Page 93 of Charmed Forces
Another shout from outside and I sensed Victor moving towards me, his footfalls softly sounding on the carpet. I tugged the drape a little, ensuring it concealed me as Tom came to stand in front of the window, his body mere inches from mine!
“One of Angelica’s silly, little friends started a fire in the garden,” he said. “I don’t know how she finds such airheads to hang out with.” A pause then — “I better never hear you say anything like that about my girlfriend again!”
“Yes, boss,” said a male voice, just barely audible. “Sorry, boss.”
“I want this wrapped up tonight. Plant the burner, then head over to Cameron Drive and get rid of the problem,” said Tom. “No. Leave it there. I want it found... If they’re still asking questions, handle it. I don’t care about some old cops playing private eyes but I don’t want them digging around either. Well, that’s why you have a badge, buddy. Throw your weight around. Don’t arrest them, that’ll just make them dig their heels in deeper. Make it boring instead. Everyone wants boring. It means they go home on time. Call me when it’s done.”
The door opened and as I shifted to relieve the cramping in one leg, the floorboard below me emitted a short creak. Suddenly, the air was charged. The drape blinded me but I could feel Victor now across the room, pausing, then barely audible footfalls before the sound of the door shutting with a click. I was too scared to let out the breath I was holding just in case he remained in the room, only pretending to leave, but after a few minutes passed, I couldn’t hear anything. Not a breath, nor a sniffle, nor even the rustle of clothes as someone cautiously waited.
All I had to do was yell “carpet” and Solomon and Delgado would be on their way.
Instead of stepping out from behind the drapes, I leaned the other way, easing a pinprick of viewing space between the drape and the wall. The room was empty.
I stepped out and hurriedly finished my search, finding the drawers empty of anything but stationery and cables.
“I hope you got all that,” I said to the necklace. “There’s nothing else in here. I’m going to get Lily and go.” I jogged to the office door, turned the handle and tugged it. Then again. Damn! I was locked in the office with no exit!
Except in a body bag if Tom Victor returned and found me here.
Chapter Nineteen
This would have been the perfect time to discover a secret panel that could aid me in slipping out of the office unnoticed; but no such freaking luck! That left the balcony as my only escape route. The key was still in its place and as I stepped out, warm air enveloped me... along with the acrid smell of burning. I ducked and pushed the door closed.
Worried voices drifted up to me, Angelica’s high-pitched shouts amongst them as she directed her guests to “get the hoses on it!” and “someone get a fire extinguisher!”
Peeping through the potted foliage, I saw a half dozen men running towards flames in the far corner of the garden, where we’d taken photos only a short time ago.
With everyone distracted by the commotion, I headed the opposite way where the balcony wrapped around the corner of the house. Cautiously, I rose high enough to peer over the edge. There wasn’t a handy drainpipe I could grab onto nor a trellis, but I spotted some kind of storage box on the ground below. I was sure I could lower myself onto it if I really stretched, thus ensuring I only truly dropped a yard or so. Since I had no other choice of exit, and before I thought about it too much, I pulled out my purse’s thin chain and hung it around my neck. Then I swung one leg over the balcony, then the other, twisting my body and pressing it against the cold stone before I began to descend.
As I did, there was another shout. Then one of my heels slipped, falling to the storage box, where it bounced off and landed on the path.
“What happened?” asked Tom Victor.
I froze, uncomfortably suspended from the balcony, too far to drop, and too far from the balcony to pull myself back up. Plus, I was partially shoeless now. I raised my knees, pulling my legs out of sight, and my biceps whimpered at the strain.
“That blonde chick started screaming about a fire before part of the back fence went up like that,” said another man.
“Blonde chick?”
“The one in the reddish-pink dress,” he added. “Curly blonde hair, sky high heels, legs that go on forever.”
“Was she smoking?” asked Victor.
“She absolutely is! What a bod... Oh! I got you. I mean, no, I don’t know how it started. Rick ran off to get the fire extinguishers. Do you want me to call the fire department?”
“No. Rick can handle it. Is everyone here?”
“I think so. A few went inside the house.”
“My office door alarm went off a minute ago. Take security with you and go check it out.”
“Yes, sir.”
Their voices receded as they moved away and I lowered my legs, stretched to my full height, kicked off my other heel, and let go, hitting the storage shed with an uncomfortable thud! I was slightly off balance, causing me to tip to one side, then I fell, landing in a crumpled pile on the ground with an “Oof!” I got up, rotating my wrists and my ankles to make sure I was in good order before I searched for my shoes.
My heels lay on their sides. I jammed my feet into them, rearranged my purse, and peeked around the corner of the house. Everyone was staring at the fire as Rick and two other men sprayed flame-retardant all over it, coating the fence and the rose arch. I darted towards the living room doors and slipped inside, smoothing my hair and dress as I slithered through the murmuring crowd until I was behind them.
“I hope there isn’t any permanent damage,” I overheard Louise saying to someone. “Gosh, I feel just awful that this happened.”