her eyes. “The article also mentioned how stolen fentanyl was a multi-million-dollar industry, and the woman I talked to at Kilton had mentioned that there was a delivery van that had been robbed last week. It got me thinking that this was another time where Kilton Pharmaceuticals was involved with stolen drugs. The article mentioned the homeless population is particularly susceptible to drug addiction. Cardboard Cottages was listed as one of the problem areas.”
Having explained her actions, she sat quietly, wondering what he was thinking.
Continuing to hold her gaze, he urged, “Okay, go on.”
She blinked in surprise. “Um… that’s all.”
“That’s not all.”
“Yeah, it is. You wanted to know why I was there, and I told you.”
“What were you doing? What were you hoping to find out? Why did you go by yourself? Why did you only have a canister of pepper spray—”
Throwing her hands up in front of her, she said, “Okay, okay! I get it! I’d never been to any place that has drugs, although I’ve seen pictures of the Cardboard Cottages. And no, I didn’t go waltzing in like Little Red Riding Hood without a care in the world. Believe me, I thought long and hard before going.”
“So, what was your plan when you got there?”
“I met the group from the church and only the men were allowed to give out the food and blankets. I didn’t get a chance to talk to anyone. I decided to drive to the other side and see if I could find some women to talk to. I was only getting out of my car if I saw someone I thought I might be able to approach safely. Once I got there, I quickly ascertained that the area deeper underneath the overpasses was not where I wanted to go. But I saw some kids playing on the outer perimeter and a few women standing near a fire keeping an eye on them. I thought it would be safe to talk to them.”
He stood quickly and walked across the room, hands planted on his hips while he studied his boots. Suddenly turning, he asked, “What did you want to talk to them about?”
“At first, I just thought I’d see if anyone could tell me about drugs in the area. I thought I was safe since their kids were right there.”
“Jesus, Kimberly. If those women had been strung out on something, they would have slit your throat right in front of their kids and not thought anything about it!”
Stomach clenching at the thought, she stiffened her spine and glared back. “Well, they didn’t, did they?”
He scrubbed his hand over his face, and she could have sworn she heard him counting under his breath again. Deciding discretion was in her favor, she remained quiet.
Finally speaking, he said, “Okay, you decided to talk to them. What did you learn?”
Jumping to her feet, she began pacing. “This is where my plan completely changed, Kyle. I offered them fruit gummies for their kids, and they accepted, even making sure their kids said thank you. Then we just talked for a little bit. I didn’t ask about the drugs, not at first. I let them tell me about their situations. I realized how naïve I was to not know why some people live there. Their stories broke my heart.”
She rubbed her forehead again, ready for the conversation to end. When she opened her eyes, he had moved silently and was now standing directly in front of her. She battled the desire to lean into his strength. Sighing, she continued, “Yes, toward the end I asked about fentanyl. One of the ladies knew nothing about it, saying she stayed away from drugs. Another one said her ex-husband used to use it. But they admitted they lived in the tents on the outskirts so that they were safer and weren’t involved in anything illegal. I believe them. They were clean, clear-eyed, completely sober.”
He closed the scant distance between them and wrapped his arms around her once again, pulling her close. With her cheek resting against his chest, she said, “I just wanted to talk to them. And, after I did, I realized I cared more about their plight than I did trying to figure out anything to do with drugs. I was walking away, back to my car, when you saw me. That’s it, Kyle. That’s all there is.”
13
If Kyle thought the myriad of emotions ran the gamut when he discovered the woman at Cardboard Cottages was Kimberly, it was nothing