Manhattan Is My Beat (Rune 1)

"I'm on my way."

Rune reached the stop of the stairs in her loft and stopped.

"Stephanie!"

The redhead smiled wanly. She sat in Rune's half of the loft, on a pile of pillows. She was pale--paler than usual--and she wore a scarf that partially covered a bruise on her neck. There was also large bandage on her temple and an eggplant-colored mark on her cheek.

"Ohmygod," Rune blurted out, examining her. "You do bruise, don't you?" She hugged the woman carefully. "You look, well...."

"I look awful. You can say it."

"Not for somebody who got run over by a cab."

"Hey, there's a compliment for you."

There was dense silence for a moment. "I don't know what to say, Steph." Rune was nervous and she did busywork, straightening up clothes. "I got you involved in this whole thing. I almost got you killed. And it was so stupid--we were running from a federal marshal."

"A what?" Stephanie gave a laugh.

"That guy in the subway, the one you hit--I thought he was working for them. But it turned out he was a U.S. marshal. Isn't that radical? Just like the Texas Rangers."

She told Stephanie about Haarte and Emily.

"I heard something about it on the news, in the hospital," Stephanie said. "A shooting at this town house. I never guessed you were involved."

Rune's eyes were excited again. "Oh, oh, and talk about adventures ... They want me to be the star witness."

"Isn't that scary?"

"Sure. But I don't care. I want that bitch to go away for a long time. They killed Mr. Kelly. And they tried to kill me--and you too."

"Well, I'm pretty sure there'll be plenty of cops to look out for you."

Rune wandered to the bookcase, replaced some of the books she'd packed to take home. "I called the video store. They told me you quit."

"That Tony," Stephanie said, "what an asshole. I couldn't deal with him--not the way he treated you."

Rune grinned coyly. "So, you want a hundred thousand dollars?"

"What?"

Rune told her about the minister. "Little Red Hen, remember? You believed in me. If there really is any money, you'll get some of it."

Stephanie laughed. "You think there is?"

"I'm not sure. But you know me."

"Optimist," Stephanie supplied.

"You got it. I--"

Plop.

Rune cocked her head. She heard the sound again. A drip. Soft. Plop.

She glanced at where it was coming from--Sandra's side of the apartment.

"You don't really have to give me anything, Rune."