Post by skybright on Mar 20, 2006 19:06:02 GMT -5
Regina Dawson checked the area around the fire escape one more time before slipping the small, flat metal instrument in her hand under the window frame of Miriam Van Linden's kitchen window. Being spotted by a neighbor using burglar's tools on the apartment of a fugitive from the law was definitely not high on the list of things Daws wanted to experience.
Particularly as possessing the tools themselves is a class six felony. She thought with a touch of grim humor. The set of housebreaking implements had been a gift from a client; except for letting herself in after locking her keys in the office, she'd rarely used them. But she figured that a working knowledge of the fine art of burgling could only be a useful thing -- and tonight was proof of the point. She slid the window open quietly and squeezed into Van Linden's apartment.
She tugged the shade down over the window behind her and gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light; not needing a flashlight in the dark was a definite advantage sometimes.
The apartment was clean, carefully but not very lavishly furnished; it honestly felt to Daws more like a hotel room than someone's home.
Of course, your own place looks like a box of movie memorabilia and a used bookstore collided and then detonated, Ace. She reminded herself wryly, and headed for the bedroom to go about gathering the things Doctor Van Linden had requested.
Daws worked quickly but silently, trying to pull out the things Van Linden herself would go for. She worked at making the apartment rumpled, but not too badly messed up -- if someone as neat as Van Linden were packing to leave, they would try to keep things neat, even in a tremendous rush.
She pulled clothes out of drawers, added shoes, the Doctor's toothbrush and a few other toiletries, and packed everything into the battered suitcase she found in the bedroom closet. After a moment's hesitation, she also chose a few of the novels from the bedroom bookshelf and added them to the mix (she hadn't noticed any reading materials at Sid's, and figured the novels would be a touch of home for the Doc).
From there Daws moved to the living room, going through the desk and unearthing the journal the Doc had asked for; she also added a handful of papers with credit card and checking account information on them; she'd have Jai Patil use them to create a false paper trail to put Doctor Van Linden somewhere far away from this apartment.
As she slid the desk drawers closed, her eye caught on a framed photograph of a smiling middle-aged couple. Daws picked it up and examined it. The man and woman in the photograph were solid, middle-America types; there was enough of a suggestion in the woman's eyes and the man's jawline to tell her they were Doctor Van Linden's parents. Daws paused for a moment, then added the photo to the now-heavy suitcase and snapped the latches firmly shut.
Daws surveyed the apartment once more; then she slipped quietly out of the kitchen window, settling the suitcase on the fire escape next to her and allowing her eyes a long moment to readjust to the comparative brightness of the New York night. Then she slid the window back into place, settled her fedora firmly on her head, and clambered down into the alleyway.
Tomorrow she'd head out to Little India; much as she wanted to keep the Twins out of her tangled involvement with Nicholas Tiernan, a simple false paper trail wouldn't be terribly difficult or incriminating and would prove useful.
She wasn't going to face Nicholas Tiernan without some ammunition to back up her facade; she was going to give him proof that she'd been 'looking' for Doctor Van Linden.
The better to keep him from ever finding her. She added grimly, and struck off into the night.
Particularly as possessing the tools themselves is a class six felony. She thought with a touch of grim humor. The set of housebreaking implements had been a gift from a client; except for letting herself in after locking her keys in the office, she'd rarely used them. But she figured that a working knowledge of the fine art of burgling could only be a useful thing -- and tonight was proof of the point. She slid the window open quietly and squeezed into Van Linden's apartment.
She tugged the shade down over the window behind her and gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light; not needing a flashlight in the dark was a definite advantage sometimes.
The apartment was clean, carefully but not very lavishly furnished; it honestly felt to Daws more like a hotel room than someone's home.
Of course, your own place looks like a box of movie memorabilia and a used bookstore collided and then detonated, Ace. She reminded herself wryly, and headed for the bedroom to go about gathering the things Doctor Van Linden had requested.
Daws worked quickly but silently, trying to pull out the things Van Linden herself would go for. She worked at making the apartment rumpled, but not too badly messed up -- if someone as neat as Van Linden were packing to leave, they would try to keep things neat, even in a tremendous rush.
She pulled clothes out of drawers, added shoes, the Doctor's toothbrush and a few other toiletries, and packed everything into the battered suitcase she found in the bedroom closet. After a moment's hesitation, she also chose a few of the novels from the bedroom bookshelf and added them to the mix (she hadn't noticed any reading materials at Sid's, and figured the novels would be a touch of home for the Doc).
From there Daws moved to the living room, going through the desk and unearthing the journal the Doc had asked for; she also added a handful of papers with credit card and checking account information on them; she'd have Jai Patil use them to create a false paper trail to put Doctor Van Linden somewhere far away from this apartment.
As she slid the desk drawers closed, her eye caught on a framed photograph of a smiling middle-aged couple. Daws picked it up and examined it. The man and woman in the photograph were solid, middle-America types; there was enough of a suggestion in the woman's eyes and the man's jawline to tell her they were Doctor Van Linden's parents. Daws paused for a moment, then added the photo to the now-heavy suitcase and snapped the latches firmly shut.
Daws surveyed the apartment once more; then she slipped quietly out of the kitchen window, settling the suitcase on the fire escape next to her and allowing her eyes a long moment to readjust to the comparative brightness of the New York night. Then she slid the window back into place, settled her fedora firmly on her head, and clambered down into the alleyway.
Tomorrow she'd head out to Little India; much as she wanted to keep the Twins out of her tangled involvement with Nicholas Tiernan, a simple false paper trail wouldn't be terribly difficult or incriminating and would prove useful.
She wasn't going to face Nicholas Tiernan without some ammunition to back up her facade; she was going to give him proof that she'd been 'looking' for Doctor Van Linden.
The better to keep him from ever finding her. She added grimly, and struck off into the night.