colors. And that made it worse. Something so dark and twisted should never have happened here, where kids painted their favorite cartoon characters on kites.
"I think that's the security guard's room down there," Jesse said, pulling Rae out of her thoughts. "You hang back.
I'll get him out."
"Do you want to go over what you're-" Rae began. Jesse started to run, so all she could do waswatch him go.
When he reached the door of the security room, he pounded with both fists. A moment later the door was whipped open by a rent-a-cop, who gave off vibes like those navy SEAL guys.
Rae turned toward the display of kites but listened to every word. "What?" the rent-a-cop barked.
"I was in the bathroom, and there was this guy in there and his backpack was partway open and I saw a gun in there," Jesse blurted, his voice high and breathless.
Oh, no. Not the best story, Rae thought. The rent-a-cop could have watched us come in on one of the monitors. He could know Jesse didn't go into the bathroom. He could "Is he still in the bathroom?" the rent-a-cop demanded. Rae let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
"He was when I left. And I ran down here," Jesse answered. "Show me," the rent-a-cop said.
Rae remained facing the kites until Jesse and the rent-a-cop had pounded past her. She waited another thirty seconds, took a quick glance to make sure they were out of sight, then hurried over to the security room. Hope the door isn't one of the ones that lock automatically, she thought. She grabbed the doorknob,turned it, and pulled.
There was the tiniest bit of resistance, then the door swung open. Rae smiled when she saw the wad of gum that prevented the door from clicking all the way closed. "An oldie but a goodie, as my dad would say," she murmured as she stepped inside.
Instantly her eyes went to the row of TV monitors and flicked from screen to screen. Front entrance. Storage room.
Pottery class. Hallway. Hallway. Flamenco dance class. Stairway. Office. Yoga class. Hallway. Stairway. Her eyes darted faster. Nothing here, she realized.
I guess it was a stupid plan. Like Jesse and I could just prance in here, find the security monitors and-whoo-hoo-get all the answers.
Rae did a scan of the room, although it was too small to hide much of anything.
Except another door! Rae hadn't even noticed it at first. She'd been completely focused on the monitor screens, and you actually had to look closely to notice that there was a thin line going all the way around one part of the wall.
It had to be a door.
With two steps she was over to it, then she pushed aside some boxes covering up one side. Yes. There was a handle. A door handle. She jerked on it. extra pay sickos/pick up milk/ Locked. Of course it was locked. Maybe shecould try to get it open with a paper clip or something. Although that was probably as delusional as plan A had been. Rae did a fast check of the monitors and spotted Jesse and the rent-a-cop. They were heading into a classroom. Thank God, Jesse was a good talker.
Rae opened her purse and rooted through, ignoring her old thoughts, until she found a hair clip with an end that she thought would be thin enough to try on the lock.
"Just one problem," she muttered when she returned her attention to the door. "There is no lock." Which meant there had to be-yep, there was one of those little keypads to one side. Rae ran her fingers over the buttons. They were too small for entire prints, and they'd been touched a lot, so mostly she just got static.
She did another check of the monitors. Still time. Still time. Rae rubbed her hands down her sides, trying to dry them from the beads of sweat forming on her palms. Then she ran her fingers over the buttons again, more slowly.
There isn't static on all of them, she realized. Just on three, four, seven, and nine. Which means…
Rae jabbed in the combo three, four, seven, nine. The door didn't open. Okay, but there are only four numbers, she thought. That's not
"I think that's the security guard's room down there," Jesse said, pulling Rae out of her thoughts. "You hang back.
I'll get him out."
"Do you want to go over what you're-" Rae began. Jesse started to run, so all she could do waswatch him go.
When he reached the door of the security room, he pounded with both fists. A moment later the door was whipped open by a rent-a-cop, who gave off vibes like those navy SEAL guys.
Rae turned toward the display of kites but listened to every word. "What?" the rent-a-cop barked.
"I was in the bathroom, and there was this guy in there and his backpack was partway open and I saw a gun in there," Jesse blurted, his voice high and breathless.
Oh, no. Not the best story, Rae thought. The rent-a-cop could have watched us come in on one of the monitors. He could know Jesse didn't go into the bathroom. He could "Is he still in the bathroom?" the rent-a-cop demanded. Rae let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
"He was when I left. And I ran down here," Jesse answered. "Show me," the rent-a-cop said.
Rae remained facing the kites until Jesse and the rent-a-cop had pounded past her. She waited another thirty seconds, took a quick glance to make sure they were out of sight, then hurried over to the security room. Hope the door isn't one of the ones that lock automatically, she thought. She grabbed the doorknob,turned it, and pulled.
There was the tiniest bit of resistance, then the door swung open. Rae smiled when she saw the wad of gum that prevented the door from clicking all the way closed. "An oldie but a goodie, as my dad would say," she murmured as she stepped inside.
Instantly her eyes went to the row of TV monitors and flicked from screen to screen. Front entrance. Storage room.
Pottery class. Hallway. Hallway. Flamenco dance class. Stairway. Office. Yoga class. Hallway. Stairway. Her eyes darted faster. Nothing here, she realized.
I guess it was a stupid plan. Like Jesse and I could just prance in here, find the security monitors and-whoo-hoo-get all the answers.
Rae did a scan of the room, although it was too small to hide much of anything.
Except another door! Rae hadn't even noticed it at first. She'd been completely focused on the monitor screens, and you actually had to look closely to notice that there was a thin line going all the way around one part of the wall.
It had to be a door.
With two steps she was over to it, then she pushed aside some boxes covering up one side. Yes. There was a handle. A door handle. She jerked on it. extra pay sickos/pick up milk/ Locked. Of course it was locked. Maybe shecould try to get it open with a paper clip or something. Although that was probably as delusional as plan A had been. Rae did a fast check of the monitors and spotted Jesse and the rent-a-cop. They were heading into a classroom. Thank God, Jesse was a good talker.
Rae opened her purse and rooted through, ignoring her old thoughts, until she found a hair clip with an end that she thought would be thin enough to try on the lock.
"Just one problem," she muttered when she returned her attention to the door. "There is no lock." Which meant there had to be-yep, there was one of those little keypads to one side. Rae ran her fingers over the buttons. They were too small for entire prints, and they'd been touched a lot, so mostly she just got static.
She did another check of the monitors. Still time. Still time. Rae rubbed her hands down her sides, trying to dry them from the beads of sweat forming on her palms. Then she ran her fingers over the buttons again, more slowly.
There isn't static on all of them, she realized. Just on three, four, seven, and nine. Which means…
Rae jabbed in the combo three, four, seven, nine. The door didn't open. Okay, but there are only four numbers, she thought. That's not
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