On the seventh floor, I knock lightly on the door marked 7D.
A girl in her late twenties opens the door, a Rottweiler and a German Shepherd behind her, looking all too interested in the new guest.
“Hey, Ollie. What's up?” she asks.
I look at the dogs again, hesitating, then go for a casual tone. “You've been inviting me for so long. I was free today, so I thought I'd drop by. See what's up.” Apparently, that’s me trying to sound like a twenty-one-year-old douche.
“Oh, that's lovely.” She invites me in, keeping the dogs behind the door.
Gina is one of my favorite neighbors, probably the only one I love running into, especially when she’s not carting her dogs after her. It's not that they’re bad or dangerous dogs. They’re just a little too interested in me.
Right on cue, the Rottweiler jumps on me, slobbering me up with kisses. I might have to take another shower when I'm back home, but I won't deprive myself of some dog cuddles. The German Shepherd sits at my feet, looking up at me with his adorable eyes, letting his brother get in his cuddles.
I scratch behind his ears as he showers me with dog saliva.
“Do you want tea?” Gina asks, already halfway across the kitchen. Not surprising because she’s been insisting that tea ismagic and how it’s a shame I don’t drink any. She’s got her chance now.
She brings two cups over while I entertain her dogs.
“You should have this at night. It'll help you sleep better,” she encourages, handing me a cup.
“Well, I can really use that.” I take a sip, holding Scooby at bay.
“Scooby, down,” Gina commands.
Scooby whines but sits beside his brother
Gina looks at me expectantly. “So, how is it?”
It’s not bad. “Pretty good. Like mildly flavored water.”
“But that's the thing! It’s flavored water with great properties.”
I still don't buy into the whole thing, but I nod enthusiastically and look for a subtle way to bring Dalton into the conversation. “Hey, have you seen the guy who lives above your apartment recently?” Or just dump a random topic on her.
Bless her heart because she takes the sudden topic change in stride. “I don’t think so, no. But now that you mention it, things have been quiet for a while.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, confused. “Did he stomp around a lot?”
“No, I often heard a lot of faint growling from upstairs. He must have had some angry dogs cooped up there, or he was watching some weird movies,” she frowns. “Or porn.”
My tea goes down the wrong pipe. ”So there were growling noises every day?” I cough.
“Well, not every day. Like once every week or two. It was often enough that I registered a complaint with the super, but you know him.” I nod. “Nothing happened. I even went to his apartment one day, and he just glared at me until I left. I evenalmost called animal control because I’ve never seen him with a dog. What if he’s keeping them tied up?”
My brain tries to make sense of it. So the guy wasn't just a druggie. He had a dog that he didn’t take care of. That's deplorable!
I place my empty cup on the table, and Scooby takes it as permission to climb back over me. This time, he curls up in my lap and lies down, completely forgetting how big and heavy he is. I almost groan, but run my hand over his coat instead.
Gina peppers me with questions about the upcoming episodes of the show. She’s the biggest fan, she had proclaimed the first time I told her I write for it.
I give her as much information as I can without breaking the confidentiality clause. When I leave, I’m more confused than before.
Four apartments no clues. This investigation is clearly doomed.
I give Matt's house another lingering gaze before going back inside, closing the door, and hoping the chamomile tea will work its magic tonight.
Chapter Fourteen
