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she wouldn’t have to abandon
Zoey...for the moment.
    When Zo left for Little Jitters, Kyra headed
back to her apartment. But instead of going right home, she took a
stroll through Central Park, stopping at her favorite spots—areas
where the greenery grew so thick she could hardly see past it to
the sky, and where the floral smells almost overpowered the diesel
filled air.
    The earth crunched under her feet as she
went off path to a hidden rocky stairway. Next to it lay a small,
mossy pond surrounded by tall trees and a colorful arrangement of
flowers. The view was like something out of Alice in Wonderland,
only without all the giant mushrooms and death threats.
    Her apartment came into view as she
continued on, enjoying her surroundings. It wasn’t too late in the
season. Still warm, yet no longer scorching. But hints of an early
autumn were already beginning to paint the leaves.
    At the door of her apartment, she
experienced a split second of hesitation, and then went inside. It
was just as she left it. Suitcase, still half full, on the bed. The
bloody evidence of her intruder marked her floor and part of the
sofa. And her shirt from the night before, apparently. She picked
up the delicate fabric that she now recalled drunkenly flinging off
her body while staggering to bed.
    “ Dammit!” She really liked
that shirt.
    Red-brown splotches marked one arm and part
of the front. With a frown, she balled it up and tossed it in the
trash, then flicked on the news, putting the volume just high
enough so she could listen.
    Rummaging under her sink, she found some
half used carpet and fabric cleaner, then set in to scrubbing the
mess.
    Hours later she relented, and was left with
a broken pattern of wet dark spots. She would need to replace the
carpet.
    Before she resigned to sleep, she checked
the locks on the balcony and main door. Then she slid the golden
chain into place for the first time since she’d moved in. After
hours of jerking awake at every little noise, she finally fell into
a deep sleep.
     
    In the days that followed, Kyra began to
relax. Nothing popped up on the news, no one came knocking, and
there were no surprise visitors at four in the morning. She
remained hopeful that the man had perished on a hospital bed, and
it just wasn’t newsworthy information.
    But it didn’t change the fact that she had
been in New York far too long. Maybe not now, but soon, she would
have to leave. Every time she thought about it, she’d push it from
her mind.
    She’d started the process of “Operation
Uncle” and had already placed twenty grand in a series of safety
deposit boxes. On top of that, there would be stocks, bonds, and an
IRA. Kyra would make it so that Zoey’s great-great grandchildren
would be set for life.
    She couldn’t really explain why she felt so
compelled to help Zoey, or why she’d allowed the friendship to
blossom to the point that it had. There had been a connection
between them that had been almost instant.
    Kyra had attached herself to people before,
but not to this degree. Usually, an acquaintance, neighbor, or
partner in business would turn into a friend. For the most part, it
had been for show. The convenience of looking normal. Unlike Zoey,
the others had been easy to leave. There had been no thought of
their well-being or futures.
    The only excuse she could provide was that
Zoey just felt like…family.
    Kyra dressed for work and, as if she were
developing OCD, once again checked the locks before she left.
    As she crossed the street, she couldn’t
shake a sense of unease, though there was no indication that
anything was off.
    She had no idea that tonight, everything
would change.
     
     

Chapter 4

     
     
     
    Kyra arrived at Little Jitters before Zo,
who needed to run an errand. Joe had volunteered to cover for
her.
    For some, in the city that never sleeps,
dinnertime was breakfast time, so Kyra and Joe were kept busy
enough that there was little conversation between them.
    Joe was