front door, Mr. Garrison. How do you think these other fellows got inside?" Cranston wondered.
Garrison shrugged. "They could have a key, or maybe they picked the lock."
"Or they have a room here," I suggested. "One of the guys did look kind of familiar."
"What about this mystery shadow man? What did you see of him?" Cranston asked me.
I shook my head. "Not much except that he stood six feet tall and had some yellow eyes."
"Yellow eyes?" Cranston repeated in disbelief.
"Yellow eyes," I reaffirmed with a frown.
Another officer came into the apartment, and Cranston turned to him. "Well, Perkins?"
Perkins shook his head. "It's a real mess in there, sir. Lots of blood and damage, but no sign of where they went or who they were," Perkins told him.
Officer Cranston glanced over to Garrison. "We'll have to seal off the room for a few days to gather evidence."
Garrison smirked. "There won't be much use looking for fingerprints. I clean that place pretty often but too many people use it."
"It's the blood we're after. Hopefully we'll be able to trace the crooks and the fellow who beat them up."
Garrison raised an eyebrow. "The fellow? Why him?"
"To thank him for doing this neighborhood a favor and tell him he should watch his back. The Green Bandannas aren't going to let him get away with his life if they can help it." Cranston turned to me. "I'll have to warn you to watch your back, too, Miss Taylor. If word gets out that you know who beat them up, the Bandannas are going to go after you to find out what you know."
Garrison stood behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. "I'll keep an eye out for her," he offered.
Cranston looked the skinny nerd up and down, and smiled. "Are you sure? These guys are pretty tough. If you feel threatened by any strange noises or men, Miss Taylor, don't hesitate to call us."
I nodded and promised myself I'd put 911 on speed dial. "Sure thing." The cops left to seal off the laundry room and I slumped back in my chair. "Just great. I go to clean some messy laundry and end up getting into a bigger mess with the Bandanna gang."
Garrison patted me on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be all right."
I oozed over the table and stuffed my head into my folded arms. "Only if my guardian angel with yellow eyes keeps looking out for me," I muttered.
Garrison slipped into his seat and had a peculiar smile on his face. "What if I told you that your guardian angel was looking out for you right now?"
I lifted my head and frowned. "I'd say I have an invisible stalker."
He chuckled. "Invisible except when someone needs their sink fixed or a light bulb changed."
"Um, I'm not following you."
"What if I told you I'm your guardian angel?"
I looked him up and down. He didn't look like the six-foot shadow I saw earlier. "Growth spurt?" I asked him.
Now it was his turn to be bewildered. "Pardon?"
"You're not exactly tall, and that guy I saw was tossing those gang members like they were footballs."
Garrison stood up and flexed his wimpy arm muscles. "You don't think this could throw someone ten feet?"
"Maybe if you had a giant slingshot," I teased.
He sighed and shrugged. "You can't blame a guy for trying to win a girl's affections."
"Yes I can, but I'll forgive you for your lying." I stood up and wobbled on my feet. He scurried around the table and kept my rubber legs from buckling beneath me.
"Wouldn't you rather stay here for the night? I can take the couch," he offered.
I shook my head. "I'd rather be in my own bed, but if you could help me up the stairs that would be great."
"All right. Just lean on me and we'll get going." Garrison showed more strength than I gave him credit for as he hefted me down the basement hall and upstairs to the lobby. The staircase was a winding snake of wooden steps in a narrow shaft. When you stood at the top you could look straight down to the lobby. At the bottom of the stairs Garrison paused and looked up.
"It's times like these I wish this place had an
Garrison shrugged. "They could have a key, or maybe they picked the lock."
"Or they have a room here," I suggested. "One of the guys did look kind of familiar."
"What about this mystery shadow man? What did you see of him?" Cranston asked me.
I shook my head. "Not much except that he stood six feet tall and had some yellow eyes."
"Yellow eyes?" Cranston repeated in disbelief.
"Yellow eyes," I reaffirmed with a frown.
Another officer came into the apartment, and Cranston turned to him. "Well, Perkins?"
Perkins shook his head. "It's a real mess in there, sir. Lots of blood and damage, but no sign of where they went or who they were," Perkins told him.
Officer Cranston glanced over to Garrison. "We'll have to seal off the room for a few days to gather evidence."
Garrison smirked. "There won't be much use looking for fingerprints. I clean that place pretty often but too many people use it."
"It's the blood we're after. Hopefully we'll be able to trace the crooks and the fellow who beat them up."
Garrison raised an eyebrow. "The fellow? Why him?"
"To thank him for doing this neighborhood a favor and tell him he should watch his back. The Green Bandannas aren't going to let him get away with his life if they can help it." Cranston turned to me. "I'll have to warn you to watch your back, too, Miss Taylor. If word gets out that you know who beat them up, the Bandannas are going to go after you to find out what you know."
Garrison stood behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. "I'll keep an eye out for her," he offered.
Cranston looked the skinny nerd up and down, and smiled. "Are you sure? These guys are pretty tough. If you feel threatened by any strange noises or men, Miss Taylor, don't hesitate to call us."
I nodded and promised myself I'd put 911 on speed dial. "Sure thing." The cops left to seal off the laundry room and I slumped back in my chair. "Just great. I go to clean some messy laundry and end up getting into a bigger mess with the Bandanna gang."
Garrison patted me on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be all right."
I oozed over the table and stuffed my head into my folded arms. "Only if my guardian angel with yellow eyes keeps looking out for me," I muttered.
Garrison slipped into his seat and had a peculiar smile on his face. "What if I told you that your guardian angel was looking out for you right now?"
I lifted my head and frowned. "I'd say I have an invisible stalker."
He chuckled. "Invisible except when someone needs their sink fixed or a light bulb changed."
"Um, I'm not following you."
"What if I told you I'm your guardian angel?"
I looked him up and down. He didn't look like the six-foot shadow I saw earlier. "Growth spurt?" I asked him.
Now it was his turn to be bewildered. "Pardon?"
"You're not exactly tall, and that guy I saw was tossing those gang members like they were footballs."
Garrison stood up and flexed his wimpy arm muscles. "You don't think this could throw someone ten feet?"
"Maybe if you had a giant slingshot," I teased.
He sighed and shrugged. "You can't blame a guy for trying to win a girl's affections."
"Yes I can, but I'll forgive you for your lying." I stood up and wobbled on my feet. He scurried around the table and kept my rubber legs from buckling beneath me.
"Wouldn't you rather stay here for the night? I can take the couch," he offered.
I shook my head. "I'd rather be in my own bed, but if you could help me up the stairs that would be great."
"All right. Just lean on me and we'll get going." Garrison showed more strength than I gave him credit for as he hefted me down the basement hall and upstairs to the lobby. The staircase was a winding snake of wooden steps in a narrow shaft. When you stood at the top you could look straight down to the lobby. At the bottom of the stairs Garrison paused and looked up.
"It's times like these I wish this place had an
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