You Can't Run Hope Davis (free ebook reader .txt) 📖

“Deal. I’ve got patrol cars on their way too. We can have them start checking when they get there. Take notes about every household. Hopefully, we will have a list from the complex by the end of the evening so we can make sure no one is lying to us. Also, write down any apartments that don’t answer.”

“We will get this guy. We’re close, I can feel it.” Naya felt anxious and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the case, or what was going on at home right now. She glanced at her watch, noticing it was already three. She needed to find someone to come help Vance tonight because she would probably be out late. As much as she didn’t want to bug Kevin, she hoped he wasn’t too mad at her to help take care of Vance. She quickly pulled out her phone and typed out a quick text.

Naya: Hey I know you’re upset about something. But there’s been a break in the case, I won’t be home, but can you, Trevor or Sebastian check in on Vance around bedtime?

She didn’t have time to wait for the reply as they were pulling up at the apartment building. Naya slid her phone in her pocket and followed Atlas inside. As she pressed the button for the elevator, Atlas ran up the first set of stairs. As she stepped in the elevator and pressed the button for the highest floor she took a deep breath.

The elevator dinged on the thirty-first floor.

      They could do this. It was go time.

CHAPTER 25

MARK

“Hello!” he called as he entered the house using his key. It was so convenient. He considered sliding off his shoes to be polite, but decided against it.

“Yo!” Vance called from the couch in the living room as Mark entered the room. Elliot was also there; they were playing video games per usual. “How’s it going man?”

“Good, you guys playing Call of Duty still?”

“Yeah, you want in next round?” Vance’s eyes didn’t even leave the screen.

“Nah I’m good. I was actually just thinking of ordering food, you guys want anything?”

Elliot checked his watch. “No, I’m off in an hour so I probably won’t even be here when it gets here.”

“Is Kevin coming?” Vance asked as he continued to hit buttons on the controller. Mark wished he could find this entertaining, but he just couldn’t.

“Um, I don’t think so.” He was actually pretty confident Kevin wasn’t coming, but he didn’t want to reveal that information just yet. “So, I was thinking of ordering some soup from that one sandwich place, Panera or whatever. What kind do you want Vance?”

“I’ll take a grilled cheese with the tomato soup please; I think it’s a combo of some sort.”

Mark stood and headed for the kitchen, pulling out his phone to order the food. God, he was so ready to be done playing this roll. When he had stepped into it a few months ago, he had never imagined what an impact it would come to have on his plan. It had just seemed like a good idea to have work friends so he could have an alibi. Especially work friends who played a lot of video games and wouldn’t necessarily notice if he was in the room or not.

But now, now he was done. He was finally going to get the perfect specimen, and he was going to do it tonight. He hadn’t wanted things to escalate this way, but he found that he just couldn’t wait any longer. He had wanted things to be painless for Vance because he did sort of think of him as a friend.

Well, as much as he could, considering his total lack of emotional attachment to anyone.

After the food arrived, with a glance over his shoulder first, Mark pulled the vial out of his pocket. This wasn’t his usual stuff. Vance didn’t eat enough for that. He’d had to go off script. He hoped that no one would notice, but he figured there was a chance. Hopefully, he would be long gone by the time they figured it out.

When Kevin had texted him, he had already been planning to vacate his apartment building. It just didn’t seem right to have the detective there. Too risky because of the Alia situation. He had packed up his lab the night before, and everything was now in two trunks in the back of his truck. He had already been practically on his way to the detective’s house when Kevin asked him to come over.

It had all been too easy. Now if he could just manage to pull this off.

CHAPTER 26

NAYA

She was on the twenty-fourth floor. And she was burnt out.

They had been knocking on doors for hours. Some there were no answer, and others a woman would answer. It was the same routine each time someone opened the door, she would explain who she was, show her badge, and ask if anyone else lived there. Most people were cordial, but a few had been standoffish. One woman even verging on rude, she had refused to give any information, Naya had marked her down as uncooperative. According to Atlas’ theory she shouldn’t matter in the long run.

Each floor had at least six separate apartments, some even more if that floor had a lot of studio apartments. Naya had already knocked on so many doors she felt desperate, like they weren’t working fast enough, but there was nothing else she could do.

She raised her hand again and knocked on the next door. A young child answered.

“Hi.” Naya said as she leaned down to the girl’s level. “Is your mom or dad home?” She couldn’t be more than five years old.

“Dad.” A man said from behind the door