13

Joy unlocked the front door to her condo a little after ten o’clock that night. It had been a nightmare dealing with the problem at work. She’d managed to reach the hospital within two hours but she hadn’t expected the three-ring circus she encountered there. Her boss had called in a legal team to protect their clients’ rights.

The lawyer had demanded she respond to him in whispered answers to every question from the police. He’d been the one to speak to them directly after filtering what she said. It had been a slow, annoying process that had taken hours.

She kicked off her shoes inside the door and locked it. She hit the switch and light filled the open-concept living space that combined the kitchen with the living room. The seven-hundred-square-foot home wasn’t big but it was affordable. A long counter she used as a dining table was the only thing that separated the rooms. The lone barstool was a reminder of her solitary life. She