Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Webs We Weave
CLIFF
Three days after his fortuitous meeting at Pasha’s Fine Jewelry with the striking Ms. Gray, Cliff stood in front of giant whiteboard in a small rented conference room.
He inspected the blueprints and architectural plans of a sizable Manhattan Beach mansion while fiddling with a toothpick.
Clad in all black, from his sport coat to his Converse, he studied the drawings and moved closer to scrutinize the distance from the front door to the vault in the back of the master bedroom.
“Here.” His finger followed a line to the placement of the security cameras to the corner. “That’s our entry point.”
He glanced up at Lorna Gray, the glamorous woman he’d met at Pasha’s who had rich auburn hair and perfectly arched eyebrows.
She leaned back in an office chair, her gold earrings dangling, wearing a white linen dress tailored to perfection.
Her tanned legs were crossed with one leg lazily bobbing up and down as she concentrated on his presentation.
“It’s not the most impenetrable home I’ve ever seen, but it’s close,” Cliff said as he moved to the corner of the blueprint and pointed.
“The extraneous variable is the random passersby. On a scale of one to ten on public exposure, it’s a nine.
Plus, the neighbors are so close you can hear their cell phones ring.
By my estimates, the local police force is less than two minutes away, which is not ideal.
Add to that the MBPD has their own SWAT team.
Which says something about the clientele.
” Cliff pointed to a side door that led to the garage.
“However, this is a blind spot the cameras don’t see.
Unfortunately, the motion detectors cover that, but that only means we’ve got to get creative. ”
Lorna Gray nodded thoughtfully and gestured for him to continue.
Cliff moved to the other side of the blueprints. “The only way to get inside without setting off the alarm is to either disable it, with what appears to be a diabolical ten-digit code, or dismantle it. An experienced crew could cut the power supply.”
“The house is equipped with a top-of-the-line backup generator,” Lorna said as she crossed her arms. “If the city’s power supply goes out, it automatically kicks in. So, the motion sensors, cameras, and alarms will remain intact.”
Cliff ran his tongue over his teeth, considering this new information. “Then we cripple the backup generator without setting off the alarms.” Cliff looked at the schematics. “Yes, that part would be easy. Another blind spot. See.”
“So, you think you can thwart this system that easily and get to what’s in the safe?”
Cliff leaned on the conference room table and thought about it for a moment. He looked straight at her, sighed, and answered, “In under two minutes.”
Lorna Gray pondered this for a moment, her eyes looking through him, as if she was doing math in her head.
“Damn, and I thought it was impossible to crack it.” She emerged from her chair and inspected the blueprints, scanning his plan written in red pencil.
“Well, I must say, I didn’t quite believe the reputation you espoused, but after the glowing review from Vasken, meeting you here and seeing your plans, I’m impressed.
” She circled Cliff like a leopard circling prey.
“I think you’re just the man for the job. ”
“Vasken was generous with his praise.”
“He said you broke into his vault and lifted two mil worth of gems without a hitch. I think he had a nickname for you. I think he called you The Panther.”
Cliff chuckled at the newly minted nickname. “The Panther, I like it.”
“Me, too,” Lorna said. “Best way to build a security system no thief can break into is to hire a thief to build it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cliff said as he cleared his throat. “Should be my tagline.”
“You’re hired.”
“Then it’s a small matter of a deposit of two thousand dollars,” Cliff said, a tentativeness tightening his delivery. If Lorna provided his deposit, he could finish Vasken’s security system with some left over, but he still needed a larger influx of cash.
“Of course. One small favor. Can you write this plan up so I can take it with me and examine it further?”
“Not a problem. I’ll provide you a copy of the blueprints and a detailed plan by tomorrow afternoon. I can drop it off at the house. That should give me a better view of things.”
“Actually, drop by my office instead, if you don’t mind. I’ve got a hectic day tomorrow. My office is in Riviera Village down in Redondo Beach.” She handed him one of her pink embossed cards. He glanced at it.
“Consider it done.” Cliff smiled so deep he could feel it in his toes. His second bona fide client, and he could get an advance to pay for equipment while his pitch meeting with The Siberian loomed. Perhaps he could finish this job, get paid, and not need The Siberian at all.
Maybe he could turn it around after all.
The criminal mind is a funny thing, though.
It always has a hold. He leaned on the conference table, his curiosity brimming, as much a part of his nature as the dimple in his chin, and said, “Whatever you’re trying to protect must be pretty special to put in a system like this. ”
Lorna Gray deferred the question and shrugged.
“There have been a series of break-ins of houses on The Strand. I’d rather hope for the best, but plan for the worst. ‘Be prepared,’ right?
Boy Scout pledge?” She grabbed her Chanel bag, removed two slim stacks of hundreds totaling two thousand dollars.
Along with the bundle of cash, a card fell onto the table that read Vanderlip Airfield.
Cliff recognized it instantly. “Small world. I took flying lessons there years ago. Do you fly?”
Lorna Gray stuffed the card back into her wallet and said, “Me? No, never. Small planes are just … yikes.” She shivered and explained. “A pilot I know happens to fly in and out of there, and I’m setting him up on a blind date.”
She walked toward the exit and turned toward Cliff. “Oh, one more thing, Mr. Weston.”
Cliff looked up, hoping she wasn’t going to ask about his past crimes. She gave a half smile, and he noticed the beauty mark right above her top lip.
She paused and asked, “Are you single?”