“Oh, so you mean, sex, drugs, and alcohol. And all that at the same time?”
The young woman flushed. “Well, it’s not that bad,” she said.
Kate laughed. “Relax. I’m not here to tend to anybody’s love life. I’m just here to talk to Candy.”
“Okay,” she said, in a much more cheerful tone of voice. “Just be nice to her. She’s having a rough day.”
“Why?” Kate asked, not having made it any farther than two steps toward the door.
“I’m not sure. A breakup, I think.”
“Ah, that’s tough.”
“Yeah, it’s a good thing though,” said one of the other females, stepping up and joining the conversation.
“Why is that?”
“He’s an asshat.” Her words were succinct and clear.
“At this age, lots of them are,” Kate said, with a knowing smile.
The two young women thought that was the funniest thing ever and howled with laughter. “Oh my God, that’s perfect.”
Not sure what was so perfect about guys being asshats, but Kate was happy to go along with whatever the hell this was. “Anything else to say about this guy? Is he a problem?”
“Nah, he’s just one of those rich guys. So, when you have a problem with him, you have a problem with the whole group.”
“Interesting that she got hooked up with him in the first place, isn’t it?”
“You know what? That’s exactly what I said,” replied the first woman. “I mean, I’m much more their type than she is.”
“Their type?”
“You know? Plenty of money and willing to do whatever for that fun evening.” She shrugged. “I’m not as limited by morals and ethics as Candy is.”
“Yeah, it’s quite a handicap sometimes, isn’t it?”
“It really is,” she said seriously. “Think about it. I mean, if you don’t worry about the rules, then you’re not hung up with guilt over them all. And Candy is definitely hung up in guilt.”
“Yeah,” the second young woman agreed. “Something about she wouldn’t do something with them, and they made her do it anyway, and now she’s up there, bawling her eyes out, thinking her world is over.”
“Sounds like I need to go talk to her then.” Kate smiled and pulled out her card and handed it to the two women. “If you think of anything else, or if this guy—whoever it is who could cause trouble—causes some trouble, give me a shout.”
Looking at the card, one of the young women said, “Wow, you’re a homicide cop?”
“A detective, yes. That’s what I do.”
“Did you always want to do something like that?” she asked.
“Yep, pretty much.” She cheerfully pulled the door open. She stopped, looked back at the pair, still standing there, staring at her card, and wondered. It seemed like a hell of a long time since Kate had been that innocent. And the years didn’t lie; itwasa long time ago. Shaking her head, she strode inside, letting the door close behind her.
It always blew her away that the badge made such a difference. And she got it; she really did. Everybody wanted to believe in authority, but what if somebody else had grabbed that badge? What if somebody else was using it for nefarious purposes? These women weren’t even calling it in and checking it out any further. Instead just wondering in delight that they got to talk to a detective. Kate worried about that.
Given that same level of innocence, it’s no wonder her brother had gotten into trouble so easily. He’d only been a child, and whoever had taken him had been wiser in the ways of the world than Timmy was. He’d been easy pickings, and it had been over so fast. Even two years older, Kate hadn’t been any smarter; she’d gone inside and left her brother alone. She shook her head at that. It shouldn’t have been her problem. It shouldn’t have been her responsibility, and it definitely sure as hell shouldn’t be her guilt. But it was, and that was just something she never got over.
As she raced up the stairs, taking two at a time, she passed several other young women heading down to go out. Nobody asked her anything; nobody questioned her presence, but why would they? It was broad daylight, and everybody knew predators came out at nighttime. She shook her head at that. She’d learned very early on that predators were there every hour of the day, just looking for that split second of opportunity.
Reaching the door she was looking for, she knocked. There was absolute silence. She called out and knocked again, then waited. When there was no answer, she immediately rapped harder. “Police, Candy. Let me in.”