Page 102 of Another Girl Lost

“She was really into him. They were always talking. I caught her staring at me once or twice.”

“Why?”

“I’ve no idea.”

“How did Tanner treat Lynn?”

“He was Tanner. Smiles. Eyes always roaming when he didn’t think anyone was watching.” Tiffany pressed her finger to the edge of Della’s jawline and carefully traced. “They were fighting a lot that summer.”

“About what?”

“She was tired of doing shit for him.”

“She ever say what the shit was?”

“No.” Her gaze settled on the portrait. “What are you going to do with the picture?”

“Normally, I’d burn it, but I might give this one to a friend.”

“Burn. That’s very weird.”

“It is.” I covered the painting with the drop cloth. Not having Della’s eyes on me was always a relief. “Do you want to stay or leave?”

“When my clothes are done, you’ll take me to my car?”

“I will.”

She looked toward the door and the locks. “And I can leave at any time?”

“Yes.”

“Why all the locks?”

My oddest habits were so ingrained, they’d slipped into the background. Tiffany’s assessment reminded me I was far from normal. “Better safe than sorry, right?”

“I guess.”

“I’ll get you a pillow and blanket.”

“Okay.”

The drugs draining from her system, food in her belly, and locked doors surrounding her, she yawned. Exhaustion would take her now, but I wondered how long it would be before she couldn’t resist the lure of another hit.

When I came back, she was sitting on the couch. Her head was tipped back, and her eyes closed. “Tiffany.”

The woman didn’t move, and from here it was hard to tell whether she was breathing. I leaned in, saw the subtle rise and fall of her chest, and set the pillow at the end of the couch. I lowered her toward it, lifted her feet, and covered her with a blanket.

Moving to the front, I stared at the building across the street. A light flickered on in Margo’s unit. My breath caught in my throat as I waited for her to appear. When Margo passed in front of the window, she paused as if she felt my gaze. She looked toward my building, but I couldn’t tell whether she saw me or not. She waved, then turned and left.

“Who the hell are you?”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

DAWSON

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

11:45 a.m.

---