Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“Leland, go ahead and get started taking prints,” Knox told the deputy carrying the case before turning his attention back to Jody.
“Okay, Jody, who do you think is responsible for this?”
“I can’t be sure. I need to talk to her first.”
Knox looked inside the apartment. “A jealous rage?” Knox nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised. I had to issue tickets to two of your side pieces six months ago, coming out of the gym, for disorderly contact.”
“I wasn’t aware of that. Who were they?”
“Baylin and Amber.”
“I had no idea.”
“Who do you think wrecked Sophie’s apartment?”
“Baylin.” Jody tilted his head to the side. “She lives next door.”
Joel Bevere gave him thumbs-up. “That’s convenient.”
Jody gave him a dirty look.
Joel cleared his throat. “I meant for Baylin.”
“I’ll have to wait and see if we find any fingerprints and ask Sophie if anything is stolen before I can get a warrant for her fingerprints and to search her apartment.”
“You may have to wait, but I don’t.” Jody strode toward the apartment next door.
“Jody, wait,” Knox called out to him.
“Don’t you find it strange that no one else has come out of their apartment?” Jody arched a brow at him.
Knox nodded. “Let me handle it.”
“How about you let me handle it? It’s my mess to clean up.”
Before Knox could stop him, he knocked on the door.
A couple of minutes went by before he heard the sound of Baylin unlocking her door.
“Jody!” She took a step into the hallway to put her arms around his neck. “If I knew you were coming by, I would have put on your favorite nightie.”
His hands went to her wrists to pull her away from him. “I didn’t come by here to see you. I came to check on Sophie. Someone broke into her apartment.”
A vindictive glint appeared in her eyes. “If you’re expecting me to feel bad for her, you knocked on the wrong door.”
“Why wouldn’t you feel bad for her? She hasn’t done anything to you.”
Baylin gave a careless shrug. “I couldn’t care less about her, one way or another.”
“I figured you would be upset, with you living next door to her.”
“Why would I be upset? I’ve been home all day. Anyone brave enough to break into my place won’t go out the same way he went in.”
“So, you were here all day?” Knox asked, silently walking up to them.
Baylin turned startled eyes toward Knox. “Yes,” she answered slowly. “Today’s my off day.”
“You didn’t hear any noise from next door?”
Her eyes went from Knox to his. “Not a sound. I really can’t hear anything from her apartment.”
“That’s not true. When Gloria lived there, you complained every time I was here about how much noise she makes.”
“Sophie is much quieter.”
Jody knew the bitch was lying. The vindictive glint in her eyes had disappeared to be replaced with fear.
Knox noticed something he hadn’t.
“How did you get that gash on your forearm?”
Baylin tugged the arm of her housecoat down, which had slid up when she placed her arms around his neck. “I broke a glass in the garbage disposal,” she told Knox timidly.
“Baylin, I’m going to go back to check the apartment out. If I find any blood, I’ll be back with a warrant to get a blood sample from you.”
Baylin watched Knox until he went inside the apartment. Then, grabbing Jody by the arm, she tugged him inside her apartment and closed the door. “You have to help me,” she pleaded with him with frightened eyes.
Jody crossed his arms over his chest. “Why should you be afraid? Is Knox going to find your blood inside?”
“You bastard, you know I did it. You have to help me.”
“Why should I?” His stony expression took in her appearance. “There was no reason for you to trash Sophie’s apartment.”
“My friend saw you in her restaurant today, working behind the counter. It didn’t take you long to replace me.”
His arms went out to her shoulders. “Sophie didn’t replace you. We were never in a relationship. Get that through your head.”
“We will be. You just need time to figure out how much you care about me.”
“I used to like you, Baylin. We had some good times. I don’t need more time to figure out what you mean to me. You mean nothing to me,” he told her coldly.
Her face went ashen. “You don’t mean that.” She started pressing herself against him, trying to kiss him.
“Cut it out.” Jody stepped away from her reach. “My advice is to tell Knox what you did before he has to get a warrant. You might be able to keep it quiet until it goes to court.”
“I’ll lose my job at the hospital if anyone finds out about this.”
“You should have thought about that before wrecking Sophie’s apartment,” he told her ruthlessly.
“I just wanted her to leave town.”
Jody stared at her pitilessly. “I can’t believe I misjudged you so badly. I could never be with a woman who would deliberately hurt another person.”