Edge of Grey

by Phelps, J. C.

  “Where are you going?” Jake asked.

  “I’m going to relocate while I do my research. I don’t want anything to trace back to the lodge.”

  “What do you mean?” He looked confused.

  “Obviously, Posner isn’t just testing my accuracy with a gun, he’s using my computer background too. I’m going to have to do some hacking to recover his fee and I don’t want my activities to be traced back here so I’ll be setting up somewhere else to do my job,” I said.

  “Okay. Let me know where you set up and I’ll bring dinner,” he said.

  “I’ll be in touch,” I said and walked out the door.

  I didn’t plan on coming back or telling Jake where I was sleeping.

  I went directly to my room, called a cab and packed everything I could carry without arousing suspicion. According to the cab company I had approximately twenty minutes before my ride arrived.

  My residence inside the Mesa lodge was never meant to be permanent so I’d kept my belongings down to a minimum. Because of this I left most of my clothes behind to give the impression I had to return. That meant I had at least ten minutes to kill before my car arrived.

  I didn’t know if I’d ever see Jake again or if we’d just chat over the phone from here on out. I’d always known this day would come. Now that I’d finally gotten some more serious work the day was here. Even if I wasn’t going to be using the name, I was donning the Penumbra cloak once again. If I did it right this time, the only physical interactions I could have were the one-night stand type. I had to accept it.

  I smiled while remembering Jake in various states of undress I’d been witness to since I’d been here. Still, the feeling of loss wasn’t as strong as I had expected. And to think, I’d almost given in to his advances right before the South American job. My attraction to him was only physical. His lack of loyalty to anyone but himself was a huge turn off. I still wasn’t comfortable with a one-night stand type of relationship, friends with benefits. I suppose, if I ever became comfortable with the idea, Jake would be the one to call.

  Since I’d always been afraid this day would come, I’d started preparing for it back when I first left White and Associates. I’d engaged a realtor to keep an eye on a specific apartment building with instructions to snatch up the first place that became available. After I’d changed my number three or four times, I decided to be sure Jeff, the realtor, had enough funds to pay the deposit and at least a year’s rent on any of the apartments. I hadn’t checked in with him yet because I wasn’t ready to be alone. Now I was. I hoped the building I wanted had an opening or an apartment that was already mine. Even if I couldn’t get into that building, it was time to move forward. I’d take the first thing he had, pay month to month and wait for the right apartment to become available.

  I made my way to the lobby with a duffle bag slung over my shoulder. Eric was waiting for me. His face was still swollen from Posner’s punch.

  “Too bad,” he said.

  I ignored him.

  “I said it’s too bad,” he said louder.

  I rolled my eyes and continued to ignore him. Maybe if I could piss him off, he’d follow me and I could fulfill my promise to Posner. I caught myself grinning again.

  “I don’t think it’s too funny. You’re only taking one bag. I was hoping you were gone for good,” Eric growled.

  I didn’t try to suppress the small chuckle that escaped.

  “You know what?” I said. “If you want me gone why don’t you follow me. We’ll take care of this in private.”

  “No,” Jake showed up out of nowhere. “He’s not going to be following you. Posner just sent me out here to make sure that didn’t happen.”

  I glared at Jake for only a couple seconds before I noticed the cab pulling into the parking lot.

  “Call me later,” Jake raised his voice as I walked through the front doors.

  I ASKED THE DRIVER to take me to the bank and asked him to wait while I went in and withdrew a sizable amount of cash. What Posner had given me to start with was insulting. When I returned to the cab, I asked him to drop me at the airport.

  I used some of the cash Posner had given me to pay for my ride and leave a tip. I went directly to the nearest ticket counter and used the rest of Posner’s cash to buy a ticket for Chicago using the Alex Grey name. I had no intentions of boarding the plane so I tore up the ticket and dropped it in the trash as I walked outside to hail a new cab.

  I didn’t think Jake let Eric follow me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to track me down when I didn’t call Jake later this evening. This might not fool them, but it would give me a bit of a head start.

  I had the new driver drop me off downtown. I was still several blocks from the realtor’s office, but I didn’t hail another cab. I walked instead.

  Early afternoon was usually the hottest part of the day so I was sweaty when I stepped into the air-conditioned office. The cool air mixed with my sweat and I got a chill.

  Jeff was at a desk in the front office.

  “Miss Quintos.” He came around the desk and shook my hand. “I didn’t know if you’d already found a place or not. I haven’t heard from you for some time.”

  “I’ve told you before, call me Caroline. I’ve been out of town.” I smiled at him.

  “I had no way to get in touch, but an apartment became available a couple months ago,” he said.

  “Please tell me you took it.”

  “I did. If you’d take a seat.” He motioned me toward his desk, “I’ve got some paperwork I need you to fill out.”

  “Of course.”

  I moved to his desk and sat across from him as he clicked around on his computer. He stood to retrieve the papers rolling out of his printer. When he returned to his desk, he spent a moment highlighting the signature lines for me with a pink highlighter.

