by C. J. Urban
Skye shoved his notebook and a few tools into his bag and headed out to his truck, wasting no time now. He was no longer sure about Julie’s ability to stay out of trouble. He arrived at her house, and walked up to the door hoping she had decided against breaking in to City Hall. He knocked three times, and Julie opened the door with a determined look on her face as she ushered him inside. So much for her deciding against it, thought Skye.
He sat on the couch in the living room and suddenly heard an out-of-tune piano being played behind him. He turned around to see Sam making an effort at “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” with little success. Sam seemed to find the sound just as annoying as Skye did, because he stopped playing after only a minute and looked over at Skye.
“Sounds pretty bad, huh?” Sam asked.
“It just needs some tuning. You should get that thing fixed,” Skye said to Julie as she sat down across from him in her recliner.
“I would if I had the money for it. I still need to find a job. We’re doing all right for now, but in a few months we’re going to be struggling.”
“I’m going upstairs to play, since the TV doesn’t even get cable,” Sam said, emphasizing Julie’s point.
“What type of work are you looking for?” Skye asked her.
“Well for now anything will do, but like I said, I want to be a private investigator. I don’t want to talk about work right now, though. Let’s focus on the task at hand.”
“About that,” Skye began. “It’s a stupid idea, first and foremost, but I also know that this is no ordinary case we’re working on. What’s more important is that we need a plan. We can’t just go bursting in there thinking we’re okay because it’s dark. Nothing is that simple.”
He paused, letting this sink in. He wanted to stress just how risky an idea it was.
“More than anything,” he continued, “we’re going to need to keep an eye out and really scan our surroundings. I’ve broken in to a few places before, and the one time I was caught, it was because I hadn’t looked behind me often enough. Needless to say, a broken nose, bloody lip, and two knocked-out teeth taught me a good lesson.”
“Why were you breaking into places?”
Skye smiled wryly. “It’s not what you think. They were favors for others. People without money tend to be in need of the most expensive things, so I helped out a few families once and got them the medication they needed.”
“You stole from a pharmacy?”
“I’m your everyday Robin Hood,” Skye said, standing and bowing for dramatic effect. “And, even in a small town like Dupont, there are some secrets that can be kept.”
“Some secrets,” Julie repeated. “Like who Tara’s real killer is.”
“Probably,” Skye agreed.
“Well, I suppose I feel a bit safer now. I mean, you’ve got a successful record for breaking and entering. Tomorrow night should be a piece of cake.”
“Tomorrow night?” Skye asked, shocked.
“No sense in wasting time.”
“There’s a little sense in it. You think you’re ready? I don’t even know how stealthy you are. I was going to train you a bit before we did this. And tomorrow night is supposed to be our date night. You haven’t forgotten, have you?” Skye asked teasingly.
Julie was embarrassed at Skye’s words, but regained her composure. “Of course I haven’t forgotten,” she said, a bit too innocently. “I was just thinking we would go afterward.”
“Right,” Skye said. “Sort of like an after-party?”
“After-parties are the best kind.”
“Oh, I’m sure they are,” Skye said, who had never been one for parties, let alone a second one after the first. “Here’s the deal. If we don’t talk at all about any of this murder business on our date, then the after-party is on.”
“Deal,” Julie said, beaming at him.
Chapter 19
It was Friday afternoon, and Julie sat in her worn-out recliner, nervous. Tonight was the night, for many things. Now, she pulled stray threads from the chair as her mind ventured to a place she hadn’t allowed it to go in a long while. What was she going to wear tonight? How should she do her hair? As the questions ran through her mind, she began to feel a little guilty for being so self-absorbed.
She had a date, and then she was going to commit the crime of breaking into City Hall, to try to find information. And then…her cheeks flushed, remembering saying goodbye to Skye the night before.
He’d stayed until after Sam went to bed, and Julie almost gave in to him. She probably would have if it hadn’t been for her little brother.
