this side – so I couldn’t cross over, but I knew they were following me. I started to walk faster, so did they. Eventually I started to run down one of the side streets, where they caught up with me. And….’ She paused; Leroy thought she was about to cry.
‘Leave it then,’ he said softly. ‘Tell the officers in the morning.’
She nodded. ‘I guess you think I’m dumb walking in the first place, at this time of night.’
‘To be honest, yes. Why didn’t you get the cab to go past your place? Hardly out of his way.’
‘Don’t know. When we go out together, we always go home like that. I’ve done that walk dozens of times. This is the first time…’
‘Sure. Could’ve been your last. I recommend next time the cab takes you to your door.’
‘Don’t worry. I will. It’s just up there. I’ll be okay from here. Thanks Detective…Leroy, was it?’
‘Leroy, yes. Detective Leroy. Sam. And I’ll take you to your door.’
‘Julia. Julia Moore. It’s here. 2802.’
She led him to a two storey building, attached to which was a shop front. Leroy looked in the window. A sign read Cutting Edge. Full Service, Hair, Spa, Nails, Foot Massage 310-305-2221.
‘Which floor?’ he asked, looking up at the building.
‘Second,’ she said.
‘Stairs or elevator?’
‘Stairs only. Why?’
‘You’re still unsteady. I’ll take you up.’
‘But -’
‘You’ve had a shock. You don’t know what you might do. And I promised those other officers I’d take you to the door. After all, they need you as a material witness tomorrow.’
‘It’s okay, Detective. Sam. I’ll be fine,’ she said.
Then collapsed at Leroy’s feet.
NINETEEN
Leroy caught her just before she hit the floor. Holding her under her arms, he manoeuvred her over to a corner and lowered her so she was sitting in the corner, slumped against the wall. Then crouched down in front of her. He shook her gently.
‘Julia, wake up. You need to wake up.’
She stirred slightly, muttering something unintelligible.
‘Julia. Where are your keys? Are they in your bag?’
‘Sorry,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t know…’
‘Excuse me,’ Leroy said. He picked up her bag and felt inside. Came across a key ring with three keys on it. He tried one key in the lock of the front entrance door. No joy. The second worked. With the door open, he picked Julia up and supporting her round the waist, took her inside. The stairs were immediately in front of the entrance door, and he led her up to the second floor. She stumbled a couple of times on the way up. He noticed that each apartment door had a large black letter screwed to it, H, I, J, onwards along the corridor.
‘Julia,’ he asked, shaking her slightly to rouse her. ‘Which apartment? H? I? J? K? Which?’
‘L’, she murmured. He led her along to the door to apartment L. There were two locks on the door; he used the two keys he did not use downstairs and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, he heard a high pitched beeping sound. He looked in the doorway and saw on the wall adjacent to the door was a small keypad from which the sound was emanating. A red light on the device was flashing.
He led her into the apartment and to the keypad. ‘Julia, what’s the code?’ Slightly more coherent, she reached up and keyed four zeroes. Once she hit a green button, the beeping stopped. Leroy, switched on a light, pushed the door closed with his foot and laid her on a couch. As he stepped back, she began to come to and sat up. She ran her hand through her hair and looked up at him.
‘Did I faint or something?’ she asked.
‘You sure did,’ he replied. ‘Just downstairs, outside.’
‘Oh, how pathetic. I’m so sorry.’
‘Don’t be. It’s delayed shock; quite common. Shall I get you some hot tea?’
‘No, something stronger. There’s some red wine in the kitchen.’
He could see that the kitchen was one of the doors off the main living room. Above a row of
‘Leave it then,’ he said softly. ‘Tell the officers in the morning.’
She nodded. ‘I guess you think I’m dumb walking in the first place, at this time of night.’
‘To be honest, yes. Why didn’t you get the cab to go past your place? Hardly out of his way.’
‘Don’t know. When we go out together, we always go home like that. I’ve done that walk dozens of times. This is the first time…’
‘Sure. Could’ve been your last. I recommend next time the cab takes you to your door.’
‘Don’t worry. I will. It’s just up there. I’ll be okay from here. Thanks Detective…Leroy, was it?’
‘Leroy, yes. Detective Leroy. Sam. And I’ll take you to your door.’
‘Julia. Julia Moore. It’s here. 2802.’
She led him to a two storey building, attached to which was a shop front. Leroy looked in the window. A sign read Cutting Edge. Full Service, Hair, Spa, Nails, Foot Massage 310-305-2221.
‘Which floor?’ he asked, looking up at the building.
‘Second,’ she said.
‘Stairs or elevator?’
‘Stairs only. Why?’
‘You’re still unsteady. I’ll take you up.’
‘But -’
‘You’ve had a shock. You don’t know what you might do. And I promised those other officers I’d take you to the door. After all, they need you as a material witness tomorrow.’
‘It’s okay, Detective. Sam. I’ll be fine,’ she said.
Then collapsed at Leroy’s feet.
NINETEEN
Leroy caught her just before she hit the floor. Holding her under her arms, he manoeuvred her over to a corner and lowered her so she was sitting in the corner, slumped against the wall. Then crouched down in front of her. He shook her gently.
‘Julia, wake up. You need to wake up.’
She stirred slightly, muttering something unintelligible.
‘Julia. Where are your keys? Are they in your bag?’
‘Sorry,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t know…’
‘Excuse me,’ Leroy said. He picked up her bag and felt inside. Came across a key ring with three keys on it. He tried one key in the lock of the front entrance door. No joy. The second worked. With the door open, he picked Julia up and supporting her round the waist, took her inside. The stairs were immediately in front of the entrance door, and he led her up to the second floor. She stumbled a couple of times on the way up. He noticed that each apartment door had a large black letter screwed to it, H, I, J, onwards along the corridor.
‘Julia,’ he asked, shaking her slightly to rouse her. ‘Which apartment? H? I? J? K? Which?’
‘L’, she murmured. He led her along to the door to apartment L. There were two locks on the door; he used the two keys he did not use downstairs and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, he heard a high pitched beeping sound. He looked in the doorway and saw on the wall adjacent to the door was a small keypad from which the sound was emanating. A red light on the device was flashing.
He led her into the apartment and to the keypad. ‘Julia, what’s the code?’ Slightly more coherent, she reached up and keyed four zeroes. Once she hit a green button, the beeping stopped. Leroy, switched on a light, pushed the door closed with his foot and laid her on a couch. As he stepped back, she began to come to and sat up. She ran her hand through her hair and looked up at him.
‘Did I faint or something?’ she asked.
‘You sure did,’ he replied. ‘Just downstairs, outside.’
‘Oh, how pathetic. I’m so sorry.’
‘Don’t be. It’s delayed shock; quite common. Shall I get you some hot tea?’
‘No, something stronger. There’s some red wine in the kitchen.’
He could see that the kitchen was one of the doors off the main living room. Above a row of
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