better, how could she get rid of it before Courtney even discovered it in her inbox?
“Hello?”
Tyler’s concerned voice greeted her. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He genuinely sounded worried. About her. Though it could have been about the fact that her voicemail had said she was headed to Courtney’s apartment.
“I’m fine. For the moment. Things might take a turn for the worse in a few minutes.”
“I don’t understand. What are you doing at Courtney’s place? She’s downtown with me.”
The immediate tension drained from her chest and shoulders. At least now she didn’t have to deal with Courtney face-to-face.
“I did something stupid, Ty, and now I need your help.”
He paused for a moment. “Anything.”
“I need you to distract Courtney.”
“She’s still sleeping, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Perfect. Grab her phone and hide your computer. If she wakes up I need you to keep her offline and away from any email.”
“I don’t understand. What’s happened?”
“Look, if you want to save your fake engagement you need to do exactly as I say. Right now.”
Tyler was quiet at her verbal threat, but eventually promised to follow her instructions. She hung up before he could ask any more questions. And now that Juliette was certain Courtney’s apartment was empty, she needed to find a way inside.
She walked up to the call box and entered the key code to the lobby. Thank God Courtney was too lazy to care about things like security. She was one of those girls who used her pin in front of total strangers, not even aware of who might be looking over her shoulder.
As she stepped into the ritzy, remodeled apartment building she knew why it was so easy for Courtney to be lax about such things. The $4,000 monthly rent tended to keep out the riffraff. And the Archestone did boast claims of round the clock security. Though the night guard at the desk barely glanced at her as she walked by. Who could blame him? There were at least a hundred tenants, maybe more. He probably assumed Juliette belonged here.
Juliette took the elevator to the 12th floor and then headed for Courtney’s apartment, 1203. She glanced quickly for any cameras and once satisfied pulled out her tools. She’d been picking locks since she was thirteen and found most entry locks a piece of cake. Slowly she twisted each of the thin rods into the doorknob until she felt the one in her right hand catch. She pulled at the trigger and the lock released. The door crept open. Juliette quickly slipped inside and shut it behind her.
Then she hesitated. What if Ty was lying and Courtney was here, asleep in her own bed? But she heard no signs of living, so she stepped farther into the apartment and began searching for Courtney’s laptop.
The apartment was impeccable; not a hair was out of place. She moved past the kitchen and dining room into the living room, but there was no sign of the laptop. She headed to the office, secretly wondering what kind of college student had enough money to live in a place with a spare bedroom. Apparently the rich kind with daddy governors who lie and steal and cheat their way to the top.
She didn’t have any problem with lying and stealing, clearly. But at least she wasn’t trying to hide what she was. Politicians are just crooks with fancy suits and bad hair.
But Ty has great hair.
Yeah, well there’s an exception to every rule.
There was no sign of the computer in the office so she headed for Courtney’s bedroom. She was just pushing open the door when she heard the front door open.
Juliette froze in mid-step, which in hindsight was stupid.
Then the familiar voice called out her name. “Jules?”
It was Ty. “What are you doing here?” she demanded. “Where is Courtney?”
“Relax. She’s sleep and this sounded urgent.”
“It will be even more urgent if she walks in on the two of us breaking into her apartment.”
“We’re not breaking in. Or at least I’m not. I
“Hello?”
Tyler’s concerned voice greeted her. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He genuinely sounded worried. About her. Though it could have been about the fact that her voicemail had said she was headed to Courtney’s apartment.
“I’m fine. For the moment. Things might take a turn for the worse in a few minutes.”
“I don’t understand. What are you doing at Courtney’s place? She’s downtown with me.”
The immediate tension drained from her chest and shoulders. At least now she didn’t have to deal with Courtney face-to-face.
“I did something stupid, Ty, and now I need your help.”
He paused for a moment. “Anything.”
“I need you to distract Courtney.”
“She’s still sleeping, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Perfect. Grab her phone and hide your computer. If she wakes up I need you to keep her offline and away from any email.”
“I don’t understand. What’s happened?”
“Look, if you want to save your fake engagement you need to do exactly as I say. Right now.”
Tyler was quiet at her verbal threat, but eventually promised to follow her instructions. She hung up before he could ask any more questions. And now that Juliette was certain Courtney’s apartment was empty, she needed to find a way inside.
She walked up to the call box and entered the key code to the lobby. Thank God Courtney was too lazy to care about things like security. She was one of those girls who used her pin in front of total strangers, not even aware of who might be looking over her shoulder.
As she stepped into the ritzy, remodeled apartment building she knew why it was so easy for Courtney to be lax about such things. The $4,000 monthly rent tended to keep out the riffraff. And the Archestone did boast claims of round the clock security. Though the night guard at the desk barely glanced at her as she walked by. Who could blame him? There were at least a hundred tenants, maybe more. He probably assumed Juliette belonged here.
Juliette took the elevator to the 12th floor and then headed for Courtney’s apartment, 1203. She glanced quickly for any cameras and once satisfied pulled out her tools. She’d been picking locks since she was thirteen and found most entry locks a piece of cake. Slowly she twisted each of the thin rods into the doorknob until she felt the one in her right hand catch. She pulled at the trigger and the lock released. The door crept open. Juliette quickly slipped inside and shut it behind her.
Then she hesitated. What if Ty was lying and Courtney was here, asleep in her own bed? But she heard no signs of living, so she stepped farther into the apartment and began searching for Courtney’s laptop.
The apartment was impeccable; not a hair was out of place. She moved past the kitchen and dining room into the living room, but there was no sign of the laptop. She headed to the office, secretly wondering what kind of college student had enough money to live in a place with a spare bedroom. Apparently the rich kind with daddy governors who lie and steal and cheat their way to the top.
She didn’t have any problem with lying and stealing, clearly. But at least she wasn’t trying to hide what she was. Politicians are just crooks with fancy suits and bad hair.
But Ty has great hair.
Yeah, well there’s an exception to every rule.
There was no sign of the computer in the office so she headed for Courtney’s bedroom. She was just pushing open the door when she heard the front door open.
Juliette froze in mid-step, which in hindsight was stupid.
Then the familiar voice called out her name. “Jules?”
It was Ty. “What are you doing here?” she demanded. “Where is Courtney?”
“Relax. She’s sleep and this sounded urgent.”
“It will be even more urgent if she walks in on the two of us breaking into her apartment.”
“We’re not breaking in. Or at least I’m not. I
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