BEAST

Chapter 2

Crystal shimmied down the drainpipe with her trophies tucked inside her backpack and computer files loaded onto her USB, hung around her neck disguised as a locket. This was too easy. Not like the Warren job where the COO kept changing the menu and supervised their catering to ensure they had followed the strict rules of kashrut.

She landed on the concrete with a thump, then removed her mask. Usually she worked at night when the catering gig didn't provide the necessary cover, but she had a date this evening.

A blind date.

Her sister's fiancée had called earlier that day to let them know his cousin from Texas would join them for dinner and would Crystal come along? As far as Crystal was concerned, it was the closest thing she'd come to as a real date in a long time. She'd take it.

Thankfully, her catering appointment with Westridge canceled yesterday. While she enjoyed cooking, it was only a cover for her and her sister's illegal activities. What she excelled at was computers, but having a career in that field, now, would be too suspicious. Her IT skills far exceeded a Level One Help Desk worker. She despised working for Westridge, the man who had her mother killed and her dad thrown into jail, but catering was the easiest way into her target's homes without suspicion. And she refused to pose as a cleaning lady and scrub their filth.

Years ago, Dad found what he thought was a series of accounting errors. For his honesty trying to help Westridge correct the problem, he was thrown in jail to rot. Westridge and his company framed her dad for embezzlement and sharing confidential information with preferred suppliers to obtain favors. Now she and her sister were halfway toward exonerating him and exposing Westridge and his corporate crimes. To see the look on Joshua Westridge's face when he was convicted would make all her and her sister's sacrifices worth it.

Thunder boomed as she weaved through alleys, stinking of rotting food and urine. She barely made it to her car before thunder rumbled.

Crystal checked the time on the dashboard, almost seven. No time to waste. Paul and his cousin, Kade, were picking up her and her sister at seven-thirty. Her car hummed to life as she stashed her backpack behind her seat. The stolen cash, including a recently purchased blood diamond necklace, lay inside. Hopefully the money and necklace would throw off Westridge's Sales Manager to the fact that computer information had been the real prize. And hopefully, they wouldn't discover the truth until it was too late. For now, another piece of the puzzle to exonerate their dad and lock Westridge away lay on her chest inside her locket.

She whipped into traffic and hit the wipers as fat drops of rain slapped against the windshield. Great. Ahead, a red light flickered as taxis and cars lined up behind it. She debated taking Ninth, but decided against it. Construction was still ongoing and traffic would be worse than this.

Maybe squeezing in a job before dinner wasn't such a great idea.

***

Kade waited in a '79 Cougar for the storm to calm while Paul rounded up the sisters. When Paul offered him a ride, he took him up on it. Storm clouds rolled in the distance and Kade hated riding his motorcycle in the rain. He could let the storm pass before driving, as he normally did, but he'd rather eat dinner sooner than wait out a storm. Besides, tomorrow he needed to drop off his bike at the shop for some minor repairs and to replace the exhaust. The drive from Texas to New York had been amazing, but the miles on his bike took their toll, making a trip to the auto shop necessary.

He and Paul arrived early and parked across the street from the girls' small two-story house. His new partner invited him to come inside and wait, but he declined. It was bad enough to tag along; besides, he wanted review the file again.

He hoped the solitude of the rain beating upon the car would drum some pattern from the case into his head.

Two burglaries occurred less than a week of each other. It had to be the same criminal. Both victims had valuables stolen from their safe as well as one sentimental item. And both were members of Westridge's Board of Directors.

Hearing the rain shift to a dawdling rhythm, Kade glanced around. Crystal and Ruby's house stood on the corner. Ivy crept up the sides and stretched past the second floor. What was taking them so long? He should have gone in with Paul. If he wasn't famished and without his bike, he'd be eating while he worked instead of forced into this double-date situation. Blind dates never ended well, at least not for him.

He thrust Paul's keys in his pocket, fumbled with the papers, and stuffed them in the glove box. A gun nearly fell out when he opened it. Oh, Paul's gun. That's right, his girlfriend, Ruby, didn't allow guns inside.

A figure in black dashed to the side of the house. It vanished into the shadows.

Kade's heart raced. Was that Paul? Not tall enough to be him.

He jumped out of the car and slipped his gun out from his boot. Who was skulking around in the rain? He'd snuck around with Manuel when they were in a gang long enough to know the difference between prowling and running through the rain.

The sky darkened from the storm. With his foot, he slammed the car door shut.

The rain soaked him. His white shirt stuck to him like plaster.

He jogged around to the side of the house, straining to see through the darkness. Mud splattered beneath his shoes, each step sucked back into mud. Damn rain. His pulse thumped beneath his skin as he pushed forward. His gun raised, he rounded the corner.

Nothing.

With his weapon ready, he edged out from the corner. Empty. When lightning flashed, he spotted muddy footsteps and followed them to the back door.

He wiped the rain off his face with his hand.

A glance at the jam showed no forced entry. At least it was closed. He scanned the yard.

Maybe they tried to get in but bolted when they heard him coming?

