knot in my throat, I nod quickly. “How can I help?”
“I need you to go to JR’s apartment and get inside. Find that phone.” He’s moving quickly in the background. “We’ve got to get it to a lawyer. This time we’ll be there for him.”
Scout texts me the number of the apartment, but when I arrive, the door is locked.
Standing in the hall, I look all around trying to figure out how I’m going to get into a second-floor apartment with no key.
“He’s not here.” A raspy voice comes through the door across the hall, and I clutch my neck to stop a squeal.
My heart beats faster as I face the closed door. “Hello? Are you talking to me?”
“If you’re looking for the guy in 213, they took him away this morning.” I can’t tell if the person is really old or really sick.
Hesitating, I decide to take a chance. “I’m a friend of his. He asked me to come here…”
The door flies open, and I jump back with a little yip. A very small, very old woman with frizzy gray hair and a mask with a smiling sloth on it appears.
She can’t be taller than four-foot-eleven, and she squints one eye at me. “Are you selling encyclopedias?”
“Um… no…” I hold up both hands. “I just need to get into this apartment.”
“Why?” She squints even harder. “Is there a cat in there?”
I’m not sure how to answer this question, so I’m careful. “If I say yes, will you let me in?”
“No.” She shakes her frizzy gray head. “I don’t have a key.”
My shoulders drop, and I collapse against the door. “What am I going to do?” It’s a whispered sigh to myself, but the old lady holds up a finger.
“The fire escape is in the alley. If he leaves his windows unlocked.” Her small arms cross. “Would he be that irresponsible?”
“Only one way to find out!” I push off the door, running down the hall.
“Remember to feed the cat!” She calls after me, and I don’t bother to argue.
Slamming into the stairwell, I fly down the stairs. Outside, I skip quickly along the sidewalk, looking for any break in the buildings to access the alley.
Finally, half a block down, I spot a narrow passage almost obscured by ivy. Pushing through it, I jump back and yelp when a dog barks loudly right at my head.
“Holy shit!” A window is between us, but he paws at the glass. “Good doggy!”
I dash farther down the passage, tracing the buildings with my eyes, trying to count the windows so I can figure out which is his.
At last I locate a metal stairwell covered in flaking white paint I’m sure leads to JR’s building, but I’m stumped. The ladder is pulled all the way up, and it’s too high for me to reach.
“Shit.” I look all around the tiny, square area.
Boxes and crates are tossed around. A dumpster is against one wall, and it’s clear nobody comes back here except for garbage. Shoving both my hands into the sides of my hair, I try to think. If only I had something to stand on… Or something to reach up and catch the bottom rung so I can pull down the ladder.
If only I had a mop and a step ladder! I jump up and down then take off running back to Metallicar. Jamming the key into the trunk, I open it quickly and pull out the supplies.
“Is this some kind of miracle or what?” I’m breathless as I run back to the fire escape.
I’m sure I look like a deranged maid in a paper mask running down the sidewalk with a mop and a step ladder. If I weren’t so desperate, I’d probably stop and take a picture to send to Yarnell. As it is, I’m in the alley, looking up to where the metal fire escape ladder is all the way up.
“You’re coming down!” I’m not sure why I’ve decided that ladder is my enemy, but here we go.
Carefully, I climb to the top of the step ladder and reach with the mop as far overhead as I can. It’s super awkward, and I nearly lose my balance twice. Still, I manage to catch the bottom rung with the hair of the dry mop and pull it down to the ground. It’s spring-loaded, so as soon as I step onto it, the ladder starts to rise.
Not losing time, I climb with it, reaching the second floor quickly. Sure enough, JR’s window is unlocked.