Page 33 of Wild Fever
Jack took a left at the next stop sign, then gunned it. The tires chirped, and the engine howled. He banked a quick right.
The black sedan followed, not quite as nimble.
This was more than just a coincidence now.
At the next intersection, Jack turned onto Pelican Perch and floored it. This time he let 'er rip, rowing through the gears, weaving in and out of traffic. He made a hard left at the next intersection, slicing the gap between traffic.
The Porsche hugged the tarmac, testing the limits of grip.
The sedan had to wait.
That gave us an opportunity to zip through the neighborhood, make a few more quick twists and turns, then get on Windswept Lane and punch it.
All the twists and turns weren't doing any favors for Kara’s condition. She looked a little green, like she was about to hurl.
"You hanging in there?” I asked as she tried to brace herself.
She gave me a look that said it all.
With the sedan nowhere in sight, Jack doubled back around, making sure to lose the tail.
He muttered, "What do you think that was all about?”
"I think our passenger is a hot commodity.”
"Should I take that as a compliment?” Kara said.
"I think someone wants you dead.”
"Whatever gave you that idea, Sherlock?”
"I think someone's worried you’re gonna expose them.”
"That's the game plan, isn't it?”
Jack kept glancing in the rearview to make sure we were in the clear as we headed to the Conch Coast.
After a few minutes, we pulled into the parking lot of the drab teal building. It was a poured concrete structure, built in a U-shape around a central courtyard with a small pool. There was no gated parking, but there was gated access to the building.
Jack found a place to park, and we hopped out.
The building wasn't much to speak of. It needed a coat of paint and some general maintenance. A few tall palms stood guard, and the hedges were overgrown and hadn’t been trimmed in a while.
From the call box, I buzzed random units until someone let us in.
Lori lived in Unit #206 on the second floor. We stepped inside the courtyard, took the steps up, and followed the walkway to her door. I listened for a moment, but didn't hear any sounds emanating from within. I knocked on the door and waited.
There was no answer.
I banged a couple more times, then peered through the window by the door. The blinds were closed, and it was hard to see into the living room. It was dim inside, but through a gap in the blinds, I was able to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a body on the floor.
That looked like probable cause to me.
I tried the door handle, but it was locked.
I stepped back and put a few swift kicks into the door. The jamb splintered, and it flung wide.
The commotion shook the whole building.
