Free Darkest Place by Jaye Ford Page B

thumping, too. She wanted the job finished, she just wasn’t sure she wanted him in her apartment. She opened the door a bit wider. ‘Did you know Talia?’
    â€˜The woman who used to live here?’
    Carly nodded.
    â€˜Met her a few times. Wasn’t around much when she was here.’
    â€˜Did she give you a key to the apartment? You know, in case she got locked out?’
    â€˜No point. If she locked herself out, I wasn’t going to be much help from an oil rig.’
    â€˜True.’
    â€˜Is this about the cops last night?’
    She wasn’t ready to explain. ‘I hope they didn’t wake you.’
    â€˜I was already up.’
    Dressed and tussling with an officer in her hallway. ‘I saw you at the door.’
    He slid his hands into his pockets.
    â€˜I was on the balcony,’ she said.
    â€˜Right.’
    â€˜And you were arguing with the officer.’
    â€˜Yeah. That.’
    Caution tightened Carly’s shoulders.
    Nate glanced along the corridor before explaining. ‘I wanted to check you were okay.’
    Carly remembered how that had turned out. ‘What was the problem with the cop?’
    He glanced the other way along the corridor. ‘We’ve crossed paths before. It wasn’t a happy occasion.’
    â€˜You were arrested?’
    â€˜Threatened with it.’
    â€˜What for?’
    Eyes flicking away again, something shamefaced in it. ‘It wasn’t about me. It was my sister. A problem with her ex. I made some noise about it.’
    Carly watched him a moment, thinking about his stocky build, the solid shoulders, the tense gruffness she’d seen in him on other days, and guessed he hadn’t raised his voice to say please . Maybe it had stretched to swearing, some pushing and shoving like there’d been in her hallway. Forget what he was doing up at 4 am – did she want that kind of neighbour helping her? Asking questions, turning up in the night, hassling the police? She took a step back, wanting an excuse to shut the door. ‘What was the problem?’ she asked.
    â€˜I didn’t think they were doing enough.’
    â€˜Is your sister okay?’
    â€˜She is now.’
    Had he sorted out the cops or the ex? Maybe it didn’t matter. He’d done something to help, it was more than Carly could claim to have done for the people she loved. ‘So …’ She tapped a finger out of sight, deciding. ‘The door.’ She opened it all the way, pointed at the jamb. ‘I don’t know if it’s me or the drill but I’ve made a lot of noise without much result.’
    His eyes stayed on her for another second before shifting to the timber. ‘How’s the bit?’
    â€˜No idea. How should it be?’
    A tweak of an eyebrow. ‘You want to give me a look at the drill?’
    She passed it over.
    â€˜You won’t get through anything with that. It’s blunt.’
    â€˜Nice to know it wasn’t my technique.’
    â€˜Can’t comment on that. Haven’t seen your technique.’ Amusement flickered fleetingly through his gaze.
    Ooh, a joke.
    â€˜Have you got a spare?’ he asked.
    â€˜Just what’s in there.’ She pointed at the drill case.
    He checked the contents. ‘Wait here.’ He handed the tool back and left, returning a minute later. ‘This’ll do it.’ He held the power cord of another drill out to her. Had the holes done, screws in and the security chain installed in a quarter of an hour. ‘Give it a try.’
    Carly slipped the chain into its slot and opened the door. A loud thunk as the links straightened and caught. ‘Perfect. Thanks.’
    â€˜These for the balcony?’ He picked up the slide-bolt locks she’d bought.
    â€˜Yes.’
    He didn’t ask, just unplugged the tool, took the necessary pieces through the apartment and started on the other door.
    He wouldn’t do that if he was