Chapter 9
Early that morning, Jack left Scout in the cottage with plenty of food and water for the day. He’d asked Kai to let him out once or twice, and she assured him she’d take Scout to the beach for a run. With that arrangement made, Jack made the two-hour drive north to Los Angeles. On arrival, he parked in front of a near, two-story home in Santa Monica, an urban beachside community on the western edge of Los Angeles County.
Peering up at a pole that held several No Parking signs for various days of the week, hours, and overnight, Jack calculated that he was safe for two hours of parking. Doubling checking the address with the numbers tacked above the porch, he verified the house.
Vanessa’s house.
A tall banana plant arched its waxy green leaves over the sunny yellow stucco house
