“Answer my questions, and I’ll leave.”
“Fine.”
“Your neighbor. Troy Burker.”
“I didn’t know his name. What about him?”
“He’s a suspect. I need you to tell me anything you know about him.”
“I work the night shift. I sleep during the day. Something you’re interrupting.”
I gave her a steady stare and she scowled. “He’s a fucking creep. Always slithering around here, obviously up to no fucking good.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Dead eyes. The guy has dead eyes. Except when he’s checking me out, and then he has rapey eyes. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. Has he had any visitors?”
She shrugged. “None that I remember, and these walls are fucking cardboard. But I work at night. You might want to ask the old bitch who lives on the other side of him. She never keeps her nose out of anyone’s fucking business.”
Charming. I held up a picture of Riona. “Have you seen this woman? Anywhere?”
She studied it. “She’s pretty. Looks soft. If she drew his attention, she’s probably in an unmarked grave somewhere. Look, can I get back to sleep now?”
I wasn’t going to get anything else out of her. I handed her my card, well aware that she’d rip it up the moment she closed her door. “If you see him, give me a call.”
She sneered, but her lips firmed as she studied my face. “You think he really did kill that girl?”
“He’s a person of— yeah. I do. If you see him, call me. Don’t get close to him, or anyone he’s with.”
I pulled my power back behind my shield and she slammed the door.
I glanced at Kyla, who was still talking to the old lady on the other side. She shook her head at me, and I walked back down to the apartment opposite Troy’s and knocked.
The sound of wailing grew closer, until it assaulted my ears. A second later, the door opened.
The woman looked exhausted, with dark circles beneath her eyes. She had spit up on her shirt, and a baby in her arms.
“Can I help you?”
“Danica Amana.”
“Michelle Polter.” The baby screamed louder and she did the bouncy thing people did in an attempt to make her stop. It didn’t work.
“I’m sorry to disturb you. I just need to ask you a few questions about your neighbor across the hall.”
“I don’t know him, really.” The screaming reached new heights and I managed not to wince. “I’m sorry, she’s teething and it’s miserable. Look, we keep to ourselves around here. Most people who live here don’t exactly want to be here, you know?”
I nodded. “He’s a suspect in a kidnapping. Can you tell me if you’ve noticed him with any visitors recently? Or anything else out of the ordinary?”
“A kidnapping? Shit. No, I stay away from him for the most part. He’s an asshole. I was taking the stairs a few days ago and he was coming up from the basement. He told me I needed to keep my fucking brat quiet before he gave her something to cry about.” Her hand slid up to the baby’s head and she pressed her lips against her cheek. “Who says that about a baby?”
“An asshole.” I held up Riona’s picture. “Have you ever seen this woman?”
“No, and I’d notice her around here.”
I handed her my card. “Will you call me if you see Troy? Don’t get anywhere near him, just tell me if you see him. Or this woman. Her name is Riona Walsh.”
