37
Ideally, Jones would have entered the basement alone while Payne and Megan stayed hidden in the vehicle. With his lock-picking skills, Jones figured he could break into the storage closet and search it in less than five minutes. Unfortunately, that plan wasn’t feasible because Megan didn’t know the unit number. She was pretty sure she could identify it by sight although she had only been there once, a few months back, but she wouldn’t know until she looked for herself.
Following much discussion, the trio split in two. Jones and Megan entered the complex together, and Payne kept watch from the driver’s
Not that they were expecting a roomful of treasures.
The truth was they didn’t know what to expect from a career thief like Ashley. The unit might be filled with a shipment of stolen goods, or it might be emptier than Al Capone’s vault.
Whatever the case, they wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible.
As Jones led the way into the lobby, he held his gun inside his coat, ready to fire at the first sign of trouble. Megan walked closely behind him, suspiciously eyeing everyone they passed as they opened the door to the stairs. Jones paused and
‘Which way?’ Jones whispered.
‘Up ahead on the left.’
Jones nodded, then hustled forward, trying to minimize the time they spent in a corridor that had no exits or places to take cover for nearly twenty feet. At the end of the stretch, Jones peeked his head into the storage area and saw nothing that worried him. Locked doors, approximately twenty in all, lined both sides of the room which ended in a cinderblock wall. As far as Jones could tell, extra security measures had not been installed, meaning he didn’t have to worry about cameras or alarms. All things considered, he couldn’t have been happier.
‘You’re clear,’ he said to Megan. ‘Which one is hers?’
‘Let me check,’ she said as she walked forward.
Megan knew it was roughly two-thirds of the way back on the right. Ashley had needed her help to carry a breakfast table that was more cumbersome than heavy. She remembered they had struggled to get it through the closet door.
The memory brought a bittersweet smile to Megan’s face. A few days ago, she had considered Ashley a friend. Now she didn’t know what to think of her. Despite the lies, the Ashley she knew simply didn’t match the person Payne and Jones had described. And because of that, Megan didn’t know how to feel about her neighbour. Should she grieve at her death, or be thankful she was out of her life for good?
‘Any luck?’ Jones asked from the doorway.
Megan blinked a few times, then nodded. ‘It’s this one here. I helped make all these scuffmarks on the door frame.’
‘Trade places with me,’ he said. ‘If you see or hear anyone, let me know right away.’
‘No problem.’
Brushing past Megan, Jones pulled out his lock picks and eyed the closet. It was protected by a simple keyed knob, one that took him little time to defeat. With a quiet click, he opened the door a few inches and eyed the interior for booby traps. Thieves were typically a paranoid lot, mostly because they knew how easy it was to steal
‘What are you waiting for?’ Megan asked.
‘Patience,’ he said to her. ‘Never rush into the unknown.’
A few seconds later, he was confident the door was clear.
Payne eyed the traffic as it flowed in both directions past the apartment complex. Even though the snow had stopped falling and the temperatures had climbed above freezing, the grey skies remained. People streamed past on the slush-filled sidewalk, trekking through puddles that had been layers of ice the night before. Most walkers shivered as they moved, their faces red and chapped from the bitter winds. Instinctively, Payne turned up the heat in the Suburban.
Throughout Pennsylvania, it was a miserable time of year.
Up the street, a group of six people huddled
Not that Philly had been all bad. Without this trip, he never would have met Megan, the first woman to pique his interest in a very long time. Due to his wealth and celebrity status, he rarely met anyone in his hometown who wasn’t familiar with his life story — at least the details that weren’t classified. Because of that, he found it difficult to meet people who wanted to get to know him instead of people who knew about him. In his world, gold diggers and smooth talkers were round every corner, always trying to get a piece of him. For that reason and a few others, he spent most of his time walled off from the rest of the world.
Out of the corner of his eye, Payne noticed a vehicle turning into the circular driveway in front of the complex. He blinked once, then shifted his gaze to his left.
‘Shit,’ he mumbled. ‘This can’t be good.’
*
Jones answered. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘A squad car just pulled up to the building.’
He cursed under his breath. ‘How many cops?’
‘Two. Right now they’re sitting in the car.’
‘Let’s hope they stay put for a while.’
‘What’s your status?’ Payne asked.
‘I just picked the lock. I still have to search.’
‘How long do you need?’
‘At least ten minutes. Ashley was a damn pack rat. This place is full of boxes.’
Payne nodded. He was familiar with the type. His grandfather had been the same way. ‘Work as quickly as you can. I’ll keep you posted on their movement.’
‘If they’re here because of Ashley, they’ll probably go to her apartment to look for clues. That should give me all the time I need.’
Payne agreed with his assessment. ‘Wipe your prints before you leave.’
‘No worries,’ Jones said as he adjusted his gloves. ‘Already done.’