Page 22 of Surging Reef
“Someone called to report a break-in.”
He’d broken in or tried to. If they searched the apartment, they’d find his backpack with the bolt cutter and the lock pick. Nausea rose at the back of his throat. “Oh my God.” He hugged Pharos harder.
“It’s all right, Mr. Wrenley. Do you need to sit?”
“No. No.” He shook his head. “I’m okay, I only…God, falling to your death.” Which way had Anne and her partner gone? Had they gone up to the roof and run into Ashby there? Had they pushed him? Did vampires die if they fell off a roof? He assumed they didn’t turn into bats. Ashby would’ve told him…and flown away from the lighthouse.
“So you haven’t heard or seen anything unusual tonight?”
Kazimir shook his head. “No, we’ve been sleeping.” He nodded at Pharos to indicate he was the other part of we.
The cop nodded. “I’ll let you get back to it then. We might call on you again if anything comes up in the investigation.”
“Yeah, sure, of course.”
“Do you have anyone you can call?”
Kazimir shook his head, then nodded before they would get any ideas of offering any kind of services. “What time is it?”
“About a quarter to four in the morning.”
“Ah…We’ll be fine. Thank you, officer.”
He nodded. “Sorry to interrupt your night.”
“No, I appreciate you coming to the rescue should there have been a real break-in.”
“Yes, but you have a good alarm there, haven’t you?” He gestured at Pharos, then reached out to pat him. “How did he injure his leg?”
“I found him at the side of the road. Someone had hit him with a car. I’ve only had him for a few weeks.”
“Aww, poor thing.”
Kazimir appreciated the man being a dog person, buthe wished they’d leave now. How long did he have to stay in the apartment before he could sneak out? Maybe he could get dressed and pretend Pharos needed a walk now when they’d woken. It would be hard to explain away the backpack should someone ask him, though. Was Anne watching him? Fuck. Was it best to wait or get out as fast as possible?
“He’s such a good boy.” Kazimir smiled.
The cop nodded, then he took a step away, and they exchanged a few more sentences before the group moved down the stairs.
Kazimir closed and locked the door.
Chapter 10
Ashby had seen Anne and the guard leave the building, but he couldn’t go inside while the cops were there. He didn’t know what to do. He kept to the shadows, doing his best not to be seen by anyone who’d exited the houses to gape at Naveen’s body.
Shortly after, four uniformed cops exited the building. Was it all of them? He could most likely sneak in. Should someone see him, they’d assume he, too, had come out to gawk at the mayhem.
He needed to get Kazimir, and they needed to get out of here. Anne either already had someone watching or would have someone here within minutes.
Glancing around, he neared the front door of the building, but right as he was about to reach for the handle, it was pushed open.
Kazimir stared wide-eyed at him. “I told the cops you were out of—”
Ashby cut him off with a kiss. “We need to get a move on.”
Kazimir nodded, and Ashby reached for the backpack he had slung over one shoulder.
“I have your wallet, but I didn’t take anything else.”
