Page 5 of Wanted 2

I had only six days left to get the code. I’d wasted yesterday. I couldn’t afford to waste another day.

And now with the Count asleep, I had a good few hours to implement my plan…whatever that ended up being.

I sat down to drum my fingers on the kitchen table.

Right. Time to get cracking.

The code.

How was I supposed to get it?

Since I couldn’t really hover over the Count’s shoulder and take notes—without raising suspicion, anyway—the only option I had would be to record him when I wasn’t around.

I’d heard one of Jeremy’s teachers complaining about getting their ID stolen during a Mexican cruise. She’d bopped off the ship just long enough to buy some rum at the port, and when she hadn’t had enough money, she’d used a nearby ATM to grab the cash. She’d returned home to phone calls from her bank, asking if she was shopping in Brazil. She’d been the victim of a ‘key skimmer’, she’d called it.

Needing my phone and some fresh air, I retrieved it from the entry table where the Count had taken to leaving it and went outside to walk the gardens and research.

The late afternoon sun felt warm on my face as I typed in ‘key skimmer.’

After clicking the first few links, I knew already I was in over my head. I couldn’t even begin to fathom installing something like that on the Count’s safe. Yeah, I’d made a lot of bad decisions in life, but I wasn’t the full-fledged criminal required to pull off such a stunt. At least not yet, anyway.

No, I was more on the Teddy Bear cam level…

The thought of the enigmatic and imperious Count opening his door to see a Teddy Bear staring back at him made me grin.

Still, the more I thought about it, the more the idea stuck. Not the Teddy Bear part, of course, but the camera.

Leaning against a tall stately oak at the back of the garden I keyed a quick search of “mini spy cameras”, and seconds later, I was in business. They even had them at Best Buy. It was still early in the day. I could pick one up, return, and then creep into the room to install it before the Count even budged from bed. Then, when he opened the safe within the next six days, voila, I’d have the code. Yes…hewouldopen the safe in the next six days. He had to.

I winced. It was a fragile plan, at best… Yeah, I definitely wasn’t criminally inclined… Oh, shit.Shit.

Don had the key.

I dropped my head back to bang it rhythmically against the tree trunk.

I had no choice. I’d have to ask for it back.

Much rather wanting to yank my own teeth out, I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and texted Don.

Need the key.Meet me at Best Buy.

The little dotspopped up at once, the ones showing he was texting a reply. I waited.

And waited.

Shit. He was typing a novel. This had to be bad. Why had I ever gotten involved with such a jerk to begin with?

Finally, his reply popped onto my screen.

6

I glared.He could go jump off a cliff. And into a pool of piranhas. Ignoring my phone, I headed to my car and left the property.

I didn't let myself think as I drove to town. Actually, I was getting pretty good at the not thinking bit. I just focused on the road, the blue sky, the trees waving in the light breeze.

As I navigated the parking lot and backed into my spot, I did let my thoughts wander back to the Count. In a secret, decadent way. Like when you indulge yourself with a real treat, creeping down to the fridge at night to pinch off a piece of that chocolate cake. You close your eyes, eat it, and moan as you lick the frosting on your fingers. I could think of a lot of scenarios with the Count that involved moaning and licking…

Catching the nature of my thoughts, I slammed on the brakes and switched of the engine.

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