it?”
Nodding my head, I didn’t want to tell her that after I was through with Lockman there was a pretty good chance he wouldn’t need the condo any longer.
“ You plan on giving him a physical?
“ Since Lockman was my sister’s contact with the Casino, he might know why Susan was here in the first place. I would bet my paycheck she worked at the Casino for reasons other than a job.”
“You don’t get a paycheck,” Hilary said.
I was beginning to get comfortable with Hilary. There really wasn’t any explanation for it and I wasn’t looking for one. She was smart, good looking and creative in tight situations. My hope was that she was going to be dependable. To find that out I had to give her some opportunities to prove that to me.
“Let’s drive by my sister’s place first and see if anyone’s home. Next, check out the neighbors. Might be someone there who will be willing to talk, if not to me, you. Old men like to talk to pretty women. You can tell them you are her cousin and wanted to look her up while you were in town. If they say you’re a little late since she died a few months ago, be prepared to wing it.”
“What are you going to do while I’m soliciting the l ocals?”
“Break ing into my sister’s place and, if Lockman is there, do my thing. If not, shake the place down for information.”
Susan ’s condo was called the Silver Sands Condominium. It looked to be one of those condo conversions that were popular in the 70s, meaning it was more like an apartment complex than anything else. She lived on the second floor in apartment number 1808. I waited in the car until Hilary walked through an alcove heading toward the pool area. There was also a sign that said office. Both looked like good places for her to start.
After Hilary disappeared, I got out of the car and walked to the elevator and rode it to the second floor. I was wearing my new blue blazer over stone-washed jeans and boat shoes. As I walked toward the front door to Susan’s apartment, I removed the Glock-17 from a rear holster and chambered a round.
Earlier I had returned the bullets to Hilary’s weapon and, a t first, she had not been happy when she learned I had taken the ammo out of her weapon, but she said she understood and didn’t make a big deal out of it. Another good sign.
Walking up to the front door, I rang the bell and waited. Nothing. I rang it again. Still nothing. Taking out a pick set I got from the stop at Eddie’s, I was in the place in under twenty seconds. I snapped on a pair of latex gloves before touching the door and shutting it. I knew I was taking a chance. Could have been a dog or an alarm system inside, but there was neither. I was probably right about the condo conversion idea.
The place was decorated in early Florida rattan with a lot of seascapes and driftwood . A short hall led to a living area with a widescreen television in the far corner. The kitchen was on the right with a small dining area. I was surprised that the kitchen was laid out so well. All the appliances were made by KitchenAid and had been color matched with the kitchen cabinets. Walking further back, there were two bedrooms on the right with a bath in between them and a bedroom on the left that was used as an office. Next to that room was another bath that also exited out onto a hallway. I was impressed with the neatness of the place. My sister never cleaned anything that I could remember, but after fifteen years, she could have changed. Most people did. I suppose that’s why they called it maturity.
I had the place to myself and I started in the office pulling out drawers and feeling under them, fingering through bills and letters. The paid bills were kept in one drawer and bills that were due in another. There were no bills in the ‘to-be-paid’ part of the drawer. Next, I checked the closet. It was full of expensive women’s clothing. What I was looking for was anything in the way of a letter from Atlanta, notes
Nodding my head, I didn’t want to tell her that after I was through with Lockman there was a pretty good chance he wouldn’t need the condo any longer.
“ You plan on giving him a physical?
“ Since Lockman was my sister’s contact with the Casino, he might know why Susan was here in the first place. I would bet my paycheck she worked at the Casino for reasons other than a job.”
“You don’t get a paycheck,” Hilary said.
I was beginning to get comfortable with Hilary. There really wasn’t any explanation for it and I wasn’t looking for one. She was smart, good looking and creative in tight situations. My hope was that she was going to be dependable. To find that out I had to give her some opportunities to prove that to me.
“Let’s drive by my sister’s place first and see if anyone’s home. Next, check out the neighbors. Might be someone there who will be willing to talk, if not to me, you. Old men like to talk to pretty women. You can tell them you are her cousin and wanted to look her up while you were in town. If they say you’re a little late since she died a few months ago, be prepared to wing it.”
“What are you going to do while I’m soliciting the l ocals?”
“Break ing into my sister’s place and, if Lockman is there, do my thing. If not, shake the place down for information.”
Susan ’s condo was called the Silver Sands Condominium. It looked to be one of those condo conversions that were popular in the 70s, meaning it was more like an apartment complex than anything else. She lived on the second floor in apartment number 1808. I waited in the car until Hilary walked through an alcove heading toward the pool area. There was also a sign that said office. Both looked like good places for her to start.
After Hilary disappeared, I got out of the car and walked to the elevator and rode it to the second floor. I was wearing my new blue blazer over stone-washed jeans and boat shoes. As I walked toward the front door to Susan’s apartment, I removed the Glock-17 from a rear holster and chambered a round.
Earlier I had returned the bullets to Hilary’s weapon and, a t first, she had not been happy when she learned I had taken the ammo out of her weapon, but she said she understood and didn’t make a big deal out of it. Another good sign.
Walking up to the front door, I rang the bell and waited. Nothing. I rang it again. Still nothing. Taking out a pick set I got from the stop at Eddie’s, I was in the place in under twenty seconds. I snapped on a pair of latex gloves before touching the door and shutting it. I knew I was taking a chance. Could have been a dog or an alarm system inside, but there was neither. I was probably right about the condo conversion idea.
The place was decorated in early Florida rattan with a lot of seascapes and driftwood . A short hall led to a living area with a widescreen television in the far corner. The kitchen was on the right with a small dining area. I was surprised that the kitchen was laid out so well. All the appliances were made by KitchenAid and had been color matched with the kitchen cabinets. Walking further back, there were two bedrooms on the right with a bath in between them and a bedroom on the left that was used as an office. Next to that room was another bath that also exited out onto a hallway. I was impressed with the neatness of the place. My sister never cleaned anything that I could remember, but after fifteen years, she could have changed. Most people did. I suppose that’s why they called it maturity.
I had the place to myself and I started in the office pulling out drawers and feeling under them, fingering through bills and letters. The paid bills were kept in one drawer and bills that were due in another. There were no bills in the ‘to-be-paid’ part of the drawer. Next, I checked the closet. It was full of expensive women’s clothing. What I was looking for was anything in the way of a letter from Atlanta, notes
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