Page 6 of Nightcrawler

There were lucrative bounties being posted all the time and Jamie had a knack for finding them. He’d read me the fucking riot act for losing out on the Mulberry diamond when it had seemed so easy. Trench was a junkie. All I had to do was figure out where he would be, follow him home or back to wherever he’d hidden the thing, and retrieve it. Instead, I’d come face to face with a can of pepper spray and an upstart who’d been grinning as he momentarily distracted me and cuffed the guy. I could have probably wrestled the can away from him. It wouldn’t have been the first time I’d come into contact with achemical agent during the course of both my military service and my professional fugitive recovery career. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience, but I would’ve gladly endured it, if nothing more than to wipe that thousand-watt smile off Raven Mathis’ unfortunately handsome face.

Then Cassidy and Mike had pulled up, crushing all my careful plans.

It wasn’t like I could’ve gone through with taking Raven to the mat a second time with the detectives watching. Cassidy had a knack for knowing where I was and what I was doing which irritated the hell out of me. Then again, he’d known me since I was a young teenager and he was an inexperienced patrolman. And…he’d been more of a father figure than a friend. Though no one could ever take the place of my dead father, he’d understood my grief and had been there for me every step of the way. He’d helped me that night and he’d made me think about the man I was forced to be at that horrible moment. I loved him and was mortified to think that I’d disappointed him by making a fool of myself in Hollywood.

Back in the present, I plastered a mocking smile on my face, reveling at Mathis’ shocked expression right before turning and taking a running leap at the ivy-covered cinder block wall at the far end of Passantino’s property. I scaled it easily dressed as I was in comfortable, loose clothes and shoes with soles that gripped the wall as I made it to the top. I perched there for only a second, momentarily pausing to glance back at the Dodge Ram and see Mathis yanking the door open. As he spilled out onto the asphalt, I looked down, noting the grassy area beneath, and jumped, landing easily on Passantino’s soft lawn, thankful he didn’t have a guard dog.

I didn’t look back as I sprinted for the side of the huge house which loomed three stories, designed like a Swiss chalet…probably the only alpine-architecture in all of Encino. I shook my head, making a mental note that rich people really needed more hobbies because their taste was often a victim of their wealth and how they perceived their own status. I absently wondered whether the Von Trapp family had settled in the San Fernando Valley at some point as I rushed for the side of the garish mansion. A black, metal gate blocked easy entry to the side of the house, but I scaled the secondary barrier to the property with ease, hopping down to the concrete walkway on the other side.

I knew Passantino’s security system. Jamie’s research was impeccable and always included an alarm system in the files he gave me, if one had been installed. In this case, James Passantino’s only security was a weak, and easily bypassed alarm system which had been purchased in the early 80s when the house had been renovated. A coded alarm keyboard was located next to the sliders on the back of the house, leading out to the pool, which just meant that I wasn’t making my approach there. I carried lock picks to use on the side door of the garage which was where I’d make entry. If the security system hadn’t been updated in the last forty years, and Jamie had assured me it wasn’t, I wouldn’t encounter an alarm here either.

I pulled out my picks the second I got to the door and inserted them. In seconds, I had it unlocked, and I took a deep breath, saying a prayer before turning the knob and pushing it inward. When it swung open on silent hinges, I couldn’t help but grin to myself. Jamie—God bless the man—was the best. Knowing that Raven was probably right behind me, time was of the essence. I pushed the button on the doorknob, shutting it silently, knowing he would eventually get in, but giving myself just a minute more to accomplish what I’d come for. I made for the house’s back door, scooting around a garish yellow Lamborghini and twoother cars in the garage. When I got to the solid wood fire door separating the three-car garage from the house itself, I opened it. Once again, no alarm sounded, and I stepped into a kitchen which hadn’t been updated since the house was gutted in the 80s.

Out on the street, I’d seen the lights in Passantino’s bedroom. Jamie had pulled the floorplan from public records, and I knew Passantino did a daily workout in his weight room located right beside his cavernous bedroom suite. His safe, where he’d hopefully stored the silicone boobs, was in his study on the ground floor. Thanks to Jamie’s relationship with several locksmiths and alarm manufacturers, I had not only the location of the safe—down to the room where it’d be—but I also knew which picture concealed it’s placement. All I had to do was retrieve the massive tits and make my escape before drawing attention to myself. Hopefully, Passantino would be none the wiser, busy in his home gym upstairs on the third floor.

