but still no sounds from inside and no one came to the door. Kate’s stomach sank—it appeared as if Caleb Summers wasn’t home, but she wasn’t one to waste a trip and she figured she might still find some answers inside his apartment.
Kate glanced at the hallway on either side of her. It was empty, though surely someone must have heard her knocking and yelling—the walls were thin and she could hear muffled sounds of children crying and adults yelling. But no one came out to see why she was knocking so loudly, which was good. Kate didn’t need nosey neighbors interrupting her.
She pulled her leather lock-pick case out of her coat pocket and zipped it open. She bent down to inspect the type of lock and select a tool from the kit. Pulling off her leather glove so she could feel the tool more easily, she inserted the pick into the keyhole and worked it back and forth, her heart jolting when one of the apartment doors on the other side of the hall was ripped open.
Kate palmed the lock pick and stood back as if she was waiting for someone to answer the door. A short, dark-haired woman pulled a toddler down the hallway.
“I don’t think he’s home,” she said as she brushed past Kate.
“Oh, really?”
“He said something about a trip,” She called over her shoulder. “I’ve been taking in his newspaper.”
“Okay, thanks,” Kate called out as the woman disappeared into the stairwell.
A trip?
That could make it difficult to track him down. But it would give her more time to search his apartment. Kate put the pick back in, jiggled it around until she felt the satisfying click of the lock releasing, then opened the door and slipped in.
Summers’ apartment was sparse, decorated with second-hand furniture and crates, plus one whopping sixty-inch big screen TV. Exactly what you might expect from a struggling actor who hadn’t had time to spend the extra hundred grand in his bank account yet.
Kate started in the kitchen, not really sure what she was looking for, but hopeful she’d know it when she saw it. She put the glove she’d removed in the hallway back on before touching anything. She probably didn’t have to worry about leaving prints, but she’d learned in the FBI that one could never be too careful.
The sink was full of food-encrusted dishes. From the looks of things, they’d been there a few days. Probably not too unusual for a bachelor though, and the neighbor did say he was on vacation. The fridge held a half gallon of sour milk, a loaf of bread, ketchup and peanut butter. Not much different from Kate’s own fridge.
The cabinets didn’t yield any results so she moved into the bedroom. She looked under the bed, in between the mattress and box spring and then started on the bureau with one ear cocked toward the living room, in case Caleb came home. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if he did, but it would be good to have extra warning … if she could even hear him coming in over the sound of her heart pounding in her chest.
She opened the last bureau drawer and her heartbeat kicked into overdrive. The gray wig, makeup and other fittings Caleb had used to transform himself into Jon Nguyen sat on top of a stack of white t-shirts.
So, it was true, someone had hired him to impersonate Nguyen and steal the ruby. Did Summers still have it? Was it somewhere here in his apartment? Kate felt a rush of adrenalin and she kicked her search into high gear.
Two hours later, she’d searched the whole apartment and no ruby was to be found. Now she needed to find Caleb Summers more than ever … but if he’d gone on vacation like the neighbor said, he could be anywhere. And he might not be planning on coming back.
Kate pressed her lips together as she made a final sweep of the table Caleb was apparently using as a makeshift desk in the living room.
If he went somewhere, why hadn’t he taken any money out of the bank?
Kate flipped through the calendar that lay on the desk. It
Kate glanced at the hallway on either side of her. It was empty, though surely someone must have heard her knocking and yelling—the walls were thin and she could hear muffled sounds of children crying and adults yelling. But no one came out to see why she was knocking so loudly, which was good. Kate didn’t need nosey neighbors interrupting her.
She pulled her leather lock-pick case out of her coat pocket and zipped it open. She bent down to inspect the type of lock and select a tool from the kit. Pulling off her leather glove so she could feel the tool more easily, she inserted the pick into the keyhole and worked it back and forth, her heart jolting when one of the apartment doors on the other side of the hall was ripped open.
Kate palmed the lock pick and stood back as if she was waiting for someone to answer the door. A short, dark-haired woman pulled a toddler down the hallway.
“I don’t think he’s home,” she said as she brushed past Kate.
“Oh, really?”
“He said something about a trip,” She called over her shoulder. “I’ve been taking in his newspaper.”
“Okay, thanks,” Kate called out as the woman disappeared into the stairwell.
A trip?
That could make it difficult to track him down. But it would give her more time to search his apartment. Kate put the pick back in, jiggled it around until she felt the satisfying click of the lock releasing, then opened the door and slipped in.
Summers’ apartment was sparse, decorated with second-hand furniture and crates, plus one whopping sixty-inch big screen TV. Exactly what you might expect from a struggling actor who hadn’t had time to spend the extra hundred grand in his bank account yet.
Kate started in the kitchen, not really sure what she was looking for, but hopeful she’d know it when she saw it. She put the glove she’d removed in the hallway back on before touching anything. She probably didn’t have to worry about leaving prints, but she’d learned in the FBI that one could never be too careful.
The sink was full of food-encrusted dishes. From the looks of things, they’d been there a few days. Probably not too unusual for a bachelor though, and the neighbor did say he was on vacation. The fridge held a half gallon of sour milk, a loaf of bread, ketchup and peanut butter. Not much different from Kate’s own fridge.
The cabinets didn’t yield any results so she moved into the bedroom. She looked under the bed, in between the mattress and box spring and then started on the bureau with one ear cocked toward the living room, in case Caleb came home. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if he did, but it would be good to have extra warning … if she could even hear him coming in over the sound of her heart pounding in her chest.
She opened the last bureau drawer and her heartbeat kicked into overdrive. The gray wig, makeup and other fittings Caleb had used to transform himself into Jon Nguyen sat on top of a stack of white t-shirts.
So, it was true, someone had hired him to impersonate Nguyen and steal the ruby. Did Summers still have it? Was it somewhere here in his apartment? Kate felt a rush of adrenalin and she kicked her search into high gear.
Two hours later, she’d searched the whole apartment and no ruby was to be found. Now she needed to find Caleb Summers more than ever … but if he’d gone on vacation like the neighbor said, he could be anywhere. And he might not be planning on coming back.
Kate pressed her lips together as she made a final sweep of the table Caleb was apparently using as a makeshift desk in the living room.
If he went somewhere, why hadn’t he taken any money out of the bank?
Kate flipped through the calendar that lay on the desk. It
Similar Books
