Third Chance Read Free

sound of anyone walking down the communal hallway.
    As usual, Walter’s normally bright-blue eyes were bloodshot and red. He wore a clean but rumpled white t-shirt and a pair of jeans that hung off his hips. He’d lost weight since she’d seen him last and before she could stop herself, she found herself scolding him.
    “Jesus Christ. When’s the last time you ate?”
    “Nice to see you too, Emma,” he replied with a small smile that faded from his lips as he looked over Justan. “Who’s this?”
    “I’m her boyfriend’s buddy,” Justan answered before she could.
    To her surprise, Walter actually looked slightly hurt. “Boyfriend, huh? Knew I shoulda’ made my move last time you force-fed me your lasagna.”
    She was grateful that he was being cool about it. “Hey, was anyone in my apartment last night?”
    “You mean after the guy standing behind you broke in?”
    “Yeah.”
    “A cop was in there for a while.”
    Emma relaxed. “Oh, okay.”
    “What did he look like?” Justan took a step back and stood in front of her doorway. “Bigger or smaller than me?”
    Walter cocked his head. “Smaller. Older, maybe in his fifties. Why?”
    “Just want to be able to describe him to the police when Emma contacts them about why this guy was in her place, alone, in the deep of the night.”
    Walter nodded. “If they have any questions, they can contact me. Sorry I wasn’t home when you were attacked, Emma. I would have stopped him before he even breathed on you.”
    The guilt in his words made her pause. “I know you would have. Hey, you can’t be everywhere at once.”
    A click sounded from behind her and she turned to watch Justan donned a pair of leather gloves before slowly entering her apartment.
    “You’d better go before he starts going through your underwear drawer,” Walter said, drawing her attention back to him before she glanced at her apartment again.
    “Yeah, I better keep an eye on him, and I need to get some stuff.”
    “You staying with your boyfriend?”
    A flush burned Emma’s cheeks, even though she knew it was silly to feel embarrassed about basically moving into her boyfriend’s place. “Yep. How did you know?”
    “Figured a man who would take a bullet for you wouldn’t want you leaving his side.” His eyes warmed and he smiled, the tension between them melting away. “I’m happy for you, Emma. I really am. Just tell him if he makes you cry, I’ll come kick his ass.”
    “Thanks, Walter. Now go eat something, for fuck’s sake. The heroin junkie look is so over.”
    His laughter trailed behind her as she went to into her apartment, something she’d done a thousand times, but now felt as if she were entering an unfamiliar place. A quick scan from the foyer didn’t reveal Justan, but it did show that someone had put some holes in the walls, and some of her things had been moved around. Her breath came out in a hard shudder and she froze, her brain refusing to accept the reality before her. A sense of violation curled through her and she pressed her hand to her stomach.
    Justan’s voice rumbled from somewhere to her left. “Stay there. Don’t come any farther. Don’t want you disturbing any evidence.”
    The best her stunned mind could come up with was, “Evidence?”
    He came into her line of sight and nailed her in place with his grim expression. “Notice anything about those holes in the walls?”
    She shook her head and he sighed. “Ever see anyone hit a square hole into a wall?”
    Shit, he was right. Those weren’t ragged craters in the drywall, but neatly cut sections.
    “What the hell?”
    His gaze softened, then he looked away. “I can’t say for sure, but I think someone was watching you. I found some wires that he left behind and some parts that would indicate he had cameras all over your place.”
    “Cameras?”
    Justan gave her a sympathetic look and said in a low voice, “Yeah.”
    The sense of violation was so profound that all Emma could do was