Bennie surveyed the living room in Alice’s apartment, which had been ransacked. A TV lay face-down on the floor. Cushions were flipped over on a corduroy couch. A coffee table had been upended, and a ginger lamp lay smashed on the wood floor. File drawers hung open in a small desk, scattering bills and papers. A surge protector lay on its side, its wires unconnected to anything, and an open Mac laptop had been cracked like a clam shell.
“Oh my God!” Kendra’s eyes widened. “It had to be Q.”
“Oh no.” Caitlin shook her head. “I bet he robbed you.”
“Damn it to hell!” Bennie said, not wanting to say more, yet. She followed Caitlin into an adjoining bedroom, which was also destroyed. Shoes and papers lay scattered around, dresser drawers hung out, spilling clothes onto a blue rug. The closet doors stood open, the clothes shoved to one side on the rack, and the shelf on top held shoeboxes that had been opened, their lids off.
Kendra bit her lip. “He was looking for money.”
“Of course he was.” Caitlin was already on her knees, peering under the bed. When she looked up, her expression was resigned. “He found it, too. It’s gone. Ten thousand dollars, and your gun, too.”
My gun. Bennie masked her surprise.
“Told you so.” Caitlin rose, brushing off her knees in disgust. “You take too many chances, Alice. Not only do we have to find another supplier, we only have three grand to buy pills with. He’s trying to put us out of business.”
“She’s right, what were you thinking?” Kendra frowned, and Bennie reacted, as Alice.
“Quit your whining!” she shouted. “I’m the one who’s a sitting duck here! Q’s trying to kill me, not you!”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” Kendra said, instantly putting up her hands.
“Yes, you did.” Bennie eyed Kendra, hard. “How do I know it was Q who robbed me, and not you? You knew where I keep the money. You knew I was away. The super loves you, you said so yourself. Did he let you in this week? Did you take the money?”
“Alice, no.” Blood drained from Kendra’s face. “I would never rob you. I would never rob anybody.”
Caitlin interjected, “Alice, come on. It’s not her, it’s Q. You cheated on him with one of his own guys and embarrassed him in front of everyone he knows and everyone who works for him. He’s a thug right, so what did you think was going to happen? You’re lucky to be alive.”
“Screw you!” Bennie shouted at Caitlin, and the words came more quickly than she expected. “Are you working with Q, now? You could be. You talked to him on the phone. Did you tell him I was gone? Did you tell him to come here? Take the money and the gun, then toss the apartment, to make it look like someone else did it?”
“No!”
Suddenly Bennie shoved Caitlin backwards, an explosion of violence she didn’t know was in her, until now. “You didn’t cover for me. You could’ve told him you saw me, that I was sick or something.”
Caitlin backed up, shaken. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think of that. I was worried about you, I just didn’t think.”
“Shut up!” Bennie pointed to the door. “Get out! You’re fired. I don’t need you. I’ll find another, better worker. Suburban housewives are a dime a dozen, and everybody needs Book Sox, right?”
“Alice?” Kendra said.
Bennie turned, and froze.
Kendra was pulling a gun from her purse.