Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
ELENA
Orion gave me a long blonde wig to wear with a baseball cap. I wore jeans and a Harvard business school T-shirt. And he wore a Boston Red Sox cap and a Red Sox T-shirt with jeans as well. We both had dark sunglasses. He tossed a black backpack into the back seat and got into the driver’s side of my Land Rover.
“I understand we’re in disguise, but for what?” I asked him, buckling into my seat.
“You’re going to solve your case today.”
“My case? You need to give me some more details, Slingshot. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’ll see.”
“You know you can’t just tell me that and expect me not to ask. It’s torture.”
He smiled. “I like it when you pout. It reminds me of your sexy swollen lips from last night.” He took my hand in his. “By the way, youpassed the test with flying colors. You’re a magnificent student.”
Heat blossomed onto my face, and I looked out the window, smiling. We branded every room in my house. Theman had incredible stamina.
Orion pulled into a small street with a hair salon and a convenience store on the corner. We got out, and I glanced around, not familiar with this place. It seemed like a residential area with a couple of local shops.
He slung a backpack on his shoulder and took my hand in his. “If anyone asks, we’re college students in love, researching a project.”
We walked to the corner store parking lot, cut through the wooded section, and ended up in the backyard of someone’s house.
Then I realized what was happening. “I can’t believe this.”
“You wanted to be my protégé. I’m showing you how it’s done. This is the beginner’s level.”
My heart raced, knowing I was about to commit a crime. It seemed wrong, and yet I couldn’t stop myself.
“Whose house is this?” I whispered. “Are there any cameras around? Have you checked out the area already?”
“You make an exceptional thief. You’re asking all the right questions.” He smiled at me. “We’re at Chantel’s second house.”
“What?” I gasped.
Chantel had created a horrific workplace for me and others.
“She’s behind all the rumors about you.”
I’d had a feeling, but I didn’t have any proof.
He headed to the back deck. “I hacked into her security alarm this morning, so we’re good.”
These criminal confessions had become the norm to my ears. I should’ve been surprised, but I asked, “How do I manipulate this lock?”
He arched an eyebrow. “That kind of question tells me you’ve been researching techniques?”
I twisted my lips. “I had to get a head start somewhere.”
The smirk grew into a grin. “Show me what you learned.”
I glanced around. “We have to be fast. What if she comes home?”
“She’s on a flight to California this morning.”
“Take your time,” he said casually, as though he were breaking into his own home. There was no sense of urgency.
However, I was trying my best to tame the nerves wreaking havoc in my body. Fear slid down my spine like an icy finger. I was out of my comfort zone. But this experience would allow me to see and feel all the things Orion had undergone. It was one way of getting to know my thief better.
The heightened excitement and fear overwhelmed me. I could see how they numbed other sensations—numbed his anxiety—bringing the mind to focus on the pivotal moment.
Orion opened his backpack and pulled out a box of tools. “Help yourself.”
I opened the plastic box and found a razor, various knives, scissors, pliers, wires, a container of bobby pins, paperclips, and other lock-picking tools.
“I heard a bra wire can pick a lock too.”
“Anything that can be bent into a tension lever will work.” He gestured to the lock on the door. “That’s a pin tumbler lock, which is common in most houses.”
“How long did it take you to pick your first lock?”
“Two minutes. The second time was faster.”
I gaped at him. “They need to make better locks.”
“A lock only provides an illusion of security, Sunshine. If someone really wants to get into your house, they can easily do it. You always need extra security.”
“So I’m going to need a security system for my house now?”
“I’ve already got that covered. Your new system arrives next week.”
I scrunched up my face. “Were you going to ask me?”
“May I please buy a security system to make sure my beautiful girlfriend is safe when I’m not around?” he asked with a serious expression that made me annoyed and also warm inside.
“Okay, fine. But please ask me next time. I like to know what’s going on in my home.”
“Noted.”
Of all the tools he had available, I chose the bobby pins because of the video I’d seen.