  “If you’d just sign these pages we can get going to introduce you to your new place.”

  I skimmed as fast as I could and ended up just signing my life away, well, Caroline Quintos’ life.

  “Let’s get to it. Shall we?”

  He swept his arm toward the door after he’d put my signed paperwork into a folder and slipped it deep into his bottom desk drawer.

  I turned and went right back out the way I’d come in.

  “I’m across the street. The van.”

  He pointed to a white minivan parked on the opposite side of the street.

  We jaywalked across the road and I heard his alarm chirp as I walked behind the vehicle to get to the passenger side.

  Jeff was already inside by the time I got around. He leaned across the seats to open the passenger door for me. All he managed was to unlatch the door so I pulled it open.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “We talked briefly about what you were looking for and if you don’t want this apartment after you see it, I can take you to view some others.”

  “Great.”

  I would be okay with this apartment no matter what it looked like. It was exactly where I wanted to be and might provide me an opportunity to reinsert myself into the search for White’s killer.

  He tried to make light conversation and I did my best to oblige him. Yes, we were having nice weather. No. Not too hot and not chilly either.

  Who was he kidding? It was hot out today.

  No, I didn’t have family in the area. He did. His sister lived in a nice little neighborhood only a few miles from the center of the city and his parents lived in a rough neighborhood on the other side of the city. He’d tried to get them to move. He could get them a great deal. They just weren’t up for moving from the home they’d live in since he was a child.

  What did I do for a living? Oh, you work from home? He looked a little dubious after I answered that question. I felt the urge to explain further, but I resisted. I didn’t care if he believed me or not and it wasn’t any of his business.

  He hadn’t always been a realtor, you know. He’d had several different j
obs. He used to walk dogs for a living. You wouldn’t know it, but there’s good money to be had as a dog walker. Plus, it was good for your legs.

  I was starting to feel like I was on an awkward and bad first date.

  Thankfully, the ride wasn’t too long and Jeff pulled into a parking garage exactly one block down and across the street from White and Associates. He rolled down his window and showed the parking attendant a card. We were waved through with no trouble.

  “There’s no street parking. Almost all the buildings in this part of the city have their own parking garages.”

  “That’s a nice perk,” I said.

  His smile was broad as he registered my approval.

  We didn’t speak again until we stepped out of the van and he pressed the alarm button on his key ring. The whoop whoop of the alarm echoed loudly.

  “These garages are very secure. I probably wouldn’t even have to lock the van. It’s just habit.”

  I almost rolled my eyes. He was really trying to sell this. I didn’t think any less of the place because he set the alarm on his vehicle. Any person with a brain would do the same thing. Besides, I knew parking garages weren’t totally secure. Lots of bad things happened on the street that could, just as easily, happen in places like this. The hit that had ousted me to my partners was done in a parking garage.

  “This way to the elevator. We’re going up to seven.”

  When we’d spoke before about this apartment building, I told him any apartment would do but I’d prefer to be on the seventh floor or above and with a window facing the street. So far he’d managed to cover one of those requests but the window looking out at White and Associates was something I was really hoping for. I might rather have a room below the seventh floor if I could get the window facing the right way.

  He took a moment to point out a door for pedestrian traffic down a short hall next to the elevator. If I didn’t have a car I could use that door by using my apartment key to get in. We rode the elevator and I listened to Jeff explain all the benefits of living in this area. I already knew about everything he was telling me. If the building was free of cockroaches and bed bugs, I’d be happy with it. I’d just have to be a little more careful being this close to my ex-partners. I was up for the challenge.

  “Is the apartment furnished?” I cut him off in mid-sentence.

  “Yes, it is.”

  The elevator slowed to a stop just as I said, “Good.”

  “Here we are. Now, the apartment isn’t the only one on the floor, but you will still have plenty of privacy. I know that’s one of your main concerns.”

  The window placement. That’s my biggest concern.

  We stepped out of the elevator and directly onto a garish maroon rug with a print that I figured must be some kind of imaginary flower. I shuddered inwardly until I took in the entire room. We’d walked into a small lobby area. The walls were painted a light beige with matching tile on the floor. Matching rugs were placed expertly throughout. Individually the rugs were hideous but somehow they worked very well with the beige walls and floors. A large version of the rug I was standing on filled the middle of the lobby area and was surrounded by a small dark brown couch and two matching overstuffed chairs. They looked like they were suede. There were some vending machines along one wall, one with snack foods, another with soda, and one that dispensed coffee and hot chocolate. On either side of the lobby area were heavy looking doors with 7A -7B printed in black on a golden plaque next to the door on my left and 7C printed on a matching plaque near the door on my right.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this in an apartment complex before.”

  “Isn’t it great? These are renovated offices and they just left the little lobby area intact. You see this here?” He pointed to an intercom on the same wall as the elevator. “If you get company, they have to be buzzed in from this lobby area. It gives you a little more security.”

  “That’s another good thing,” I agreed.

