“You look around. I’ll wait here.”

“Doesn’t work that way,” Diesel said. “We’re partners.”

“I don’t want to be a partner.”

“Yeah, and I don’t want to live with a monkey.”

It was a valid point, so I unhooked my seatbelt and followed him into the lobby. I stepped back when he went to the elevator.

“Whoa,” I said. “Where are you going?”

“Reedy lived in 4B.”

“You’re going to break into his apartment?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s against the law. And it’s icky.”

Diesel yanked me into the elevator and pushed the 4 button. “It feels like the right thing to do.”

“Not to me.”

“You’re the junior partner. You only have a fifteen percent vote.”

“Why am I the junior partner? I’m just as powerful as you are.”

The elevator doors opened onto the fourth floor, and Diesel shoved me out into the hall. “In your dreams.”

“You can find empowered people, and I find empowered objects. That seems pretty equal to me.”

“Honey, I have a whole laundry list of enhanced abilities. And let’s face it, you make cupcakes.”

I felt my mouth drop open.

Diesel grinned down at me. “Would it help if I said they’re really great cupcakes?”

“You’ve eaten your last.”

Diesel wrapped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me into him. “You don’t mean that.” He removed the crime scene tape sealing 4B’s door, placed his hand over the dead bolt, and the bolt slid back, demonstrating one of the laundry list abilities. Diesel could unlock anything. He turned the knob, we stepped into Reedy’s apartment, and Diesel locked the door again.

It was small but comfortably furnished, with an overstuffed couch and two chairs. Large coffee table, loaded with books, a few pens, a stack of papers held together with a giant rubber band. Flat screen television opposite the couch. Desk to the side of the smashed patio door. We peeked into the kitchen. The appliances were old but clean. Small table and two chairs. Coffee mug in the sink. There was one bedroom and one bath. Nothing extraordinary about either.