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“I’m going to circle around the block and cruise down the alley, then we’ll take a look-see in Booker’s garage.”
“What if there isn’t a garage?”
Theodosia remained determined. “We’ll still take a look-see.”
She drove down to the corner, turned left, drove a half block, then coasted down a narrow, dark alley. It was lined with trash bins, several junked cars, and a hulking green dumpster tattooed with the words bird’s sanitation. In a few places fencing materials and discarded furniture had been piled up, including an old lime-green recliner.
“You could scavenge back here and furnish your home,” Drayton said. “If you weren’t too picky.”
“This from a man who eats off Spode china and owns a pair of Louis XIV chairs?”
“Well, you know what I mean.”
“Shh,” Theodosia cautioned. They were almost at the back of Booker’s house now, crunching down an unpaved alley that was a basic mix of gravel and crushed seashells. She slowed behind the old Victorian, saw there was a garage, and stopped. The single garage listed slightly to one side and had faded gray paint that was peeling off in long ribbons.
“This is it.”
“Good heavens,” Drayton said. He was sitting stiffly, his fingers gripping the dashboard in front of him.
Theodosia glanced over at Drayton and her heart went out to him. He was tense and clearly uncomfortable. No doubt he’d prefer to stay put in her Jeep.
“You wait here,” she said. “I’ll just be a minute.”
“You’re sure? I could come with if you’d like. Serve as a sort of lookout.”
“Not necessary,” Theodosia said as she climbed out of her Jeep. “I’m just going to tiptoe around front and see if there’s a door. Or maybe a window I can peek in.”
“Okay,” Drayton said as she closed the door softly.
Theodosia walked gingerly around the front of her Jeep, touched a hand to the aluminum garage door, tried to raise it, and found it locked. Okay then, she needed to do a little exploring. With her hand touching the garage to guide her, she slowly walked along its full length, heading in the direction of the old Victorian some twenty feet away. As she drew closer, she could see a light burning in the back of the house—maybe the kitchen?—and thought somebody might be home.
Booker’s got a roommate?
Theodosia pushed that thought out of her head as she flattened herself against the garage, trying not to stumble on a tangle of overgrown caladium. She was suddenly feeling hypersensitive, attuned to the noises of the surrounding neighborhood. A dog barking a block away, a car with a bad muffler passing by on Drummond Street, the sound of a door slamming two houses down.
Theodosia froze. Was someone coming this way? No, she didn’t think so. Like a ninja in the night, she stole around the corner to the front of the garage that faced the rear of the house. And in the dim light saw the outline of a door.
Yes!
Moving ever so slowly, she edged up to the door. Gripping the doorknob, she gave it a twist. Nothing happened.
Maybe it’s stuck?
She tried again using both hands, but it still didn’t budge an inch. Feeling frustrated because there was no window to peer in, Theodosia dug in her purse and found a credit card. Then, ever so gently, she slid the card into the crack between the door and the doorjamb. Positioning her card next to the locked doorknob, she moved it back and forth, hoping for the best. She’d worked this little trick a few times before and was usually successful. But this time the lock was tenacious and wouldn’t budge.
Theodosia took a deep breath to calm her nerves and forced herself to try again. This time she tried to be supersensitive to slipping the plastic right into the groove where the tongue of the lock rested. She jiggled it carefully, testing it, then moved the credit card back and forth in a seesaw motion.
And was rewarded with a tiny click.
Did I get it?
She pulled out her card and grabbed the doorknob with a firm grip. The doorknob turned smoothly in her hand just as...
“Hey!” a rough voice shouted. Then a yard light flashed on. “Get away from there!”
Theodosia shrank back from the blinding glare. Someone inside the house had seen her!
Not only were they inside the house, but loud bumps and bangs told her the man would soon be outside the house.
