Page 54 of Freeing Ruby

“I see. Well, how about we start with Ruby’s apartment?” He stands, gesturing for me to join him. “I’d like to see the crime scene. I’d also like to search her apartment.”

“Go,” Shane says. “I’ll be here. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything about Ruby’s condition.”

I rise. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

* * *

Detective Cartwright follows me to Ruby’s apartment building. We both park in the rear lot and walk in together through the rear entrance.

“Her apartment’s on the second floor,” I say, motioning toward the stairs. “Do you mind if I check her mailbox first?”

Cartwright nods. “Go right ahead.”

He follows me down the center hallway to the mail room at the front of the building. I glance inside her mailbox and find a single sheet of white paper folded in thirds. I gesture to the note. “This is how her stalker sends her messages.”

Cartwright grabs a pair of latex gloves out of his jacket pocket and pulls them on. He reaches in, grabs the sheet of paper, and reads it. He shows it to me.

I WARNED YOU

“Warned her about what?” Cartwright asks.

“Getting rid of me. The last message she received said ‘Get rid of him.’ Meaning me.”

The detective studies her mailbox. “These boxes aren’t adequately secured. Anyone could slip something in them.” He glances toward the stairs. “Let’s go see the apartment.”

We head upstairs to Ruby’s apartment. I let us in and disarm the security system. Cartwright heads right for the coffee table and starts taking pictures. There’s spilled coffee on the table, along with the tipped over cup. The spill has dried for the most part, a large milky brown stain spreading across half of the surface of the table.

“Ruby’s cat knocked over her cup, spilling most of the contents. He probably saved her life. She didn’t take more than a few sips before she was overcome.”

I start to reach for the toppled cup, but Cartwright stops me with an outstretched arm. “Don’t touch it.”

With gloved hands, he lifts the cup to peer inside. Thanks to the plastic domed lid, there’s still some liquid remaining in the cup. “Hopefully it’s enough to analyze,” he says as he pulls an evidence bag from his jacket and slips the cup in. “And we can get some fingerprints off this as well.”

“My prints are on her cup,” I warn him. “Darren’s too, as he brought the cups to our door. Plus the prints of the delivery person and whomever handled her cup at the coffee shop.”

Cartwright nods. “I’ll need to get a statement from the neighbor. If we have his corroboration that he brought the cups to this apartment, there’s reason to add him to the list of potential suspects.”

I like this guy. He seems to be following the facts and not jumping to conclusions, in spite of whatever Foster might have said to him, accusing me. Cartwright seems open-minded, and he’s giving me the benefit of the doubt.

“Do you mind if I search the apartment?” he asks.

I nod. “Go right ahead. Neither one of us has anything to hide.”

“Then have a seat,” he says, indicating the sofa. “Don’t get up, and don’t touch anything.”

I do as he says, hoping to get this over with as quickly as possible. I want to get back to the hospital to find out more about Ruby’s condition.

Cartwright starts in the kitchen, methodically searching every drawer and cupboard. He’s still wearing gloves, and the whole situation is surreal. I feel like I’m in a cop show.

He proceeds to search the rest of the apartment, starting with the living room, then on to Ruby’s bedroom, the bathroom and linen cupboard, and the art studio.

Finally, he returns to the living room and pulls off his gloves. “Nothing.”

“I told you.” I motion in the direction of Darren’s unit. “The apartment you should be searching is right next door.”

“Well, let’s go pay your neighbor a visit.”

We proceed next door, and Cartwright knocks, but there’s no answer.

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