I dressed fast and left the apartment.
Late already. I took the stairs up to the fourth floor two at a time, boots hitting each step hard. Sherry sat somewhere in the back of everything, quiet and heavy.
She hadn't knocked on my door. She always knocked.
Either she passed early or she's still inside, I thought, reaching her floor, chest tightening.
I tried her on the communication watch. The screen glowed coldly against my wrist. No answer. Just the soft beep of an unanswered call.
I stood at her door. The hallway light cast a long shadow across the floor in front of me. I thought about last night.
Sherry, I thought. I know you built up to that moment. I know what it cost you to leave the door open..
I knocked once. The sound echoed down the empty hallway. Nothing. I tried the handle. Locked. She was gone.
