Provoked by Angela Ford Read Free Book Online Page A

investigate. They went for the big-time dealers; the ones who supplied the small-time dealers that would live in a place like this.
     
    “Mr. Crawford,” Riley said to the man who opened the desperately-needed-to-be-oiled door. “Detective Briggs, and this is Detective Kennedy.”
    “Come in,” Adam answered hastily and held the door open. “As I said on the phone, I already told the cops everything I know.”
    “I just have a few questions, Mr. Crawford. There might be something that was missed.”
    Riley figured he was probably wasting his time and Adam’s, but at least he’d been able to get away from a desk. The man’s uncompassionate tone had confirmed his thought.
    “She was a tenant. I don’t get personal with tenants.”
    The man not only appeared to be a creep but an inconsiderate one. Then again, Riley took notice of the way Adam maintained the building and his apartment.
    “ Was ? Do you believe she’s dead or just gone?”
    Riley walked toward the table near the balcony. The air smelt better near the opened door. The stench that lingered in the apartment definitely confirmed to Riley that Adam never paid attention to a regular cleaning detail.
    “Is Beth dead?”
    “I didn’t say that. Just curious as to why you used the past tense when you mentioned she was a tenant?”
    Riley noticed the piled paper on the table. His eyes traveled to the title at the top of the page, The Perfect Poison . Intrigued, he picked up the title page and read the typed words.
    “That’s private,” Adam said and grabbed the paper from Riley’s hand. He set it down with care on the pile. He snapped at Riley, “I’m a writer not a murderer.” Riley shrugged and made a mental note to check out this character. His suspicious mind wondered if Beth was dead and not missing.
    “And to answer your previous question, Beth has been gone for six weeks. I assume she’s not coming back. I have rent to collect and need that apartment filled.”
    Adam no longer appeared calm. Riley speculated he’d become a little furious with the recent implication.
    “Is it possible for us to see Beth’s apartment?”
    Riley shrugged off Adam’s defensive comments. He had a job to do. Well, it was more so his curiosity that brought him to the brownstone. His gut now told him something didn’t sit right with this woman’s disappearance.
    “Sure. It’s just down the hall.”
    Riley and Kennedy followed.
    Adam unlocked the door. Riley stepped in. “It’s empty”.
    “Like I said before, I need tenants that pay rent.”
    Adam’s tone told Riley he didn’t really give a shit about Beth or any tenant. He’d met too many landlords like him through his work with rundown buildings, and the only thing that mattered was the rent. Then again, most tenants in these low-income, decrepit buildings didn’t care about the upkeep as long as the rent was cheap.
    “Did someone come to claim her things?” Riley questioned Adam. He hoped perhaps there may be another lead to follow up with.
    “No. I donated what little salvageable furniture there was in here to the Goodwill down the street. Personal items I boxed and the rest I tossed in the dumpster.”
    Adam stood by the opened door.
    Riley turned, “Where are those boxes?”
    “In the boiler room; if you want them you can have them. No one has come for them,” Adam offered.
    Riley nodded and followed Adam’s lead.
     
    Adam led them downstairs to the boiler room. Riley began down the old wooden stairs and turned back to tell Kennedy to watch his footing. The old staircase cracked more than Adam’s doors. This building definitely needed to be fixed up. Riley’s eyes watered with the stench that swept in through his nostrils. He wasn’t sure what he smelled. He assumed it to be a mixture of dirt and a hint of bleach that filtered the air as soon as he hit the last step.
    “For such a filthy basement, why do I smell bleach?” Riley coughed from the odor.
    “Must have spilled, I don’t