Kay Flowers examined the door to her dingy studio apartment. These flimsy doors were notoriously easy to break into. She had personally seen a neighbor pop his open with a flat head screwdriver when his girlfriend locked the keys inside. He explained that all locks do is keep honest men honest. Her door didn't look tampered with but she stuck her head inside and looked around carefully before slipping in and locking the door behind her. After locking the chain lock and the dead bolt she herself had installed she checked the bathroom and closet, just to be certain there were no other humans present.
Satisfied she removed her wig and hung it by the door. It was a very cheap blonde Halloween wig, but it kept her manager off her ass about her purple hair color. She then turned her attention to the envelope in her hand. It was the sealed envelope her grandfather had given her on his deathbed, her father had found among some other papers and mailed it to her work so that it wouldn't be intercepted by her ex-boyfriend months ago. She'd completely forgotten about it and found it while digging though her desk drawer to appear busy.
Tossing it onto the counter she logged into a work group chat to discuss the gossip of the day; a guy in their department had croaked at his desk yesterday and no one even noticed he was dead until they got there this morning and he was a bit ripe. Of course they should have been sent home, but money changed hands and they were allowed to stay and work.
She put a frozen burrito in the microwave and changed into a oversized heavy metal band shirt. She washed her face and the dark blue eyes that stared back at her looked hollow and defeated. She retrieved the envelope and sat down with her burrito cross legged on the bed to stare at her name scrawled across the envelope. She could barely remember her grandfather, she'd been very little when he'd died. He hadn't seemed that old and she wasn't sure how he died but she seemed to remember hearing about a farm accident. What she did remember was the fruit he brought her, strawberries and blueberries as sweet as candy. She'd tried to find berries like that but they simply weren't sold in stores.
Her grandfather had told her not to open it immediately. That one day she would feel crushed under the weight of modern life, when that happened it would be time. What on earth could he have left her?
She was beginning to open the envelope when someone tried to open the door. The deadbolt she'd installed held the door shut and she froze, hoping if she were silent he'd assume she was out and leave. He did not, instead her began hurling insults and threats, demanding she open the door or else. Then he began beating against the flimsy door, causing it to shutter and buckle with each blow.
Where had she laid her phone? She found it by the microwave and had just punched in the one when the door gave way and her ex charged at her. There was nowhere to run in the tiny apartment. She yelled her address and apartment number into the phone, not even knowing if anyone had picked up as he grabbed her arm ad drew back a fist.
She woke up some hours later in the hospital. The police came and took her statement. A blonde woman came into the room in civilian clothes "Hey, I'm officer Mayze. You probably don't remember but I was one of the arresting officers."
Kay shook her head. "Sorry, I don't remember much after the door gave way."
"Not surprising. Your boyfriend did a number on you."
"Ex-boyfriend." Kay corrected.
A grim smile, "Glad he's an ex. He is being charged with assault and battery, among other things, but he'll be out on bail until his trial. Do you have somewhere else to stay?"
Kay shook her head and the officer handed her a card. "I got in the business to protect people, call me when they discharge you. I'll escort you to your apartment for some personal effects then drive you to a shelter. You'll be safe there. From what I saw a threat to call the health department will get you out of your lease."
The next day, riding shot gun in Officer Mayze's car, with important papers and clothes shoved hastily into a trash bag in the back seat, she finally got to read her letter. She stared at it, dumbfounded. She read it three more times and looked over the included deed carefully. "Officer Mayze, it looks like I have a place to stay after all."