Page 24 of Saving Her Heart
"Oh, honey, everyone knew it was him. He bragged about it at the community pool." Florence shakes her head. "That man's been nothing but trouble since he was knee high to a grasshopper."
"Would you be willing to give statements about that?"
All four ladies nod eagerly. I suspect they’re just happy to be involve.
"We'll come to the station right now," Joan says. "I've been wanting to file a complaint about him anyway. He keeps parking in my spot."
"And he plays his music too loud," Betty adds.
"And he never picks up after his dog," Florence continues. "Except he doesn't have a dog, which makes it even weirder."
"Ladies," I say, pulling out my notepad, "let's start from the beginning."
Twenty minutes later, I have enough ammunition against Brad Hutchins to justify a much closer look at his activities. The Walking Ladies leave with promises to come to the station later, but not before more winking and nudging about the ‘thin walls’.
"I should go deal with the graffiti," Kendall says once we're alone.
"Not alone you’re not."
"Jax—"
"Someone's vandalizing everything associated with you. First your car, then mine, now the building. You don't go anywhere alone. Got it?"
She looks like she wants to argue, but her phone rings. She answers, and I watch her expression shift from annoyed to alarmed.
"What do you mean 'flooded'?" She listens, then grabs her keys. "I'll be right there."
"What's wrong?"
"Building 2. Someone turned on all the faucets in the vacant units. There's water everywhere."
"I'm coming with you."
"You don't have to?—"
"Yes, I do." I text Declan to meet us there. "This is connected to everything else."
We take my truck, the paint from yesterday still streaking the windshield despite my attempts to clean it. The ride is quiet except for Kendall fielding calls from panicked residents and her maintenance crew.
"Three inches of water in the lobby," she says after hanging up. "This is going to cost thousands."
"Insurance will cover it."
"Maybe. If they don't find a way to blame me for it." She stares out the window. "Valerie's family is associated with the insurance company too."
"Of course they are." I roll my eyes as I steer through the complex.
We pull up to Building 2 to find chaos. Water is streaming out the front doors, and maintenance crews are frantically trying to shut off the main valve. Residents stand on the sidewalk, some still in pajamas, watching their homes flood.
"I need to—" Kendall starts toward the building, but I catch her arm.
"Wait." I scan the crowd, looking for Brad or anyone else who seems too interested in Kendall's arrival. "Let me check it out first."
"People need help now."
"And you can't help if you're hurt. Or worse."
She looks like she wants to argue, but something in my expression stops her. "Fine. But hurry it up."
