Chapter 3 - Inside the Lion’s DenGrace’s estate sat behind heavy wrought-iron gates at the end of a winding oak-lined driveway. The house was completely dark, save for a single automated security light near the garage.
I parked my car three houses down, switched off the headlights, and walked the remaining distance through the shadows of the hedges. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.
When I reached the rear patio door, I pulled the spare key from my clutch—the very key Grace had carelessly left on our kitchen counter months ago—and slid it into the lock. It turned with a faint, oiled click.
I stepped inside the silent, sterile mansion. The air smelled of old polish and expensive potpourri.
“Maya? You in?” a low voice crackled through my concealed earpiece. It was Detective Vance’s tech specialist, a quiet man named Leo who was waiting near the perimeter fence.
“I’m in,” I whispered back, tiptoeing across the hardwood floor toward the study. “The hallway is clear.”
“Copy that. I’m scaling the rear trellis now. Give me two minutes.”
I reached the heavy mahogany double doors of Grace’s study. The brass handle felt freezing cold beneath my palm. I pushed the door open just enough to slip inside, closing it behind me with agonizing slowness.
Grace’s study was a monument to her ego. Framed photographs of her with local politicians, judges, and high-ranking business leaders lined the bookshelves. In the corner sat the massive, floor-to-ceiling iron safe disguised behind a sliding panel of faux leather law books.
Ten seconds later, the study window slid open with a faint scrape, and Leo dropped soundlessly onto the Persian rug. He wore dark tactical gear and carried a small aluminum case.
“Impressive,” Leo muttered, kneeling down in front of the safe. “Your mother-in-law likes her security old school.”
“Can you crack it?” I asked, standing guard by the door.
“I don’t need to crack it yet. I just need to attach a magnetic relay transmitter to the hinge casing and sync it to our mobile base. Once the search warrant is officially served tonight, this transmitter will stream every internal lock movement directly to our decryptor.”
Leo pulled a small, sleek device from his kit, reached underneath the heavy steel door of the safe, and pressed it firmly against the magnetic seal. A tiny blue LED light blinked once, then went dark.
May you like
“Done,” Leo whispered, packing his tools away in seconds. “Let’s get out of here before the security patrol makes their hourly sweep.”
We retraced our steps in silence. As I stepped back out through the rear patio door and locked it behind me, a profound sense of relief washed over me. The trap was set. The bait was in place. All that remained was to spring it in front of the entire elite circle of Bellweather.
Related Stories