Ever since Sam had become her responsibility, she had taken on the role of mother, and although she felt she was only doing an adequate job, she was at least comforted by knowing she was doing the best she could.
Tonight was going to be a little different, however, and the prospect excited Julie. She heard Sam upstairs pretending to blow up colonies of aliens, and knew she had a little time to pick out an outfit.
She went up to her bedroom and began rummaging through her closet, throwing random pieces of clothing on the bed as she searched for a good color palate to work with.
Thirty minutes later, Julie was ready and, if she did say so herself, looked stunning. She had chosen a light blue sleeveless dress that showed off her shapely, long legs. It was made of a silky material that flowed around her as she moved. She felt overdressed, but figured it was because she hardly ever wore anything fancier than jeans and a t-shirt.
She fastened a diamond pendant necklace around her neck, one that her father had given her, and slipped on a pair of sparkly white flats. She didn’t even own a pair of heels, and doubted she ever would. Once in front of the mirror in the bathroom, she lightly applied makeup, and observed the final product.
Julie felt more beautiful than she had in months. It had been a long time since she had put effort into looking nice for someone she had feelings for, and she enjoyed it. She checked her watch and felt her stomach lurch into her chest. It was almost eight.
“Hey, Sammy, you’re going to spend some time over at Gloria’s tonight, okay?” she called out to him.
“Woohoo,” exclaimed Sam, making his way out of his room. “Her house is awesome.”
“I’m glad you like it,” said Julie, pulling him into a quick hug. She hurriedly went back to her closet to get a change of clothes for after dinner. She packed a black ensemble of a sweatshirt, jeans, socks, and running shoes into a small brown bag and carried it down the stairs just in time to answer Skye’s knock at the door. She fussed with her hair a little before opening it.
“You look amazing,” he said, kissing her cheek.
“Thank you. You look pretty good, yourself,” Julie said, taking Skye in. He was wearing a blue-and-gray striped button-down shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes perfectly. His usual worn blue jeans had been replaced by crisp black slacks, and black leather shoes.
Skye pulled a single red rose from behind his back and held it out for her.
“It’s beautiful,” Julie said, taking it from him and lifting it to her nose to smell.
“A beautiful rose for a beautiful young woman. Are you ready?”
“Yeah, I’m just waiting on Sam,” Julie said, crossing over to the bottom of the stairs. “Hey, Sammy, come on. It’s time to go.”
Sam appeared moments later wearing a cowboy hat, and holding a fake Western-style gun. He pointed it right at Skye and pretended to fire it. “Gotcha,” he said, as Skye slumped over and groaned.
Sam dropped the gun to his side, looked up at Skye with a serious expression, “Be careful with her.”
“I’ll be very careful. I promise. Shall we go?”
Julie locked up the house, and the three of them got into Skye’s truck. As they headed to Gloria’s, Julie noticed more police cars than usual on the road.
“Is something going on with the police?” Julie asked Skye.
“I’m not sure,” said Skye. “There usually aren’t this many, though, un
less there’s a manhunt.”
Julie suddenly recalled the footprints outside her house, and felt a chill run through her, but said nothing. She didn’t want Skye thinking she wasn’t brave. And she had promised to not talk about the murder, or anything related to it.
Once at Gloria’s house, Julie quickly ushered Sam inside, the uneasy feeling still lingering. She knelt down in front of him, taking both his hands in hers.
“Be good for Gloria, okay? And remember that I’m always safe, so there’s no need to worry, all right?” she said, kissing his forehead.
Sam nodded his head and walked off into the living room. Julie was still thinking of City Hall, and the possible outcome she hoped wouldn’t occur. “Gloria? Um, do you think it would be alright if Sam spent the night tonight? We might be out late.”
She realized how awkward this sounded, but Gloria only laughed. “Of course, he’s welcome to spend the night anytime,” she said warmly. “I know how dates sometimes go,” she added with the wink of an eye.
