Free Tears of No Return by David Bernstein Page A

was up.”
    Karen understood and had no reason to feel exposed. Melanie was her best friend; the sister she never had. Everything happening to her was just too much to handle; turning even little things into big ones. She upended her purse and began placing the items back inside.
    “What did you want me to do?” Melanie asked, sounding a little excited. “I mean I come home and find my best friend—her face resting in puke—passed out at the front of my door.” It was almost as if Melanie was defending herself. No, she was defending herself, and Karen knew that her friend cared for her and did what a friend should do. And besides, it wasn’t like they had never gone through each other’s purses before. Karen felt ashamed at how she acted toward her friend, the one person whom she would need to count on now.
    “I’m so sorry, Mel,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve had a…rough day.” Karen felt the pressure of everything building inside her and if she didn’t stop talking she’d begin to bawl uncontrollably. “I was just surprised to see my purse like that. Again Mel, I’m sorry.”
    “It’s okay, sweetie,” Melanie said, and gave her friend a hug.
    “Ma’am,” the young paramedic said. “Excuse me, again, but are you sure you don’t want to get checked out?”
    “No, I’m fine.” She felt bad for the kid. He couldn’t have been more than twenty-one years old. Then a thought, like a slap, struck her upside the head. She pushed Melanie to the side to get a clear view of the paramedic. “Did you guys have to call this in? Use my name, I mean?”
    “Yeah, it’s standard protocol,” the young paramedic answered. “Name and address. See if there’s a record of you in our system.” Karen’s face went pale and she began to feel lightheaded. The kid’s face showed that he saw she wasn’t feeling well. She needed these men to leave. The military could be on their way to her now; ready to kill any and all witnesses. Forcing a smile, she said, “I just don’t want you guys to go through all this trouble and paperwork for nothing.”
    “It’s no trouble, Miss Lakemire,” the paramedic said, smiling like a goofy kid. Karen noticed that the older paramedic had stepped out, and was probably waiting in the hallway.
    “I don’t mean to be rude,” she said, “especially after all the help you’ve given me, but I need to be alone with my friend now.” She patted the kid on the shoulder reassuringly. “Again, thank you for all your help.” The young man smiled, nodded, and left the apartment.
    Melanie took a seat on the couch. “What the hell is going on with you?” she asked.
    “Just having a horrific day,” Karen answered, pacing back and forth while looking out of the living room window at the city.
    “Bullshit,” Melanie challenged. “You’re not right. You’re acting like a scared little girl or a junkie needing a fix, and I know you’re not a junkie.”
    Karen wanted to tell her friend everything. But would that be wise? She’d already put Melanie in enough danger by coming to her apartment. She hadn’t told her anything, but the people after Karen would assume she had.
    They’d probably torture Melanie to find out what the woman knew before killing her. And if they caught Karen in Melanie’s apartment, they’d probably outright kill her; no need for questioning. From what Josh told Karen, and what she’d seen firsthand, they took no chances. They were ruthless.
    However, that all depended on whether or not they found out she visited Melanie. Karen, for her friend’s sake, had to believe the woman was now a target. She had to explain everything. Convince Melanie. But would her best friend believe her? Karen had to prove it. She’d heard what the older paramedic was thinking, but when she tried to hone in on his thoughts again, she heard nothing. The stuff inside her must not be in full effect yet. She turned and began staring intently, squinting her eyes at