Smiling, he arched an eyebrow. “Interesting.”
“I’m an amateur, so I need an amateur tool.” I wagged the two bobby pins in front of him. “The bobby pin is a woman’s accessory—not that men can’t use it in their hair—and I want to acknowledge that it can get things done efficiently without all the bells and whistles.”
He laughed. “More power to the bobby pin.”
I spread the wavy and straight ends to a ninety-degree angle and used his razor to remove the rubber tip. I bent the other pin to look like a coffee mug handle, turning it into a tension lever. That was what the guy on the video called it.
I stuck the flat end of one pin into the top of the lock and began my process.
I could feel his eyes on me. “Stop looking at me. You’re disrupting my concentration.”
He kissed my cheek. “You’re the best partner in crime a thief could ever ask for.”
After a few minutes of struggling to get the two pins to work properly, I heard the five clicks of the lock pins settling into the barrel. Excitement swelled in me as I turned, beaming at him.
“I did it!” I said, trying my best to keep my tone down. Something was wrong with me for being excited about breaking into someone’s house. But I shoved that guilt aside for now.
Pride gleamed in his eyes. “You’ve got the thief blood in you. You’re a natural criminal.”
“Shut up.” I laughed. “If there is such a thing, it’s because I’m spending way too much time with a professional thief.”
“You’re allowed to rob me of anything, Sunshine.”
I rolled my eyes. “Let’s hurry before someone comes by.”
Inside Chantel’s house, Orion led me to the living room.
“How do you know where to go?”
He pointed to the cameras in her house. “After the event at the fashion show, I was curious.”
“You were curious about her?”
“No.” He smirked. “I was curious about why she hated you so much.” He brushed a finger down my face. “But the mudstacle incident was the turning point for me. There’s more than jealousy behind the hatred. I hacked into her security system. It didn’t take long for me to review the recent recordings to see where she hid the information.”
Orion pulled on a pair of gloves and gave me a pair as well. Then he walked over to the wooden coffee table and pulled a folder from the drawer and gave it to me.
I sat down on the couch and reviewed the bank statements and email printouts. I didn’t recognize the man’s name on the documents.
“Jason Dudek works for a small bank in Providence. That bank is under the Reimann Sienna Bank. She’s letting them use her warehouse to store drugs.” She scoffed. “And she accused me of working with the cartels?”
“Sometimes people accuse others ofthe very crimes they commit. It’s a defense mechanism, I guess to distract the attention from themselves.”
“Do you think her family knows?”
“Doesn’t matter. What matters is this information is already sent to the media. It’ll be her downfall.”
My chest warmed at the incredible man who was always steps ahead of me. He already had this information, but wanted me to experience the break-in while also discovering Chantel’s crimes.
“She targeted me because my show was investigating bank scams.” I looked at him, grateful for the information. “Thank you. This means a lot to me.”
“This can be another story for Musepaper.”
I sighed. “Musepaper will be the talk of New England.”
“Of the world,” he said. “These banks have international ties.”
“Will your family’s bank be okay?”
“Yes.” His eyes softened. “We’re closing in on the corrupt people.”
After snapping images of the documents onto my phone, we left the house the way we found it and rushed back to the car.
“I just realized something profound.” I traced his chin with my fingers.
“What is it?”
“That you’re a complex lock with many intricate parts that somehow work together beautifully.”
He smiled at me. “I found the perfect key. It’s you. From the very first moment I met you, something clicked in me. The rest is history.”
I blushed, and my phone rang.
“It’s Rebecca Wright, the HR Manager from Channel Seven News,” I told Orion.
“Elena, do you have time to meet tomorrow?”
“Hold on. I have to put you on speaker. My hands are tied up.” I winked at Orion. “What’s this about?”
“About you returning to Channel Seven. We value your work. The station has been bombarded with viewers demanding your return. We miss you.”
Intrigued, I said, “I can be there tomorrow around ten. Does that work for you?”
“It’s perfect. See you then.”