Free The Tangerine Killer by Claire Svendsen

my doorstep of all places. But I was prepared for any bullshit she was going to toss my way. I crossed my arms and adopted the most ferocious pose I could muster.
    “Someone is trying to frame me,” she whimpered. “You believe me don’t you?”
    “Why should I?”
    “Why would I risk coming here otherwise?”
    “I can think of a million reasons why you would want to talk your way into my room and try to gain my confidence. I can tell you right now that it won’t work.”
    “No. I see that.”
    I had to admit she looked pretty rough. Her hair had twisted itself into little dreadlocks and the oversized t-shirt that topped her creased jeans looked like she had swiped it from a rather large, dirty man. She may have had a tough time but we all had and I wasn’t about to cut her any slack just because she looked pathetic.
    “How can I make you believe me?”
    “You can’t.”
    “But they are after me now. Someone has been following me.”
    “Who?”
    “I don’t know.”
    She started to cry and buried her face in her hands.
    “For God’s sake get a grip.”
    Her weakness irritated the hell out of me. I wanted to grab hold of her and shake some sense into her tiny body. Snap her out of the self-pity. She wasn’t the only one standing in a big pile of steaming shit. At least she was still alive.
    “You’re right. I should be stronger,” she finally gulped.
    I waited until she wiped the last of her tears away on her shirt.
    “What made you come here to me?”
    “I thought you could help me.”
    The tears had subsided but now she just looked scared. Her eyes flicked nervously to the door.
    “Why would I help you? You were fooling around with Frank behind Lisa’s back weren’t you? You ruined their lives and now they’re both dead. Do you think you deserve to be helped?”
    She looked down at the bedspread and scowled.
    “Frank didn’t love Lisa. She tricked him into marrying her. He loved me.”
    “How touching.”
    “I miss him so much,” she began to sob again.
    “Save it for someone who gives a damn, Jill. I don’t care about your love life. Tell me why you came here.”
    “I told you, someone’s been following me.”
    “Who?”
    “I don’t know. A man. He’s everywhere I go. Watching me.”
    The half-forgotten dream popped into my head. The man in the shadows who waited for me. Perhaps not just a nightmare after all.
    “Why don’t you go to the police?”
    “I have a record. Why would they believe me?”
    “And why should I?”
    “Because he’s been following you too.”
    “Bullshit,” I cried. “You think I wouldn’t notice someone following me? It’s my job to notice things like that.”
    Jill jumped up and made for the door but I beat her to it. I pressed my back flat against it and gripped the handle firmly with my hand.
    “Sit down. You’re not going anywhere.”
    “Let me out of here.”
    She tried to push me out of the way but I was considerably stronger. Her efforts did nothing to budge me from the stand I had taken. Nothing else had panned out the way I hoped it would. This time I wanted answers and I wasn’t going to let Jill go until she gave me some.
    “It’s not that simple. You came to me, remember? You walked in here of your own free will.”
    “It wasn’t free will. I had no choice.”
    “Look, I didn’t force you to come here and now that you are, I think it’s only fair that you elaborate on what the hell is going on.”
    “What makes you think I know?”
    “Come on Jill. Why are you really here?”
    “Because I thought you could protect me.”
    I laughed out loud at her stupid presumption.
    “Why should I protect you? And what makes you think that I could or would?”
    She picked at a purple fingernail but I saw her gaze flit to the pocket of my robe where the gun was nestled in folds of toweling. I had no doubt that she knew I would use it if I had to.
    “Why won’t you help me?”
    “I’m not in the business of helping people like