Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals

shut. Then he watched them walk out of sight. He heard Jack’s truck start, followed by the sound of gravel crunching under tires as they drove off. He was almost giddy with this turn of good luck. His mind was racing as he considered his options. In that moment, emotion and impulse overcame him. They were obviously shopping for a cookout. Allowing for travel time, and time spent shopping, he guessed that he would have at least forty-five minutes. That would be plenty of time to break in, find the disc, and retrieve the bug. It was such a bad idea, that it seemed good.

CHAPTER 68
    THE SUN WAS just dipping below the horizon and the tide had begun to drop fast. With the falling tide, the channels in the marsh became more pronounced, and he became less visible. On shore the shadows were becoming longer and darker and in the distance, lights were coming on in the homes around the marsh. He scanned Jack’s place with his binoculars and studied Courtney’s house. As he expected, there was no sign of life anywhere, just the looming darkness.
    He paddled hard and fast to the point just behind Jack’s place that he had used before. He would be well concealed except to someone watching that spot, at that moment, through very strong lenses. Despite the risk, he felt safe.
    He nosed the canoe against the shore and reached for his messenger bag. He reached in and checked the contents of the bag. He withdrew the pair of thin leather gloves and the small flashlight he had used the last time he visited. He also put in his pocket a set of well-used lock picks, just in case. His last move was to pat his pocket. Reassured that his knife was there, he felt ready.
    Leaving the bag behind, he gingerly climbed out of the canoe. Without his weight pressing it into the shoreline, it began floating again. Holding onto the canoe, he pulled it far enough up into the marsh grass so that it wouldn’t float away. Since the tide was dropping he didn’t have to pull it far. He didn’t bother to tie it either.
    The ground was firm, but wet, and he stepped carefully so as to stay on the marsh grass and out of the mud. He moved quickly to the back of the building, taking care to stay in the shadows. It was not yet fully dark, but with care he would remain invisible. Slowly he peered around the corner to take another look at Courtney’s house. It was still completely dark and there was no indication that anyone was around.
    He checked his watch. It had been about five minutes since he saw Jack and Max drive off. He would allow no more than thirty minutes for what he had to do. It could be tight but he had to take the risk. If he was wrong and they returned sooner, things could get ugly, but he needed that disc.
    The door wasn’t locked, which elicited a smug grin. He quickly disappeared inside and then paused at the bottom of the stairs to listen to the building before beginning the climb. Halfway up he reached the point where he could see into the room at floor level and he stopped. His eyes had adjusted to the low light and as he looked around, it all came back to him: the kitchen, the living room, bedroom, and bathroom. At the top of the stairs he stopped again, looked about a second time, and inhaled deeply. He smelled cat, and it was close. Maybe it was finally time for some revenge. His heart rate increased as he thought about this possible bonus.
    Cat had remained inside after Max and Jack left, playing with her new toy. She had just batted it across the room and into the nook where the hutch was when she heard the door open and close again. The slight puff of outside air that came in when the door opened brought with it a smell that Cat recognized from before. Her fur stood on end as she sniffed, trying to pinpoint its origin. It grew stronger. She crouched and watched. The smell became a shape, and it appeared at the top of the stairs. Now she knew what it was. Evil had arrived.

CHAPTER 69
    KURT CHECKED HIS WATCH . He had to find the CD and the bug. The cat would have to wait. It would be the icing on the cake if he had time. He took another deep breath to stay his agitation, then checked his watch again. He was wasting too much valuable time thinking about the cat, but he couldn’t help it. He moved forward.
    The kitchen was first. Drawers. Cabinets. He moved swiftly and efficiently looking in all the usual places. Most people were not too creative when it came to hiding things, and from years of experience he knew where to look.