  We made our way to the door on the right with just one apartment number on it. Jeff brought out a set of keys and opened the door for us.

  “There are only three apartments on this floor. 7B is a larger apartment and takes up half of the floor. A and C are smaller studio apartments. I know you said you were more concerned with security and privacy than size so I thought this might be perfect for you.”

  We walked through the heavy door and into another, smaller lobby area. There were no couches or chairs, but there was a wall table holding a vase filled with fake flowers on the opposite wall.

  “The other studio is a little smaller than this one,” Jeff said as he slipped the same key into a door to our left. An identical maroon rug stood at the threshold, but it didn’t work in this smaller space as well as it did in the previous room. I really hoped they didn’t continue with the same decor inside the apartment.

  Jeff flipped a switch and the apartment was flooded with light.

  “You’ll share that wall with 7B.”

  He pointed to the far wall as I walked past him further inside.

  “But the apartments are soundproofed. You shouldn’t hear anything from them. The plumbing runs down that wall so that corner is your bathroom and the kitchen is on the same wall. I know it’s not always desirable to have the bathroom so close to the kitchen, but I really think that’s the only downfall of this apartment. The other two walls are windows and give you a great view of the city. You can open the blinds over there.”

  This time, he pointed to my right instead of straight in front of me.

  “Since it’s a studio it’s only one room. At least they enclosed the bathroom and placed the bed between it and the kitchen. I’ll let you look around. If you have any questions, I’ll be right here.”

  I was pleasantly surprised. The entire apartment had hardwood floors with shaggy, chocolate brown rugs in all the right places. Even though it was a one room apartment, it was obvious what each area of the apartment was used for. The kitchen wasn’t as big as mine back at White and Associates, but that was to be expected because this apartment was about a quarter of the size of my other apartment. Still, I knew I could be comfortable here as soon as I walked in.

  I immediately went to the window to see the view, but I didn’t open the blinds. Instead, I stuck my finger between the slats and pulled down slightly so I could peer through.

  “Here,” he said. “I know you really wanted a view of the street.”

  He walked over and tried to help me open the blinds.

  “No,” I said a little too quickly. “It’s a perfect view, but I’ll leave the blinds down until I’m more comfortable in the apartment.”

  “Sure.” He was a little dubious.

  I smiled and took a moment to check out the bathroom, refrigerator, stove, and the bed. I’d have to take immediate action if those items weren’t clean.

  “How long is the lease?” I asked.

  “It’s for a year. I’m sorry, but I took the liberty of paying the full year in advance. Since you weren’t here to sign the lease I had to do that or pass on the apartment. So, that money is not refundable.”

  “That’s fine. How long have you had the apartment?”

  “The beginning of next month will be the third month, so you’ll have nine months left on your lease.”

  “How much did this all cost?”

  I kept firing questions at him.

  “Oh. You have money left in your account if that’s what you’re wondering. I even paid myself as soon as I made the deal.”

  He looked almost ashamed.

  “I’ll send you copies of all the paperwork. It has a rundown of all the costs and fees. If you want to look at a different apartment, I have a few you might be interested in. I haven’t filed your paperwork yet so it would be very easy to transfer the paperwork to a different party. You’d just have to pay for the time the apartment remains vacant. But, I’m confident I can have it occupied within the month.”

  “No. I want the apartme
nt. I was just curious,” I said. “When can I move in?”

  “Right now as long as your sure it’s to your liking.”

  “It’s just what I need,” I said.

  “Wonderful. Here are the keys.”

  He handed them to me.

  “And, this is one of our buildings so if you have any troubles with anything you can just call me. I’m kind of your landlord. I’m sure you’re going to love it here.”

  He reached out and we shook hands before he let himself out.

  After Jeff left me alone in the apartment, I took about thirty minutes to become more familiar with everything. I searched through all the drawers and cupboards, turned the water on and off in the bathroom and kitchen, and stripped the bedding off the bed.

  I didn’t want to sleep on a bare mattress so I made my way to the street and hailed a cab. I picked up bedding and some paper plates, plastic cups and flatware. Then I stopped at a diner, ordered a cheeseburger and fries to go and brought it all back to my new apartment where I started serious research into Clint Mayhaffy.

  Chapter Six

  I TOOK A BREAK FROM MY Mayhaffy research since I wasn’t making any progress, to further the illusion I’d gone to Chicago. I almost had to book another flight to a different city because some neuroscience convention made it almost impossible to find a hotel room. I’d never check in but the only people who’d know that would be the actual hotel staff or if someone showed up on site to ask.

  After I’d finished my misdirection, I started in on Mayhaffy again. It was slow going. It took a couple hours, but I’d finally managed to break my dad’s password to check out what the government database knew about Clint Mayhaffy. I spent the next half an hour searching around and found Mayhaffy’s military service records, but nothing else that wasn't already in the file Posner had provided.

  It was midnight and my phone rang for the third time.

  Jake.

  I considered answering his call to tell him I’d call back when I had time. It just seemed easier to shut the phone off than try to explain.