Cat Burglar in Training by Shelley Munro Page B

residents of the house.
    Both Father and Ben froze, seeing what I’d noticed. The figure darted around the corner and disappeared from sight. As one, we melted back into the cover of the trees.
    “Who the hell was that?” Father summed up the situation in a few terse words.
    “Common garden thief?” Ben asked, scanning the area where the mystery person had disappeared.
    Father’s frown ran the width of his face. “We need to find out.”
    “Okay, what’s the plan?” Although I was now the Shadow, I didn’t mind taking advice. Father and Ben had years of experience between them, handed down by my grandfather and Ben’s father and their fathers before them. If I had to take over the family mantle, I intended to do a good job.
    “We need to get closer. Watch and assess the damage. Once we know what we’re dealing with we can go from there.” Father fairly vibrated with the need to investigate.
    “Let’s go.” I took one step from the shelter of the trees and stopped. “Take care.”
    We merged into the shadows, separating again on the open lawn area.
    There was a camera under the eaves in front of me. I made a note of the location on the map inside my head. A pleasant jingle-jangle buzzed through my veins when I edged along the scaffolding and eased into the shadows. The soft sound of a foot scuffing the ground alerted me to a presence heading in my direction. I hunkered down and waited.
    A man flitted past, not more than a few feet away. Dressed in black and wearing a mask that covered his whole face, he could have been my twin. My heart sank. This was no amateur. The way he held himself, the way he moved with confidence told me he’d researched the property and knew it intimately. I noted the small nylon bag he carried. It bulged. The cat had completed his night’s work.
    I waited for ten minutes until I was sure he wasn’t going to return, then darted along the side of the building.
    An open window on the ground floor signified the cat’s method of entry. Surely he wouldn’t be so stupid as to leave it open? That would attract attention. An owl hooted and a shiver worked down my spine even as I cupped my hands around my mouth and made an answering call. Father and Ben joined me minutes later.
    “Did you see him?” Father asked.
    “The cheek of him, horning in on our territory,” Ben fumed.
    I didn’t have the heart to remind him that we ranged over a wide territory. The other man probably didn’t know of my existence, especially since I thought the police assumed the Moning thefts related to Perdita’s murder. The cops certainly hadn’t mentioned the window I’d broken to enter the Monings’ home.
    Father and Ben continued to mutter. I cut in with a reality check. “We might as well continue with the skullduggery. The cat’s left us a window of opportunity.” I gestured up at the open window with my head. “What do you think? Should I go in?”
    Father stared up at the window, his eyes narrowed in consideration. Although I’d already made my decision—I was going in—the show of tact made Father and Ben feel like a valuable part of the team.
    “I think you should,” Ben said.
    Father nodded agreement. “We don’t know what the man took. It’s possible we could salvage something and come away with a prize.” His eyes gleamed, and I held back an answering grin. “I’m guessing the lights are on timers. That will make your sortie easier.”
    “Let’s do it,” I said, the slow burn of adrenaline making itself felt. I worried about addiction to the thrill and forced the thought away to immerse myself in the situation. I needed to apply everything I’d learned from Father and Ben.
    The inside of the gutted home was every bit as bad as the outside suggested. Strips of the Victorian-period rose wallpaper lay in tattered piles on the floor. White sheets shrouded the remaining furniture. Cautiously, I slid my leg over the sill and slipped into the room. Immediately, I became aware of