The vast entrance alone was a statement of Arturo Knight’s wealth. Above hung two candle chandeliers with dangling crystals to dazzle. The tiled floor was made of marble, and the two staircases flanked the entrance leading up the second-floor balcony. A black metal railing made of intricate designs protected it. The Knights were loaded in an obvious way.
The sudden and frantic beeping of the watch I also borrowed from Joey interrupted my inspection.
Seven minutes.
I reset the timer and made my way up the curved stairs to my right. It was just two days before the fourth. If I were lucky, Bea would be on vacation. So, for the last sixteen hours I watched.
No one came. No one went.
It wasn’t until night had fallen that I made my move.
My father berated me for not planning and called me an amateur for taking too many risks. But our survival was threatened by time I didn’t have. How could he judge me anyway? My father had defied odds on a regular basis, and because of him, following in his footsteps became inevitable. Even though he expected more of me, it never stopped him from sharing his secrets when I was a kid. But it was always about the job. Never about his marks.
It was the same each time.
He’d teach me the trade and then would warn me not to get any ideas.
“You’re going to college, baby girl. One day you’ll be an accountant. You’ll be a square, unlike your old man, but what’s important is that you’ll be better than me. Promise me, Mian.”
“I promise, Daddy.”
This job had been different because it was personal. When the police questioned why he killed his best friend, he said Art had taken something from him. That night, he was only supposed to take back what was his, but instead, my godfather was murdered.
Now it was up to me to finish what he had started.
He never explained what it was, but I assumed it was money. Why else would he go along with my plan to finish the job?
My father was a good man.
He loved us.
He’d want Caylen to have all that he deserved and so I exploited that to break through his reservations.
The greatest challenge was believing the money my father was after was even still there.
But that was what plan B was for.
Down a short hall off the east wing, I found a small balcony at the end and two doors. Taking the one on the left first, I pushed inside and found a guest room. Across the hall was the same deal.
I moved back down the short hall and turned left down another hall—this one shorter but wider. At the very end were double doors. I walked through them and found another bedroom. This one was at least twice the size of the others and dominating the center was an enormous bed. The headboard was painted black and reached high over the wide mattress. The silk sheets were also black, adding to the intimidation. It wasn’t exactly a woman’s touch.
A shiver passed through me, but then something caught my eye.
Against my better judgment, I moved to the foot of the bed for a closer look and found a dark gray tie curled on the bedding. I picked it up before I could rethink and wondered about the man it belonged to.
After twenty-three years of friendship, Art betrayed my father, and my father killed him. Maybe there was a clue hidden somewhere in this castle that would tell me why.
My stolen watch beeped, breaking my train of thought.
Seven minutes.
I was wasting time.
I looked around the room for something valuable. There was too much space to decorate every inch. Art and Bea must have thought the same and chose to keep it simple. A loveseat faced the bed, aligned directly with the center.
I wonder…
A few years ago, Erin was curious about threesomes so she convinced me to watch a video with her. The first two videos were nothing special. I forced myself through them since Erin thought they were hot. But then we stumbled upon one that I’d never forgotten. For his anniversary, a woman gifted her husband his fantasy—to watch her with another man. I watched him watch his best friend and wife make love from a love seat very much like this.
Would Art enjoy seeing his wife make love to another man? Or maybe he just liked to watch her…
Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep beep!
Getting caught in a fantasy allowed another seven minutes to pass by. I tore my gaze away from the love seat and reset my watch. I looked around and finally found what I was looking for. There were two doors adjacent to the bed. The door on the far left was open so I could clearly see it was a bathroom. The other was closed. I quickly moved toward it and pushed open the door.
Bingo.
This time, I didn’t waste time admiring the grandeur. I ventured deeper inside the closet with my eye on the island at the center. I ripped open the first drawer. Inside were an array of watches and rings.
Jackpot.
Snatching up the watch with the most bling, I stuffed it in my pocket, shoved the drawer closed, and ran from the room.