“Thank you,” Julie said, feeling the warmth rise in her cheeks. She took Skye by the hand, hoping he would get the hint that she wanted to leave, and inched her way toward the door. Skye got it, and thanked his mother before closing the door behind him.
“She can be a little blunt sometimes.”
“It’s alright,” Julie said, wanting to forget the comment altogether. “So, where are we going?”
“There’s this restaurant called India Gardens that I’ve wanted to try for a while. I’ve heard great things about it. Does that sound good to you?”
“That sounds great. I love Indian food.”
“Oh, you’re going to love this, then.”
India Gardens was set up on a hill that overlooked miles of city lights. Their illumination was captivating, and if the restaurant had not been equally so, Julie thought she could have watched them twinkle all night.
Skye led her up the steps into the paved marble entryway, which had beautiful statues of Hindu gods in the corners of the room. Behind the front desk was a short, fast-talking hostess taking names and assisting those with reservations, so Skye walked over to tell her of theirs.
Within a minute, they were led down a staircase into a large high-ceilinged room with small tables surrounding a beautiful garden. The hostess led them to a table near a gorgeous stone waterfall, set down their menus on the table, and politely excused herself.
Skye pulled out Julie’s chair for her, sliding it in as she sat down. He made his way back over to the opposite side and Julie instantly felt the mood change. He was staring at her differently than he had been the past few days. This gaze was deeper, as if he was trying to see a part of her that was invisible to everyone else.
“What is it?” Julie asked.
“There’s just something about you. I can’t put my finger on it yet, though.”
“Let me know when you figure it out. I’m curious as well.”
Skye smiled widely, taking one of her hands in his, caressing her fingers with his thumb. The waiter arrived and took their orders, leaving only to return with two cups of specialty Indian tea at Skye’s request.
Julie was extremely impressed, once again, by Skye’s suave mannerisms and speech. She took in the evening with him like a cool, refreshing drink, savoring every word he said. It was incredibly enjoyable, simply listening to him.
But all too soon, it was Julie’s turn to do the talking. “So, tell me more about you and Sam,” Skye said.
“There’s not too much more to tell than what you already know,” Julie said honestly. “I mean, if you’re asking if it’s rough, the answer is yes. I wouldn’t change it for anything though, except, of course, for our parents to be alive again. I love raising Sam, but I never stop thinking about how much better off he would be if they were still around.” Julie turned her eyes out into the room, feigning interest in the elegantly decorated area as she struggled to get a handle on her emotions.
“I’m sorry if I brought up anything too painful for you,” Skye apologized.
“It’s okay,” Julie said. “You’re curious, and I would be, too.”
The rest of the evening passed amicably, their conversations lighter and easier than Julie had ever known them to be before.
“So your dream is to be an inventor?” She asked.
“Yep. I have tons of drawings and ideas. I just don’t have a way of physically building most of them.”
“What kinds of things do you want to invent?”
“Most of my ideas are for multi-tool items. Think Swiss army knife, but much cooler.”
“That sounds awesome. I hope you find a way to bring your ideas to life someday.”
“Thanks. I do too.”
Their check was brought to the table and Julie was suddenly filled with anxiety. She had almost forgotten they were about break into City Hall in just over an hour.
“You ready?” Skye asked when the waiter had returned his debit card.
“As ready as I’m going to be.” Julie was trying her best to keep a look of calm on her face.
Skye slid his hand into hers as they left the table. “We don’t have to do this. We can find a different way.”
“Do you know of any other way to get confidential information, other than stealing it?”
Skye paused for a moment and then shook his head. “You have a point.”
Despite never having broken into a building before, Julie felt safe and capable as she held Skye’s hand, as if she was drawing strength straight from him. As they stood at the foot of the steps outside the restaurant waiting for their car, Julie took one last look at the sparkling landscape, her insides feeling as lit up as the city.
