surprised. He’d heard they were either privatizing or
pulling down these buildings. Property as well as finance was his thing and
he’d even looked into acquiring on the
Thames
himself. This though was far from privatized. A huge, rearing monstrosity, it
looked only about half full. He got that by the fact most of the windows were
boarded up.
“Come on,” Penny urged.
As they approached the building, the smell or urine hit Sebastian
hard and he almost gagged. “ Dios ,” he
hissed. “You’re not serious. We’re not going in there!”
“Of course we are,” she said. “I need to get my papers.”
“You think it’ll be safe here?”
She nodded but looked around wearily. “Keep your voice down. And
yes, I know it will.”
“And how do you know that exactly?”
“Well I live round here so and I spend a fair bit of time in these
flats. But if you don’t want to come in you can wait here and I’ll come back in
a little while.”
“You think I’d trust you to do that? Come back to me?”
She shrugged, hands in the pockets of his sweats. They were far too
big for her even with the cord pulled tight. “Well I don’t know but you should.
As I said I don’t break my promises. Besides you’d never find your way back to
the car.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
He breathed in shallow breaths as she keyed in a code on the door.
The smell was worse inside, but Penny did not seem to notice it. She headed
straight for the stairs and he followed.
“The lifts don’t work,” she said. “And even if they did it’s too
risky to use them. They break down half the time and no one will come out to
fix them.”
He was appalled. Absolutely appalled. Eight
flights of stairs they climbed and Penny seemed to relish the exercise. She
wasn’t even out of breath when they reached the desired floor. But then neither
was he, only he ran five miles a day so that was to be expected. He found
himself wondering exactly what his thief did to stay in such shape.
The hallway was dim, most of the overhead lights blinking on and
off, casting odd shadows. He counted the doors as they passed by until they
reached the one with a number fifty on it. Somewhere close by a baby wailed,
followed by a woman’s voice telling it to shut the fuck up. Dear God.
“What is this place?” he asked and Penny laughed.
“Home sweet home.”
And as she said the words Sebastian was certain of one thing. More
certain than he’d been of anything before. Madness or not, once this job was
done Penny was never coming back here ever again.
Chapter Seventeen
Just put your life in the
hands of the man you robbed, Pen. Go right ahead and do that. But what other choice was there? As they stood outside her home Penny
couldn’t for the life of her think of another solution. She needed her ID to
verify the sale at the auction and she hadn’t taken it with her to Sebastian’s.
That would have been beyond foolish. Instead her plan had been to return home
with the cash and get everything she needed for the auction the next day—which
was exactly what she was doing now. Of course she hadn’t expected to have cut
it so fine.
But this? Showing
him where she lived? It could cause all sorts of problems. He’d know more about
her than she wanted. Her address. Her
sisters’ address. But he’s not
going to call the police, her mind reassured her. He promised. But you barely know him , the other side
chanted, except in the biblical sense. It could all be lies. What to do?
“You’re unusually quiet,” Sebastian said as they stood outside.
“I’m wondering if this is such a good idea after all,” she replied,
being honest for once.
“How so?”
“I’m showing you where I live. You’ll have an address to give the
police when you let me go.”
He sighed. “The police are no longer in the picture, Kleftisa . I
thought we’d already established that.”
She turned at her door and gave him a long,
pulling down these buildings. Property as well as finance was his thing and
he’d even looked into acquiring on the
Thames
himself. This though was far from privatized. A huge, rearing monstrosity, it
looked only about half full. He got that by the fact most of the windows were
boarded up.
“Come on,” Penny urged.
As they approached the building, the smell or urine hit Sebastian
hard and he almost gagged. “ Dios ,” he
hissed. “You’re not serious. We’re not going in there!”
“Of course we are,” she said. “I need to get my papers.”
“You think it’ll be safe here?”
She nodded but looked around wearily. “Keep your voice down. And
yes, I know it will.”
“And how do you know that exactly?”
“Well I live round here so and I spend a fair bit of time in these
flats. But if you don’t want to come in you can wait here and I’ll come back in
a little while.”
“You think I’d trust you to do that? Come back to me?”
She shrugged, hands in the pockets of his sweats. They were far too
big for her even with the cord pulled tight. “Well I don’t know but you should.
As I said I don’t break my promises. Besides you’d never find your way back to
the car.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
He breathed in shallow breaths as she keyed in a code on the door.
The smell was worse inside, but Penny did not seem to notice it. She headed
straight for the stairs and he followed.
“The lifts don’t work,” she said. “And even if they did it’s too
risky to use them. They break down half the time and no one will come out to
fix them.”
He was appalled. Absolutely appalled. Eight
flights of stairs they climbed and Penny seemed to relish the exercise. She
wasn’t even out of breath when they reached the desired floor. But then neither
was he, only he ran five miles a day so that was to be expected. He found
himself wondering exactly what his thief did to stay in such shape.
The hallway was dim, most of the overhead lights blinking on and
off, casting odd shadows. He counted the doors as they passed by until they
reached the one with a number fifty on it. Somewhere close by a baby wailed,
followed by a woman’s voice telling it to shut the fuck up. Dear God.
“What is this place?” he asked and Penny laughed.
“Home sweet home.”
And as she said the words Sebastian was certain of one thing. More
certain than he’d been of anything before. Madness or not, once this job was
done Penny was never coming back here ever again.
Chapter Seventeen
Just put your life in the
hands of the man you robbed, Pen. Go right ahead and do that. But what other choice was there? As they stood outside her home Penny
couldn’t for the life of her think of another solution. She needed her ID to
verify the sale at the auction and she hadn’t taken it with her to Sebastian’s.
That would have been beyond foolish. Instead her plan had been to return home
with the cash and get everything she needed for the auction the next day—which
was exactly what she was doing now. Of course she hadn’t expected to have cut
it so fine.
But this? Showing
him where she lived? It could cause all sorts of problems. He’d know more about
her than she wanted. Her address. Her
sisters’ address. But he’s not
going to call the police, her mind reassured her. He promised. But you barely know him , the other side
chanted, except in the biblical sense. It could all be lies. What to do?
“You’re unusually quiet,” Sebastian said as they stood outside.
“I’m wondering if this is such a good idea after all,” she replied,
being honest for once.
“How so?”
“I’m showing you where I live. You’ll have an address to give the
police when you let me go.”
He sighed. “The police are no longer in the picture, Kleftisa . I
thought we’d already established that.”
She turned at her door and gave him a long,
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