and flowers adorned every door, including T. Anderson’s.
    He knocked on the door and waited. When no one answered, he knocked again, this time a little harder.
    â€œMaybe she’s asleep? It’s nearly midnight now.”
    A dog in the next-door apartment barked. Seconds later, a man wearing a dirty wife-beater shirt and boxer shorts too thin to be decent, appeared from the adjacent apartment. His heavy jowls swung as he spoke. “Whassmatter? Do you have any idea what time it is? Some people gotta work around here.”
    â€œI’m sorry, but we’re looking for my friend Tina,” Karma said, an innocent smile plastered on her face. She spoke with a thick Spanish accent. “I just flew in from Mexico to surprise her. Have you seen her?”
    Jowly neighbor blinked. “I ain’t seen nobody named Tina. Now go away.”
    He started to shut the door, but Karma stuck the toe of her shoe in the jamb. Her eyes round, confusion in them. Her hands wringing. “
¡Madre de Dios!
I could have sworn she lived in this apartment. Are you sure you don’t know my friend Tina?”
    The act was so good, even Zig might have been fooled. If he didn’t know her. And if he wasn’t a trained cop. But jowly neighbor definitely bought it.
    His face softened into a droopy sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, honey. You seem like a real nice lady. Not like most of the snobs on this floor. They think they’re better than me ’cause I’m a sanitation engineer. I tried to be nice when I moved in, but folks here won’t talk to me. If your friend lives on this floor, I’d find a new one.”
    â€œHer friend might’ve had a baby recently,” Zig interjected. He was about to show his badge, when the scowl returned to the jowly man’s face.
    â€œNo babies in this building.” He paused, rubbed at the salt-and-pepper stubble on his chin, then gave Karma another pathetic smile. “Sorry. If your friend had a baby, she don’t live here.”
    Karma met Zig’s gaze and shrugged when Zig said, “Thank you, sir. I’m sorry we woke you.”
    Jowls quivering, he grinned wide. “’S’all right. Night, now,” he said, closing himself back in his place.
    Zig took Karma by the elbow and steered her back to his truck. By the time he’d pulled out of the parking lot, she’d dropped her head to her chest and fell asleep.
    She’ll get a crick in her neck sleeping like that.
    He reached up with his right hand and gently nudged her toward him. She shifted in her sleep until her head rested on his shoulder. Turning his head slightly, he kissed the top of her head.
    â€œRest, now. We’ll be home soon.”
    His heart twisted with his words. They weren’t going home. Not really. He was going home and she was a guest. Not like when they were younger and making plans for their future. This time, he knew that their time together was only temporary.
    But damn, what if she chose to stick around this time?
    To only mild surprise, he realized he wished she’d want to. Somewhere between her sauntering into the station and now, it dawned on him that the old buried feelings he had for her weren’t so old. Or so buried. What would he do if she chose to stay?
    The thought jolted him but not