She waited as the valet driver pulled up, and thanked him as he opened her door for her. She climbed in and felt the acceleration of the truck as they drove off toward City Hall. She watched Skye as he drove, hoping she wasn’t making a terrible mistake.
Chapter 20
Skye motioned for Julie to follow him in the shadow of the night. Keeping his body crouched low, he turned briefly to make sure Julie was staying low, too, and then turned his attention to the large metal side door they had just come up on. He glanced around to make sure they were alone, then pulled a tiny, flat-head screwdriver and a long thin piece of metal out of his pocket and went to work on the lock.
This side door wasn’t as secure as Skye had thought it would be, which worried him, but he didn’t mention it to Julie. He knew they would be calmer once inside the City Hall.
Skye finally heard the familiar sounds and clicks of an opened lock and slowly pulled the door open by its small handle. He could feel Julie’s hand wrapped around his wrist, and heard the soft thud of the door as it closed behind her. He let out the breath he had been holding.
The surrounding area was bathed in semi-darkness, and Skye wasn’t really sure where they were in the building. They seemed to have entered into a storeroom, filled with large cardboard boxes and buckets and bleach-soaked rags hanging over the sides. The damp rags created a stifling stench in the room, and Skye coughed several times trying to rid his lungs of the poisonous fumes.
Moving carefully, Skye found a door that he hoped led into a part of the building he was familiar with, and upon opening it, found it led straight into the main hallway. Skye pressed a finger to Julie’s lips and strained his ears, listening for anyone else in the building. After several moments of silence, he felt it was safe to move on.
The hall was dimly lit, which allowed Skye to turn off the small flashlight he was holding and stow it in his front pocket. He knew the clerk’s office was only a few feet away, but was starting to get an eerie feeling. Still crouching, he walked along the wall until he reached the clerk’s office and quickly checked the door.
“I’ll have to break this one open too,” he whispered to Julie.
“Just hurry. I think I heard something.”
As quietly as he possibly could, Skye worked on the door to get it open. Suddenly h
e felt a furious tapping on his shoulder.
“I heard something down the hall, Skye. There’s someone else here.”
The door clicked and Skye cautiously pushed it open. He heard Julie’s hushed footsteps behind him, and then she gently pushed the door closed.
“Good thing the building is old,” Sky whispered. “The locks are pretty easy.”
“Shh,” Julie replied. “I hear it again.”
Skye peered through the milky glass and felt a jolt pierce through him as a shadow silently moved in front of the door. He held his breath, sure that whoever it was would come in, but the shadow suddenly moved across the door and disappeared.
“We need to get in and out of here as fast as we can. We’re not alone.”
Skye led Julie around the front desk, through a short saloon-style swinging door, glancing to the back of the room. He hadn’t ever been here before, but felt sure that the door at the back would lead them to where they needed to go. He looked back at Julie, and she confirmed his suspicions as she pointed to the door and mouthed, “That’s the one.”
The door was locked, and Skye was just about to begin working on the lock when Julie tapped him roughly on the shoulder. He turned around to see her pointing at the drawers under the front desk.
Skye shrugged. It’s worth a shot, he thought. He walked over to the desk and pulled open the first drawer, which was empty except for a stapler and a box of paper clips. He tried the drawer directly underneath the first and was amazed to find a ring of silver keys sitting entirely unprotected inside.
“Are you kidding me?” he mouthed to Julie. “They just leave them here?”
Julie shrugged, as he grabbed the ring, wrapping his long fingers around all the keys to keep them from clanging against one another, and crept back to the door.
There was only one key that looked like it matched the lock, and when Skye tried it, he found it slid in roughly, likely battered from use.
Once inside this room, Skye found it full of three rows of file cabinets. He had no idea where to start, and was relieved to see Julie already searching the labels. After several minutes they finally found the correct file cabinet labeled “HOME INVESTIGATIONS” and Skye saw the first drawer was labeled “A-E.”