Auf'd (The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries, Book Two)

Chapter 21

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In the wee hours of the morning, after both of them went home and pretended like they were done for the night, Belinda and Victoria walked quietly from the park toward Brooke's studio apartment on a side street.

Belinda hoped, though doubted, that they would find Mrs. Sykes alive and well in there. But Brooke's apartment was the only starting point she had. If nothing else, maybe she could wring Brooke's neck until she told her what she'd done with the woman.

Like most of the downtown part of Portside, her apartment was on the second floor of a row house. Some were cranberry red, some were white. Some were wood, some were brick. This one was royal blue wood—a favorite color of the town. Maybe because of the sea just blocks away. She checked the doorbell outside marked with Brooke's last name and stepped onto the one-way street to try and see into the apartment. It looked dark.

"Do you see her car?" Victoria whispered, her head swinging both directions, down the line of cars parked on that side.

Belinda shook her head and pulled out the paper, jabbing the keypad numbers on the door handle. Green lights. So Sawyer knew Brooke's keypad number. She wondered if he ever actually came over.

They tiptoed up the stairs just inside the entryway and leaned their ears on Brooke's door, listening for signs of life. Belinda jiggled the knob and slumped. Locked. She had no plan beyond the outside keypad. This was so not her week! 

Victoria stuck her hand all the way to the bottom of her purse, coming up with a bobby pin. Victoria shooed her to the side, and Belinda watched as she jangled the bobby pin and the knob, when something clicked. Belinda froze and Victoria looked up from her crouched position on the linoleum and broke into a grin.

"You are going to have awesome stories to tell your baby," Belinda said in wonder. "When on earth did you learn to do that?"

"Remember that time right after we both went to college?" Victoria said.

Belinda nodded in understanding. "Ooohhh."

"Yeah. Let's just say figuring out how to pick a lock that night saved my behind."

The door creaked slightly as it opened and Belinda took a cautious step inside after peeking. She signaled for Victoria to wait in the hallway while she investigated. A few seconds later, Belinda waved her in.

"No Mrs. Sykes or Brooke," Belinda said once the door was closed. "Not that I expected her to be here."

They stood in what was basically an entryway, living room, kitchen, and bedroom in one. No wonder Brooke had never invited her over. Brooke was gone, not a big deal. But her apartment was barren. Frighteningly barren.

"It looks like someone just moved out," Victoria said.

Belinda's gut wrenched. The apartment did look abandoned, especially once they opened up the cabinets and drawers and found...nothing. Had Brooke skipped town with Mrs. Sykes? Or...worse? Maybe Brooke planned for Belinda to go down for Mrs. Sykes' murder.

Victoria looked back at her from the window. The yellowed white shade was pulled. Brooke hadn't even hung up a curtain. She had made the twin bed squeezed against the wall opposite the door. The baby green comforter was folded back with a matching scalloped sham on the pillow. But that was the only sign they hadn't just been transported back to Communist Russia.

"It looks like she planned on leaving soon," Belinda said, fingering the sham. "Like she was prepared to flee if necessary." It made the whole situation even more bizarre and disturbing. Maybe all of this was planned out. Brooke killed April and then somehow Mrs. Sykes got in the way, or knew too much, so she killed her too and ran for it.