Jill backed the car out of the garage.
Jill was true to her word. The little car stopped blowing blue smoke out the tailpipe four blocks from Mae’s apartment. She smoothly wedged the car into a spot on Humboldt. “Do you think it will be okay if I leave Maddy here for the day and pick her up tonight? I don’t want to try to park downtown.”
“Yeah, it will be fine.”
“You’re sure? I wouldn’t want something to happen to her.”
“I’m sure Maddy will be perfectly safe,” Mae said, all the while thinking that no self-respecting car thief would ever touch Jill’s rusty heap.
Mae led Jill to the squat, aging brownstone she lived in. Mae struggled with the key in the security door’s lock as Jill looked at the building and its surroundings.
“I know I’ve said this before, but they obviously don’t pay you guys enough,” Jill said.
Mae gave the key a jerk and a twist. It rotated with a loud snap. She pulled the security door open, the whole time trying to work her key back out of the lock.
“I have simple needs, that’s all,” Mae replied. In truth, she had found the apartment right out of college and was still living here because she did not want to deal with the hassles of moving.
Jill followed Mae inside. “Well, I need air conditioning in the summer.”
“I’ve got a window unit,” Mae replied, starting up the steps to her third-floor apartment. “And how many rooms does that window unit really cool, hmm?”
Mae stopped at the landing to the second floor and peered down at Jill. “It keeps the living room and kitchen cool.”
“What about the bedroom?”
Mae gave Jill a wicked little smile, the urge to flirt rising up. “I open the window, turn on a fan and sleep naked.”
“Well, that will certainly make things easier.”
Mae felt a little shiver, thinking about being naked with Jill. She turned and started up the stairs. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, missy.”
Jill’s snort of laughter was the only reply.
Mae reached her door and started to push the key into the deadbolt.
The door swung open.
Mae took a step backward, bumping into Jill.
“What? Oh!” Jill said, seeing the door standing partially open. “I don’t suppose you forgot to close the door when you left last night?”
Mae shook her head. “No. I know I locked it.”
Jill took Mae’s arm. “Let’s go back downstairs and call the cops.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”
Twenty minutes later Mae watched as Patrol Sergeant Mary Alice Dean of the Minneapolis Police Department frowned and looked up at the building. The sergeant turned back to her. “We’ll need you to go through and tell us if anything is missing.”
“Okay,” Mae said. She did not want to go into her apartment, even with a police escort.
“I’ll come up with you. Remember, it’s still a crime scene, so try to disturb as little as possible.”
Mae hugged herself and pulled her coat tighter against her body. “How long will you need to finish up inside?”
“We should be done soon.” The sergeant’s face took on a concerned look. “Look, Miss Malveaux, it might be a good idea for you to stay with a family member or friend, just for a night or two.”
Jill touched her arm to gain her attention. “Why don’t you stay with me for a couple of days?”
Mae exhaled a long breath. “Okay. I’ll pack a few things.”
Sergeant Dean turned back to the building. “You should have your superintendent change the locks.”
“Yeah. That’ll only take him a month.”
Sergeant Dean looked to Mae, her eyebrows raised. “ I’ll talk to him, let him know that if they’re not changed by the time we’re ready to leave the scene, there’ll be all manner of inspectors from the city coming to visit.”
Mae smiled. “Thanks.”
“No problem. I’ll have someone call to let you know when we’re done and the key is ready.” The sergeant turned to Jill. “I’ll need your contact information.”
“Of
Jill was true to her word. The little car stopped blowing blue smoke out the tailpipe four blocks from Mae’s apartment. She smoothly wedged the car into a spot on Humboldt. “Do you think it will be okay if I leave Maddy here for the day and pick her up tonight? I don’t want to try to park downtown.”
“Yeah, it will be fine.”
“You’re sure? I wouldn’t want something to happen to her.”
“I’m sure Maddy will be perfectly safe,” Mae said, all the while thinking that no self-respecting car thief would ever touch Jill’s rusty heap.
Mae led Jill to the squat, aging brownstone she lived in. Mae struggled with the key in the security door’s lock as Jill looked at the building and its surroundings.
“I know I’ve said this before, but they obviously don’t pay you guys enough,” Jill said.
Mae gave the key a jerk and a twist. It rotated with a loud snap. She pulled the security door open, the whole time trying to work her key back out of the lock.
“I have simple needs, that’s all,” Mae replied. In truth, she had found the apartment right out of college and was still living here because she did not want to deal with the hassles of moving.
Jill followed Mae inside. “Well, I need air conditioning in the summer.”
“I’ve got a window unit,” Mae replied, starting up the steps to her third-floor apartment. “And how many rooms does that window unit really cool, hmm?”
Mae stopped at the landing to the second floor and peered down at Jill. “It keeps the living room and kitchen cool.”
“What about the bedroom?”
Mae gave Jill a wicked little smile, the urge to flirt rising up. “I open the window, turn on a fan and sleep naked.”
“Well, that will certainly make things easier.”
Mae felt a little shiver, thinking about being naked with Jill. She turned and started up the stairs. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, missy.”
Jill’s snort of laughter was the only reply.
Mae reached her door and started to push the key into the deadbolt.
The door swung open.
Mae took a step backward, bumping into Jill.
“What? Oh!” Jill said, seeing the door standing partially open. “I don’t suppose you forgot to close the door when you left last night?”
Mae shook her head. “No. I know I locked it.”
Jill took Mae’s arm. “Let’s go back downstairs and call the cops.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”
Twenty minutes later Mae watched as Patrol Sergeant Mary Alice Dean of the Minneapolis Police Department frowned and looked up at the building. The sergeant turned back to her. “We’ll need you to go through and tell us if anything is missing.”
“Okay,” Mae said. She did not want to go into her apartment, even with a police escort.
“I’ll come up with you. Remember, it’s still a crime scene, so try to disturb as little as possible.”
Mae hugged herself and pulled her coat tighter against her body. “How long will you need to finish up inside?”
“We should be done soon.” The sergeant’s face took on a concerned look. “Look, Miss Malveaux, it might be a good idea for you to stay with a family member or friend, just for a night or two.”
Jill touched her arm to gain her attention. “Why don’t you stay with me for a couple of days?”
Mae exhaled a long breath. “Okay. I’ll pack a few things.”
Sergeant Dean turned back to the building. “You should have your superintendent change the locks.”
“Yeah. That’ll only take him a month.”
Sergeant Dean looked to Mae, her eyebrows raised. “ I’ll talk to him, let him know that if they’re not changed by the time we’re ready to leave the scene, there’ll be all manner of inspectors from the city coming to visit.”
Mae smiled. “Thanks.”
“No problem. I’ll have someone call to let you know when we’re done and the key is ready.” The sergeant turned to Jill. “I’ll need your contact information.”
“Of
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