“Did you hear something? Hear Barrister coming down? Oops. Maybe you hide, don’t figure you can get back out unseen yet. Wait, wait. Maybe.”
She didn’t much like it, but maybe. And maybe the whole process took longer from the jam.
“What about the blip? That’s a problem. Your jammer signals the security flipped back on. Oh shit. Have to fix that. Everybody’s asleep, don’t panic. Just get it down again.”
She closed her eyes, tried to see it.
“Napping on your feet, Lieutenant?”
She snapped back, found Roarke right in front of her.
“What, did you come in the damn window?”
“Well now, it was open, wasn’t it?” He ran a finger down her chin. “I’m told you’re about done.”
“About. Trying to get the timing so it makes sense. Start at the top. How long after the jam to get to the window? I figured you were out there doing a test or two.”
“And so I was.”
As he spoke, he crossed to the window to add the security lock. “After the jam, you wouldn’t wait long, but it’s a quiet neighborhood, so likely wait a minute, make sure the jam held, be certain no lights suddenly come on. No alarms sound. And so they did, as I can tell you the gates opened enough for a man to slide through at twelve-eighteen, and closed again.”
“One minute from jam to gate, okay.”
“Someone good enough for all that would, I suspect, be smart enough to take time making his way to this window.”
He turned from it to set up the monitor she’d ordered.
“Be sure no one’s out for a walk to help them sleep. Be sure they haven’t suddenly gotten a dog.”
“How long, most likely?”
“Exactly, as this window lock disengaged at twelve-twenty and forty-two seconds. So there you have three minutes and forty-two seconds.”
Since her recorder remained on, she thought but didn’t say: You’re the B and E expert.
“Then?”
“Listen. Listen to the house, to the tones of the quiet. Rushing equals mistakes, so you don’t. Make certain, then hit the mechanism that slides the panel open, and there she is. An old beauty, and one that takes a different skill to seduce than what you’d find more usually today. It’s math and listening again, patience, nimble mind and fingers.”
Because he sounded nostalgic, she rolled her eyes. “How long to open it?”
“As it’s not connected to the system—she’s an old beauty, remember—I can’t tell you exactly. I’d wager between ten and twelve minutes, if you’re experienced, so you’d approximate half-midnight and add a minute or two. I’d add a bit more, as after coming in, he may have taken that time to listen, feel the house, assure himself he’s alone. So, give it, ah, twelve-thirty-five, a minute or two on either side, to enter the vault.
“Now, it may be he stood here, a moment or two, basked in it all. Foolish, but understandable, as it’s an impressive array, and you don’t just dump something like the Royal Suite in a sack. Too precious. You’ve got separate bags or cases for each piece.”
“How many pieces?”
“Five if you’re counting the earrings as one. And you’d take a bit of care. Add another five or six minutes, more if—and who wouldn’t?—he wanted to hold those beauties in his hands for just a bit.”
“Still a time lag before TOD.” But not as much of one as she’d calculated. “Why only take the emeralds?”
He smiled at her. “You’ve theorized that already.”
“Because that’s what someone hired him to take. But still, all that? Tempting. So a pro, a pro for hire. Or a pro who already had a buyer lined up for the emeralds.”
She circled back to the door.
“She said she came down looking for him. She’s in a guest room because he’s feeling off and went to bed early. She checked on him a few times, and the last time, he’s not in bed, so she came down looking. She said she heard a thump, like he’d knocked something over. She’s back in the kitchen, according to her statement, so it should’ve been a loud thump.”