The figure may have hopped the fence. Kade climbed the wooden fence.

No one. Whoever it was maybe had taken a shortcut to their house. Or they were a robber, or worse, and snuck into Paul's fiancée's house? Paul was inside, but left his gun in the car.

The pit of his stomach rose into his throat. He knew better than to ignore his instincts since they had saved him more times than he remembered. They told him this was no teenager playing a prank on a cop. His gut told him the shadow went inside, somehow.

When he slipped in the mud, he cursed, but held onto his gun. Water sloshed up his jeans as he rose to his feet.

Kade dashed around the other side of the house. He should have asked for a radio, then he could call Paul. But he didn't even have his new partner's cell number.

He had to ensure the intruder didn't go inside Ruby's house. He hurried to the front door.

Locked.

"Paul, Ruby, open up." He pounded on the door. If someone had snuck in, they'd hear him outside. To keep his cover, he tucked the gun back away inside his boot.

The lock clicked open. Before him stood a tall lithe woman with reddish hair. She held a pair of silver high heels in her hand.

Paul came up behind her trailing his hand down her arm.

Must be Ruby.

"Wha - "

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I'm Kade... Paul's cousin." His clothes were drenched from the rain. "You've a lovely home." Maybe he'd get lucky and she'd offer him a tour without him having to ask. Then he could check for a trespasser.

"Thank you. Come in." She turned away and strolled toward the living room.

Kade snatched Paul's sleeve and whispered, "I saw someone outside. They may have come in through the back."

Kade's gaze swept the foyer, then living room. The back door stood ajar. Paul motioned he would take the left, and as they stepped into the kitchen, he grabbed a knife.

"What are you two doing?" Ruby chased after them.

Paul motioned for her to be quiet, and she threw her hands up. "You're not tracking mud across my floor. I just mopped the kitchen."

Kade's shoes smacked of mud and cleaner, sticking. He removed his shoes and placed them on the ceramic tile near a cabinet. "Why is the door open?" Ruby's eyes widened.

He didn't wait for a response as he checked the laundry room, then strode to the stairs.

His socks met moisture on the carpeted stairs. Like someone drenched had gone up.

On the stair railing, he paused. Reaching down, he brushed his free hand across the stair above him.

It wasn't in his imagination. The carpet was wet.

Drawing his gun, he took the stairs two at a time.

Upstairs, he burst into a bedroom, the door banging against the wall. A mahogany dresser filled the room. Bottles of perfume and make-up scattered across the top. The bed covers bundled together as if someone had emerged from a cocoon. Shoes littered the floor so he kicked them aside as he made his way to the closet.

He yanked it open and a mound filled with hats, shoes, and clothes tumbled over him.

Ruby yelled behind him to stop.

An army might hide in here, if they were small enough.

Satisfied, he spun on his heel and left the bedroom. His hip bumped the dresser, and he cringed when glass shattered and the smell of jasmine filled the air. He'd pay for the damages.

For now, they had to make sure no one had gotten in.

In the hallway, Kade stopped. "Find anything?" he asked Paul.

His partner shook his head, but he still had the knife gripped in his hand. "Wait here." He told Ruby, but she was too busy fuming about a broken bottle of perfume to notice.

Kade had seen someone snooping around her house. He didn't imagine it.

Ruby's sister, Crystal, lived here as well. A shadow passed underneath the other bedroom, which he assumed was Crystal's.

He knocked on the door, but there was no response. Giving a nod to Paul, he busted through the door.

Inside the bedroom, a woman with blonde hair stood wrapped in a towel.

She screamed. Trails of water dripped down her shoulders and chest from her wet hair.

"Are you all right?" Kade asked and lowered the gun. "Is anyone in here with you?"

She withdrew and bumped into her mahogany dresser, her towel slipping enough for him to catch a glimpse of her breasts. What did the rest of her look like naked?

A ceramic vase with fake daffodils spilling out of the top wobbled and vibrated against a bottle of perfume. If anything else had been on the dresser, it might have fallen over.

When she stared at the gun, he cleared his throat.

"Sorry, I-I thought I saw a burglar sneak into your house."

Paul charged in and Kade handed him the gun. Maybe they'd believe it was Paul's.

"Sorry, I took this out of your glove box. Guess I panicked when I - "

Ruby flew into the room her face red. "What are you doing in my sister's room?"

"Someone was outside your house." So this was his blind date, Crystal. Talk about a great way to meet someone. He raked a hand through his hair. "I believed someone snuck inside your house. The patio door was open and the carpet wet on the stairs - "

"It was me. After my shower, I realized all of our towels were in the dryer. So I rushed down to get one." Crystal frowned. "And a good thing I did or I'd have not had anything on when you barged in here."

"The back door was ajar when I came through the front of the house."

Both of their feet were clean; no mud not even wet. He waited as Crystal stood there grinning at him. The kind of smile a kid gives when found with cookie crumbs all over their face - showing too much teeth and gums.

"Well?" Kade asked, looking at Ruby, but his gaze kept drifting back to her sister.

