" darted in first, my pistol up. Lori came in behind me. I scanned the shitty little apartment quickly. Bedroom, bathroom, nothing. The window was open, and I muttered “Shit” as I wedged myself onto the fire-escape landing. It was a long way down. Cops with a thing about heights shouldn’t climb around on fire escapes. But there was no choice. "

― James Patterson , Haunted (Michael Bennett, #10)