Milo, Reed, Coolidge, and Tischler stared at me.
Coolidge said, “That makes creepy sense, given what we know.”
Tischler said, “They did themselves bloody?”
Milo said, “Next.”
—
He led the procession back outside and into The Hoard Collection.
Same size and layout as Okash’s place. These lights worked but most of the bulbs on the overhead tracks were out and the stingy light available told a story of disuse. As did the bare shelves of the rear storage area.
Unlike its neighbors, no door to the lot.
I said, “At one time, this place and AB-O were probably connected.”
Guillermo Tischler said, “That makes total sense.”
Moe Reed examined the wall bordering AB-Original. Tapped with gloved hands. At a spot just west of center, he said, “Hollow, yeah, there was a door here.”
Guillermo Tischler said, “This empty stuff keeps up, you’re going to have an easy night.”
Milo said, “Next.”
—
Verlang Contemporary was just as we’d seen it, minus people, wine, and Geoffrey Dugong’s paintings. Desk, phone, lights.
Tischler opened his mouth. Milo said, “Yeah, it’s hustling and bustling.”
He hurried to the storage area, now empty, tried to open the door leading to the mystery area. Locked.
“Go,” he told Tischler.
Tischler rapped the door once. “Hollow crap, I could kick it in.” Out came the drill.
The door shuddered as the bolt came loose but when Tischler tried to turn the knob, it resisted.
“That’s a surprise—oh, okay, just stuck.” He kneed the door ajar. We walked past him.
More empty space, closet-sized, lit by a single bare bulb.
Limited geography buttwodoors.
One, dispatched easily by Tischler, led to the parking area. The other, on the left wall, reacted with a thud to Tischler’s poke and made him frown.
“This is solid. And oversized.”
White slab, an L-shaped handle painted the same color. Below, three bolts.
Tischler tapped twice. “Yup, this is metal. From the resonance, probably some pretty serious steel.”
Milo said, “Maybe the vault you want to play with.”
Tischler ran his hand over the middle of the slab. “Doubt it. A vault door would have a central wheel in the middle, don’t look like anything’s been patched or painted over. But it could be a security door leading to the vault…serious security hinges. This much steel, probably weighs a ton and a half minimum.”
Milo said, “You have what you need to pop it?”
