I would say dragging a barely conscious, bleeding man down the corridor was considered a pretty unusual activity, but I wasn't about to reveal that to her. Going against everything Dad taught me about honesty, especially to an authority figure, I began my lie.
"I did hear three loud bangs, but I didn't think anything of it and went back to bed," I said, schooling my features into an expression of confusion and concern. It was easy to fake it when my anxiety had twisted my face with worry. I glanced down the outside corridor to see other neighbors being questioned. “Was someone hurt?”
"We're not sure yet. It looks to have been a botched robbery, but the man who lived in the apartment on the floor below hasn't been seen since last night. His name is Marcus Woods. Do you know him?"
I shook my head.
Get it done ran through my head as my mind drifted to last night.
If it was a botched robbery, Romeo would be the thief in this, possibly an armed one. I hadn't even thought to check him for a gun. One could be tucked into the back of his jeans for all I knew.
"Are you alright, miss?" The officer tilted her head again, this time in concern as her eyebrows drew together. "You look a little pale."
I laughed nervously and waved off her comment. "Oh, no, I'm fine. I’m just a little hungover. Is that all?”
“Yes. But if you remember anything else, don’t hesitate to report it.” She made another attempt to peer beyond my shoulder before she took a step back. A fleeting smile flitted across her features, which looked out of place on her naturally serious face. “That’ll be all. Have a nice day.”
“You too,” I said politely, maintaining my cheesy smile while my cheeks ached.
I waited for her to turn away first so I didn’t seem too urgent to get away, and then calmly closed and locked the door, dropping the smile as the anxiety came rushing back in. My gaze swept to Romeo.
"Shit," he hissed, pushing off the back of the door.
I stepped back into the laundry room doorway, putting more space between us.
Now what?
With the police outside, where they would remain for some time as they set up a crime scene and gathered witness reports and any evidence, he was stuck in my apartment.
Romeo placed his hands on his hips, thinking in silence before his eyes cut to me, looking at me but at the same time not seeing me before he rubbed a hand down his face and made his way back into the apartment.
I hesitated in the hallway as I came to terms with the situation, pacing a little as my breath became shaky. There was a possibility all of this was one big misunderstanding. Maybe Romeo was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and had no connection to Marcus Woods's disappearance. He just needed to avoid the police for his other illegal reasons.
I chewed at my bottom lip and looked down the hallway. For a moment, I considered running. The door was right there, the police just beyond it. The only thing stopping me was the fact Romeo knew where I lived. If I gave him up, what if he had his friends come after me?
Romeo was standing by the living room window when I finally plucked up the courage to return, peering through the curtain at the street below with a frown on his face. No sign of a gun tucked into the back of his jeans.
I kept my distance, lingering near the hallway just in case I needed a quick escape if things went sideways.
"What, um, what happened last night?" I asked carefully.
"It's better for you if you don't know." He stepped away from the window and sat on the pastel blue couch again, pulling out his phone only to pause when he saw the glass of water and aspirin in front of him on the coffee table. Without question, he took the aspirin and returned to looking at his phone.
His answer hadn’t exactly settled my nerves.
I twiddled my thumbs in the silence, unsure of what to do. There was no answer for moments like this.
My stomach gurgled hungrily, and I pressed my hand to it. He didn’t hear it, and if he had, he didn’t care as he tapped away on his phone like he was sitting in a waiting room. And not hiding from the police.
I moved into the kitchen before I stopped at the counter, clearing my throat quietly and awkwardly. “I’m making breakfast… Did you want anything?”
He dragged his eyes from his screen and looked at me like he was wondering if I was being serious. The silence was palpable as I shifted on the spot, waiting for his answer.
“No,” he deadpanned before his eyes flicked to the hallway, towards the sound of someone unlocking the front door.
I froze, my heart leaping to my throat, while Romeo rose to his feet. Ready to confront whoever was coming into the apartment.
"Hello," Kira sang out happily. Her keys jingled as she wriggled them out of the door.
