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Ryan pulled up to a small apartment building that looked like it hadn't been updated in years. He looked at the address printed in his note pad to make sure he was at the correct place. This was the place alright; it was Ronald Paige's last known address.

Ryan looked around for a front entrance and once he found it he went inside. According to the labels on the mailbox, the manager lived on site and resided in apartment 12.

As Ryan made his way to apartment 12 he took note of the place. It was certainly a huge step down from Ronald's home in Kinsville. Ronald must have had a tough time after the trial. Ryan found the managers apartment at the end of the first floor hallway and knocked on the door.

The door slowly opened up and an older woman in her late 60's appeared "Yes, what can I do for you; if you're here about the vacancy it's been filled".

"No I'm not here for that. I was actually hoping to talk to you about a former tenant Ronald Paige".

The woman had a suspicious look on her face "Why are you asking about him, he's dead you know". The woman paused a moment, "If you're another relative you're too late. I have already sent his stuff to his last known relative".

Ryan pulled out his badge and showed it to the woman, "No, I'm detective Wolfe with the Miami Dade Police department and I have re-opened his family's murder case. I would like to ask you some questions if you don't mind".

The older woman opened the door all the way and stepped outside her doorway "Why would you want to do that".

"It is one of our cold cases that I am re-investigating and hoping to solve. I know that Ronald is dead but I am trying to find out anything about him in the last 10 years. Did you say you already sent his stuff to his last known relative? I wasn't aware he had any".

The woman had a guilty look on her face all of a sudden as she confessed "I just said that because I thought you were another quack trying to make a buck out of the stuff he left behind. I didn't know you were a cop. My name is Greta by the way; would you like to come inside?"

"Sure", Ryan followed Greta into her apartment. As he stepped inside he thought the furnishings looked very out of place. They were a mix of every possible style which made the place look very cluttered and small. "Wow, you sure do have a lot of furniture in here".

Greta looked very pleased with herself "Oh, I collect the furniture that former tenants just leave behind. I haven't had to buy anything in years. So can I get you anything to drink?"

"No thanks, I really just wanted to talk about Ronald. So from what information I have it says he lived here for the last 8 years, is that correct?"

Greta took a seat on one of the 3 couches found in her living room "Yes, he moved in about 8 years ago and lived by himself. He was one of my best tenants, but he was a very private man. It took him several years to trust me".

Ryan could tell this woman was starving for company. She would probably give him some very much needed information for the case. "So, did he ever mention anything about his family?"

"He talked a little about them. He always insisted he was innocent. He use to say that had he been found guilty it was because he was framed".

"What do you mean by that?" Ryan was getting very excited by this conversation.

Greta looked like she regretted telling him so much but since he was a cop she knew she should continue "He talked quite a bit about his other family and said they were to blame for all of his misery. I had asked him if they were still in his life and he said they would stay away from him since he knew too much. He never went into very much detail about them, but after awhile he finally told me who he was talking about".

Ryan couldn't believe she chose now to stop talking. This conversation was getting better by the minute. "Well, who were they then?"

"I don't know if I should tell you anymore. He always warned me about his other family and was very reluctant to tell me anything at first. I think he was just happy to get it off his chest".

Ryan had a feeling he knew who she was referring to "Was it the mob he was talking about. I know he was working with them".

Greta looked grateful that he guessed who they were "Yes, that was who he was talking about. But he seemed to fear for his life when he talked about them. I think he expected the same thing to happen to him as it did to his family".

"You said that you still had his stuff, can I ask what he left behind?" Ryan was hoping there may be some clues in the possessions left behind.

Greta had forgotten all about that "Oh, yes you wanted to look at his things. I have them in the back room, but there is not much to look at. I was keeping them in case he did have family to retrieve it. He always started talking about someone but would stop himself before he said anything more. I always thought there might be someone who was out there who would come one day". Greta left the room and after a few minutes came back with a large box.

"Here, let me help you with that". Ryan took the box and set it down on the table. He opened up the box and saw that Greta was right; there was not much to look at. As he pulled out the items he saw that there was something that looked like a diary. He set that aside and pulled out the remainder of the items and laid it out on the table. As he inspected the contents of the box he saw that there was a checkbook, some books, a few pictures and the book that appeared to be a diary. As he opened it he saw that it was more than a diary, it was his whole life. There were names, addresses, and phone numbers in the first several pages. The rest of the book contained drawings he could only imagine were done by Ronald and what appeared to be short stories.

Greta waited patiently while Ryan looked through the box "So, is there anything in there that will be helpful to your case?"

"Yeah, I think there could be something here. Do you mind if I take the box with me so that I can have a better look?" He knew he had no right to take the stuff without a warrant, but if she was willing to let him have it than he could take it with him.

"Don't you need a warrant or something" Greta had watched enough crime dramas to know this was the routine.

"Yes, I would generally need one, but if you allow me to take it that would be acceptable. Technically this stuff doesn't belong to you either, but per the law you have a right to hold it for 6 months in case a family member shows up". Ryan didn't really want to have to get a warrant but he would if he had to.

"No, I think you can have it. It has just been sitting in my back room gathering dust anyway. Plus I got all of his furniture unless you want to take that away from me too?" She was feeling more relaxed with Ryan and was almost joking about the furniture.

Ryan tried to suppress a smile but failed as he saw one forming on her face "No, you can keep the furniture, I would not want to change your décor". He didn't really know what furniture had belonged to Ronald, but it didn't really matter, he just wanted the box.

"Thank you, but you will let me know if you find anything won't you."

"If I can I promise you will be the first to know. Thanks for hanging on to this stuff in the first place. It may come in handy and help close this case once and for all". Ryan put the stuff back in the box and carried it to the door. He said his good bye and walked back to his car where he put the box next to the driver's seat. It was getting late, but he really didn't want to waste time with sleep. He was eager to see what the box held for the case.

As he drove back to his condo, he once again failed to notice he was being watched. But this time the person chose not to follow him home. Instead they started to make their way to Greta's apartment.

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Author's Note – The pace is starting to pick up in this story, so I am hoping this compels me to finish this story very soon. I'm getting excited for the ending and to see what everyone thinks. Thanks to those of you who have left me a review. I appreciate each and every one of them. Also thanks to everyone who keeps reading the new chapters, even though you don't leave a review, I know you're out there.