She shook her head. “No, no, nut-uh. She doesn’t want me around. I’m not good for her. No good for any of you. Got shit to do.”
“Tabby, please come with me and Jonah. He’s with the FBI…” I gestured to Jonah who was standing not two feet behind me monitoring our conversation.
“Hey, Tabitha, I’m Jonah…”
“You’re with the FBI?”
He nodded.
“Fuck! What the fuck, Si. You setting me up?”
I jerked my head back. “Tabby, you came here to see me. Why would I set you up?”
She plunged her fingers into her hair and looked around. “Shit. Shit. Gotta go.”
I grabbed her wrist. “No, you need to come with me to the back room so we can talk. Call Mom. Get her here to help you. Honey, you’re high as a kite and you’re not making any sense. You look like you haven’t eaten in a month, sister. Come on.” I tried to get her to come with me, but she ripped her arm away.
“Si, Mom and the girls don’t need me in their lives. I fuck everything up. I gotta go! I’ll keep an eye on you, sister, but I gotta go!”
Feeling completely hopeless, I reached for her and she shoved me hard enough that I fell backward into Jonah who broke my fall.
Then as quick as she came, she disappeared into the crowd.
“Go after her!” I cried out.
He shook his head. “Baby, she’s smoke. Gone. Wiry woman like that can disappear in broad daylight especially if she doesn’t want to be found. And she doesn’t seem to want to be found or receive any help right now.”
I spun around and put my face against his chest. “She’s using again. Probably selling too. She looks bad.”
“We’ll figure it out. Talk to your sisters and mother. See what we can do about nailing her down and getting her into a program.”
I nodded. “She’s already been through two of them. We thought this last one worked. She’s been clean for two years since she left the six-month program.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t know your sister, honey, but for now, all you can do is pray and bring the other women into it.”
“Yeah, I gotta finish my shift.” My shoulders dropped as the weight of Tabby using again truly hit me.
Mom was going to be devastated. Though I doubted she’d be surprised.
“Oh, my poor little chick.” Mama Kerri paced the open space in the center of the rented apartment in Sonia’s building while ringing her hands.
My heart hurt at the sight. The constant worry, concern, and fear that a young girl she raised, loved like her very own, and accepted into her life as her daughter had once again gone down the wrong path.
Jonah had left us, went out in the hallway to get an update from Ryan on the case. I knew he was eager for the autopsy results on Helen in the hopes that it would enlighten the team on new leads. Even though he wasn’t officially on the case, they kept him fully updated in the event that he could shed some light on anything new.
For the past six months Jonah and Ryan had been chasing the Backseat Strangler across Illinois. The recent deaths of Katrina, my apartment manager, and Helen were the first they believed the Strangler had personally chosen. The rest seemed to be based on convenience. Wrong place, wrong time. Just like me. Originally. Now it’s as though the killer had escalated focusing on first Katrina by killing her in my apartment and then Helen. She specifically was a message screaming loud and clear that the killer was biding his time. He apparently didn’t like loose ends and I feared he’d kill more people Jonah or I knew before he was done.
“Fuckin’ Tabby,” Charlie ranted on a huff. “There any liquor in this place? I need a drink.” She stomped off into the kitchen, her red ponytail swinging along with her.
“Charlie,” Mama chastised, and Charlie gave a murmured, “Sorry,” as she entered the swinging door to the kitchen.
The room was unusual and seemed to be focused on entertaining in the combined living and dining space with a clear opening in the center and near the patio. There were three matching white leather sofas forming a U-shape in front of the fireplace, which had a flat screen TV hung above it. I imagined it could hold a good thirty people comfortably. More if you opened the sliding doors to the