"Well, what?" Crystal hiked the towel higher hiding the cleavage that tantalized him. As if his gaze burned, she blushed.

"Ruby, do you know why the door was ajar?" Was it his imagination, or were his words sounding like they were coming out between his clenched teeth.

Ruby shrugged. "Not sure. Maybe the storm blew it open. Sometimes it doesn't close right. Paul didn't notice anything before you traipsed through our yard."

Someone had been outside. Whoever it was had left tracks, but the rain diluted any chance of finding them now. "I saw someone."

"Well, we're all safe in here. Probably just a kid taking a shortcut." Ruby smiled like she was fighting a frown, then locked her arm through Paul's.

Paul cleared his throat. "Ah, yes... Crystal, this is my cousin, Kade from Texas. He's here to find a job." Crystal raised her eyebrows.

"Sorry about your perfume." He nodded to Ruby. "I'll pay for any damages." The women nodded, but Crystal looked at him oddly.

His gut told him Ruby knew more than she pretended. The question was what? Still, he was grateful Paul didn't blow his cover. Regardless, he and Paul checked the rest house until he was satisfied that no stranger in black waited to ambush the women.

Paul sat on the leather couch while Ruby paced with her hands clenched. He'd make it up to Paul somehow.

The clock chimed eight. They'd missed their reservations.

"We can grab a bite at the Italian place," Paul suggested.

"Kade still needs to get cleaned up. He's covered in mud." Ruby huffed, but strolled over to Paul and sat on his lap. "And you're paying for a maid to clean this mess." She jabbed a finger at his chest.

With a chuckle, he grasped her around the waist. She squealed as he hauled her closer. Paul kissed her, and Kade hurried back upstairs.

Crystal dressed in a red turtle neck and jeans, met him. "You can use the shower to get cleaned up. While you and Paul were busy searching the house, I brought up the towels. If you toss your clothes out, I'll stuff them in the washer."

He showered and then wrapped himself in a towel around his waist as he waited for his clothes. There was a pink robe hanging outside the linen closet. No way was he wearing that. Not only did he not want to impose on Crystal's things, or that he hated pink; he'd just seen too many police pranks and photos to trust Paul not to snap a photo of him in Victoria Secret clothes and post it on the NYPD personal website.

While waiting for Crystal to return with his clothes, he thumbed through a few magazines.

A knock sounded on the door. He rose and opened it.

"Here you go." Crystal handed him his warm, clean clothes.

"Thanks." He shifted the towel over his hips and noticed her gaze lingered a moment on his chest before dropping down further, then her stare shot back to his face.

"I'll be down in a minute." Unless you care to join me? He winked.

But rather than flirt back as he suspected, she left.

Interesting. He'd never had a problem with women before... at least not in the beginning.

When he was cleaned up, dressed, and joined the trio in the living room, Crystal gave him a shy grin, not the big toothy one like earlier. "Now we can go get food. I'm starving."

"Let me find my boots." Ruby laughed. "It's too muddy outside for heels."

***

Instead of heading to her bedroom, Crystal detoured into her sister's. Paul and Kade were waiting outside in the car. At least the rain had slacked up.

Ruby tugged on her boots. "No worries." Ruby winked. "I'll have Paul forget the stalker before the night's finished."

"And what about Kade? He saw me." Her gut told her there was something more to him than what he and Paul told them.

She had seen Paul's car parked in the street and thought nothing of it. Since Ruby was dating him, she'd already snooped through his files and they knew he was investigating their thefts. Crystal wanted her sister to breakup with him as soon as they found out, but her sister refused, saying she could use her connection to find out where the police were on the case. When Kade rushed out after Crystal in the rain, she ducked behind the house. Thankfully, she was able to signal to her sister and dashed inside while Paul wrestled with the downstairs bathroom sink faucet Ruby yanked off to distract him.

Of course, Kade must have assumed she was an intruder. As a thief in the case Paul was trying to solve it would not bode well for her to be caught in her black outfit with Westridge's Financial Advisor's data and jewels in their possession. Eventually, once they collected all the records everyone would know the truth, including Kade and Paul. No more sneaking around.

Paul would not be happy when he discovered they were the criminals behind this case.

Nor would he appreciate their involvement with George and Gustin: both thieves and convicts. The Uncle's past as thieves, whatever else they had done but refused to share with the sisters, and the years they spent in prison would not help their case. Even though they weren't family, the Uncles had taken them in and raised them as their own daughters.

Uncle George and Gustin always had someone watching over them. Tommy, as a young teen, had discovered carbon monoxide filling their house - and they suspected Westridge was behind it.

Maybe Tommy was outside somewhere keeping an eye on them right now. When she was younger, she was comforted by the thought of a big brother type looking after her and her fraternal twin. At this moment, with all their preparation and age, it felt like the Uncles didn't trust them to do the job they were trained for.

Ruby checked her eyeliner in the mirror, smearing a stray harsh line. "Then you must help Kade focus on something else. I see the way you two ogled each other." She rummaged through a drawer and slathered on red lipstick. "Either get him off our backs or our Uncles will take care of him for you."