Page 16 of Erase Me
Nothing.And there was no hole for the immobilizer to fall through.It had to slip out somewhere.Hopefully, not in Reed’s apartment.
It might have happened there.I left in a hurry, and that small tube could have easily slid out of my pocket when I casually tossed my coat onto his sofa.I should have double-checked the pocket before leaving.
Careless.Damn it.
Maybe Reed found the weapon, but maybe he didn’t.Still, given what I’ve learned about him since leaving his apartment, I had no doubt he would recognize the significance of the item now in his possession.
Even so, discovering who I am would be an entirely different challenge.Good luck to him with that!
I stood in front of the plate-glass window of my apartment and pulled my knit cap down over my ears.My earphones were secure beneath the soft wool.I zipped up my jacket.The sleek fabric conformed to the contours of my body.The familiar reflection staring back at me from the glass revealed a woman dressed head to toe in black, a warrior prepared for whatever challenges lay ahead.
Sliding my phone into my pocket, I locked the apartment door and headed down the stairs.
The street was silent and empty at this late hour.Under the dim glow of streetlamps, I navigated through a gap between some parked cars and crossed the street, moving quickly down the block.As I approached my destination, my earpieces clicked on, as expected.
“Details: security alarm, 24/7 offsite monitoring.Motion detector lights.Cameras everywhere—garage and windows.Patios and porches on all floors are equipped and monitored too.Also, besides the security company, there’s an audio and visual feed, accessible remotely by the owner.”
Colorado was an hour later than San Clemente.What were the odds that the owners were watching the feed live at this time of night?Still, I couldn't afford to take any chances.
“Shut everything down and run a video loop.”
“They’ve got a hardwired backup system.”
“You’re a genius, Payam.Solve it.”
“How much time do I have?”
“You have more eyes on the street than I do.I’m three houses from my destination.Figure it out.”
“You’re so fucking demanding.”
I spotted the headlights of a vehicle far down the street.To be safe, I moved into the shadows of an apartment building I was passing.
No sooner had I done so when an electric bike glided silently down the street.Its rider wore dark clothing and had no running lights on the bike.From the soft voice, I realized as she approached that it was a woman; she was talking to someone on a phone.The brim of a cap kept most of her face in shadow.
She stopped at the curb two properties down from me, in front of another one of the small white Spanish-style houses that dotted the town.The headlights coming up the street belonged to a black SUV and stopped alongside her.The back window of the SUV rolled down.From where I waited, I couldn’t hear much more than snippets of the conversation.Nor could I determine the number of occupants in the vehicle.But the cyclist clearly knew them.
The bicyclist’s head swung toward the house where I was going.I tapped my earpiece.
“Come on, Payam.I have to go in.”
“What are you dawdling for?”the voice in my ear replied.“I’ve been ready for you for hours.”
The streetlights flickered overhead, and half a dozen of them plunged into darkness.
“Show off.”
Having mapped out my route beforehand, I knew I had to cut through some backyards before reaching the door Payam had targeted for me.
“Keep an eye on the street.”
“That’ll be tough, won’t it, since you asked me to shut things down?”
“I don’t need a wise-ass remark for everything I say.”
“Come on.That’s why you love me.”
Staying in the shadows, I cut around the next house and ran down a short driveway.I hoisted myself up onto a wooden fence and surveyed the small backyard.A row of hedges, a couple of large fruit trees, a few dark shapes that looked like lawn furniture, and another fence formed the barricade to the next yard.
