Page 144 of Will Bark for Pizza
Maybe Beckett locked it out of habit.
I went back to the office, searching my purse for my set of keys, and headed back up the stairs. But when I inserted my key into the lock, it didn’t fit.
“What the?—”
After a struggle ensued to pull my key out of the lock, I tried the other key. The only other key I had for the bookstore. But it, too, was rejected.
It made no sense.
I’d been using the same keys since I snuck into the bookstore my first night back in town, almost a month ago. Not once did they give me an issue with any of the doors.
Until now.
Did Beckett change the locks?
No. Why would he do that without telling me?
Besides, he wasn’t technically the landlord yet. I doubted Dad would give him authority to change the locks until the sale was final.
I pulled my phone from my back pocket and called Dad.
“Kira, everything okay?”
“My key to the apartment isn’t working.”
“The new one?”
“What new one?”
“I had the locks changed right after Margene . . .” Hedidn’t finish that sentence; he didn’t need to. “I figured you picked up your keys weeks ago. Otherwise how— Oh, sorry. Gotta run, honey. Need to help Mrs. Cappers with some paint.”
The line went dead before I could say anything more.
New keys?
I vaguely remembered an odd exchange with Luke that first night he found me in the apartment. But it didn’t make sense. I was one hundred and ten percent certain nothing was unlocked. I used keys to get inside both the back door to the storeandthe apartment inside.
I hurried down the stairs, making a beeline for the front door, ignoring the half dozen questions shot at me by various people as I rushed by them. I went outside, pulled the door closed, and used my key to lock it.
Or tried to.
But it wouldn’t fit in the lock.
“What the hell?” I muttered.
“Kira?” Lotti asked when I cracked open the door to examine the lock mechanism. “Everything okay? You look a little frazzled.”
“Lotti, can you lock this door when I close it?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.” I pulled the door closed, waited for Lotti to flip the deadbolt, and tried my key again.
Same result.
Lotti waited for my signal to unlock it, looking curious as ever.
“You okay?” she asked. “You look a little green.”
