Page 72 of Special Agent Murphy

Chapter Forty-four

Kayti’s thoughts were filled with the story her aunt had shared. With her mind in the clouds, she didn’t notice the scuff marks on her welcome mat, nor the faint mud tracks on the floor until she’d entered the apartment and started toward her bedroom.

It was the scent of the person that stopped her, the smell of an unwashed body, and the distinct odor of fear.

She slowed her walk and began using the rest of her senses to distinguish how much danger lay waiting. Her heart raced ahead of her wits, and her stomach took a dive. Clenching her jaw, she slowly began to reach for her weapon. Just as she had it in hand, a whiny voice begged, “Don’t be mad.”

She whipped around to see a small person sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, his body outlined by the light filtering in from the window.

Immediately, she recognized the kid who’d had a rubber gun in her back at Vinnie’s store. “How did you get in here?” She spoke quietly so as not to spook her visitor.

“My pa taught me how to use a credit card on some locks and it worked on yours.”

Seriously? Blasted building was older than silent movies, but you’d think they’d renovate certain outdated thingamajigs such as door locks.

“And you came to me, why? Weren’t they going to hold you in juvie?”

“They talked about a foster home. Man, I’ve been in those places before. As bad as my pa was, some of those joints were worse.”

“So, you ran away?”

“No. I came to you. I have your phone. I was bringing it back.”

“Except you broke into my apartment.”

“The people around here are very nervous having a black kid like me hanging around outside. The cops showed up more than once. I had nowhere else to go. I had to wait for you to come back, and this seemed the safest place.”

“Uh huh…”

“Are you mad?”

“That you brought back my phone? Nope, I’m glad. That you broke into my home? I guess in a crazy way it makes sense. That I could have shot your ass for intruding? Now that scares the bejesus out of me, kid.”

“You wouldn’t hurt me. I knew you wouldn’t.”

“How so?”

“You’re the only person in my life who’s ever stood up for me. You went against my dad. The guy who’s twice your size and mean as hell. Yet you took a lickin’ to stop him from hurtin’ me.”

Having said his piece, tears appeared in the kid’s eyes, proving the thought of another person concerned about his safety made him emotional.

“Your dad beat you a lot, I saw the bruises that night. I couldn’t let him do it again. Dammit, I see fresh ones on your face now.”

“Yeah, he took his meanness out on me all the time. I couldn’t fight back.”

“Yet you did in the end.”

“I did?”

“You got him arrested.”

“Only ‘cause he’d looked up your address and had plans to come back to git you. First, we was going to hit a 7-Eleven. Then he wanted revenge for you standin’ up to him, smashin’ him with the Coke cans. That truly pissed him off. You almost got us caught.”

“He needed to be stopped. You robbed a hard-working man. Vinnie works long, exhausting hours to keep that store open. It’s not fair for people like you and your dad to come along and take what’s rightfully his.”

Head lowered; the kid nodded. “I know that.”

“What happened after he had my phone?”

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