I ran through the kitchen silently, headed through a formal dining room which was home to a huge table with twelve chairs, and then through the living room to cross over the white marble floor of the towering, three-story foyer. It was occupied by a large, round table made of the same white-washed wood all the other 80s-style furnishings were made of. I paused for a second, gazing up at the winding staircase and listened for the sounds of weights being lifted two floors above. I heard grunting and grinned to myself before continuing to the study.

It was located at the far end of the library, another massive room I had to cross. It too, was crammed with 80s-style couches, overstuffed chairs, and tables of the same white wood. A huge console projection TV was situated in the corner of the room, and I gave it a passing glance. The thing belonged in a museum, and I doubted it worked anymore. It was honestly the ugliestthing I’d ever seen in my life. I bypassed it, heading to the study door, pausing only a second before swinging it wide.

This room was different than the rest of the house, still decorated with the same ugly 80s furniture except the desk which stood at the far end of the room. It was sleek and modern, with a glass tabletop and a huge, flat screen monitor. I took only a second to shake myself, knowing I had no more time. With the insurance recovery agent hot on my heels and the thief upstairs, I needed to get to the object I’d come for quickly. I made haste, finding the painting and running over to it. It came away from the wall on oiled hinges without a sound, revealing the safe.

My hopes for an easy retrieval vanished the instant I spotted the keypad. Passantino had updated his security system after all. In my pocket, I had three numbers for a combination dial. I hadn’t expected a keypad. There was no way to work out the combination of numbers I’d need to open the safe or even a phone call to Jamie to see if he could find a hack for it. To make matters worse, I heard quiet footfalls coming up behind me. I spun around, knowing who’d be here, and cursed quietly under my breath when I recognized the tall figure and black hair of my nemesis, Raven Mathis.

“Motherfucker,” I whispered mostly to myself, surprised when I got a burst of quiet laughter in return.

“Nope. Just me, your old pal, Raven Mathis,” he replied, sauntering over as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I whispered as he came over and peered around me at the safe.

He ignored my question and hummed under his breath.

“Hmm…looks like a Gardall WMS911-G-E, wall mounted, fireproof model, and just the right size for a nice set of fake tits,” he said, sounding way too gleeful for the mood I was in.He swung his gaze back, facing me with that fucking wide grin that left me with a strangely foreign feeling down deep inside my belly. I didn’t like it…or him…or, if I was being honest with myself, the way it made me feel when he looked at me like that.

I glowered at him, and his face fell.

“And I suppose you know how to get into it?”

“Oh, you can’t?” he blurted before looking behind us and lowering his voice. “What is it, Trigg? You were prepared for something different?” Something must have dawned on him as a knowing smile crossed his face. “Oh, you missed the memo about the upgrade he did a month ago, right before he stole Gemma’s boobs?” When I said nothing and simply glared at him, he shrugged and dug into his pocket before holding up a piece of paper. “Well, would you look at that? It seems I have the combination.”

“Why in the hell would you—?” I stopped mid-sentence as the reason he’d have the combo dawned on me. “Wait…GMS is the insurer of Gemma’s boobs…are they also Passantino’s insurer?” At his nod, I sighed. “So of course you’d have the combination,” I concluded.

He nodded, grinning again. I wanted to wipe that smug smile right off his face. “Yeah. He has some very expensive jewelry, watches, and rare coins.” When I said nothing, pondering my options, he went on. “So, this recovery belongs to me. Step aside while I do this.”

“The fuck you say, Mathis,” I growled, stepping between him and the gaping hole in the wall.

“Fine then,” he said, stepping back and crossing his arms, the combination tucked into his closed fist. “Go for it.” He looked up at the ceiling, and I listened, hearing vague grunts coming from the room directly above us on the third floor.

“Shit!” I hissed, waving at the safe. “Fine! Open it,” I said in defeat as I stepped aside. “We’ll split the recovery reward.”

“Split it,huh?” He frowned for just a second before reaching out and patting my left bicep. “Alrighty then.” He stepped up to the safe and produced the paper with numbers written in chicken scratch, reading them out loud as he typed them in. A second later, a low beeping noise came from the safe and he opened the door.

We both bent to see inside before cursing at the same time.

It was completely empty except for some small boxes which—as predicted—turned out to be jewelry, watches, and coins. Just to make sure, I reached inside and swept for any secret or hidden compartments. There was nothing. I shut the door and punched a few numbers, hearing the lock reengage before pushing the picture back tight against the wall. I wanted to punch a hole through something.

“Now what?” I asked, frustrated beyond all reason as I stared at him. I noticed the grunting was still going on. “What in the hell is going on up there? He’s been working out a long time.”

Raven met my gaze with twinkling eyes. “Unless that’s not the kind of workout we think it is.”

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