Page 28 of Lies Beneath Secrets (Skeleton Crew #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Con

Gabe’s old lady, Maria, owns a house on the opposite end of town where several new homes were built a few years ago. I do my best to stay unseen and not draw attention as I walk down the sidewalk to her place. It’s already dark, so the night provides a little cover for me in areas that aren’t brightened by street-lamps. I know from Knox that she works the night shift at a nursing home, so she’ll be gone tonight.

I quickly check around the area and run across the lawn to the back door of the house. She makes breaking in easy. When I try the door, it’s unlocked. I let out a relieved sigh as I step inside, but the relief is soon dashed away when I’m greeted with the most vicious fucking fur-ball known to mankind. A little dog about the size of my damn boot stands there, barking at me, hair on end like a cat. “Shut up, you little bastard,” I whisper and close the door behind me. It keeps its distance but doesn’t shut the hell up. The high-pitched barks scratch against my eardrums as I make my way into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, I do a quick look around until I find a package of lunch meat in a container. As soon as I pull out the bundle of sliced meat, the little yapper stops all noise and sits, wagging its little bushy tail as best he can while sitting on his ass.

“You want this?” He hops up at my question, and I toss the food on the floor. He goes to town on it, and I take off out of the kitchen, then look around.

Not knowing what I’m even looking for, I begin in the bedroom first. There isn’t a whole lot of evidence of another person living, or had lived, in here, and the place is too fucking dark to spot anything that might have been left out in the open. I pull out my phone and turn on the flashlight feature Lauren showed me not too long ago. I haven’t seen her in weeks since I moved out. I’ve been doing what King ordered and have been back at the club. Gabby has been seeing Kendra much more than me, and I feel like a prick because of it. She has at least been going to school and seems to be adjusting well.

I open drawers one by one. Everything is folded so neat and placed in the drawers with such precision, I question if I have the wrong house. No way was this woman involved with Gabe; the guy could be a damn slob. With my flashlight, I go through each drawer, then through the small closet. Not seeing much until I notice something underneath the bed.

A small blue shoebox.

I get down on the floor and reach underneath to grab it, only to hear that damn dog barking again. “Fuck,” I mouth to myself and snatch the box up in a flash. I’m thinking Maria must have come home early or something until I hear the dog yelp and someone shout “Shut the fuck up!” I know that damn voice.

Len .

“You take the bedroom. I’ll see if there’s anything out here,” he says to whoever is with him.

I take a brief survey of the room and nearly jump for fucking joy when I notice the long curtain covering what I hope to be a sliding door. I push it aside and let out a relieved breath when I see moonlight coming through. I turn off my flashlight and quietly slide the door open, then squeeze myself through the small opening. Clutching the box in my arms, I take off at a brisk pace back to my truck.

I don’t waste any time when I get there and drive off as quickly as I can without drawing attention, all the while glancing at that damn box, hoping to fuck it has something in it that will help answer some questions.