So that no one could hear her booted heels click on the polished floor, Brooke took off her boots and carried them, tiptoeing to Uncle Tony’s study. She tested the doorknob, and just as she suspected, it was locked. But she also remembered where he hid the spare key.
Close to the door stood a table that held only a potted plant. She lifted the pot, and sure enough, the key was still in its hiding place.
As she slipped the key in the keyhole, she listened for voices and footsteps that would alert her to someone coming. Nothing. So far, so good.
Before she and Tiffany went to the house, Justin had called Brooke to let her know that Brad had made a prank call to Tony. Brad made it sound like he was an acquaintance of Tony’s and complained that where he was staying at one of the hotels, there was a water leak and the floor was all wet. When Tony tried to pass the problem to the maintenance people, Brad had acted insulted and mentioned suing Tony for negligence. Thankfully, that did the trick and Tony left the house. Brooke just hoped she had enough time to snoop through his study, find the fake ID’s, take pictures, and leave before he returned.
She opened the door and hurried inside. Quietly, she closed the door and locked it. A small lamp sitting on Tony’s desk was still on, giving her enough light to see where she was going. She moved directly to the safe that had been open when she’d accidentally stumbled upon his illegal acts.
This wasn’t her uncle’s only safe, but it was the one she’d seen open the few times she’d been in the house and walked by his study. Saying a silent prayer that this would be one of those days, she moved around his desk and moved aside the large picture of an eagle soaring over the mountains. With a shaky hand, she reached up and pulled the lever. The loud click made her jump, but the door opened.
She hastily pulled out her cell phone and fumbled to find the light. As she raised it to the safe, she could see the fake ID’s and social security cards more clearer. Her hand still shook, but she tried to keep it steady as she took several pictures. Hopefully, her pictures weren’t too blurry.
Her nerves were jumping crazily. If she didn’t hurry and get out of there, her racing heartbeat might just kill her.
Clutching the cell phone with the precious pictures to her chest, she rushed to the door. As she reached for the doorknob, she heard the slamming of a door from somewhere in the house, followed quickly by heavy footsteps. Then came the sound that turned her blood to ice.
Uncle Tony was home – and he wasn’t happy.
THIRTEEN
FEAR KEPT BROOKE’Sfeet frozen to the floor. Her mind screamed at her to move – to run – to hide. But her body wouldn’t listen.
He’s going to catch me. And kill me!
Closing her eyes, she held back the tears. She was a failure. As much as she had tried to not let her cousin’s degrading comments get to her these past several months, Brooke heard Robin’s voice, telling her that she was nothing but trash – that she was a disgrace to the family.
All Brooke had to do was sneak into the room, take a few pictures, and leave. Well, she’d done most of the things on her list.
She listened to her uncle’s hurried footsteps coming her way. There was no place to hide in here where he wouldn’t eventually find her. She might as well stay. Perhaps she could pretend to be asleep on his couch and tell him she’d taken too many migraine pills... since that’s what happened with Justin and the Jeep. And, her uncle did know she suffered from migraines.
She glanced around the room until she spotted his brown leather recliner. Hopefully, it would work.
But just as she stepped toward the chair, she heard a cell phone ringing. But it wasn’t hers. Seconds later, her uncle’s voice boomed in the hallway. She softly stepped toward the recliner, then stopped when her uncle released a loud and very angry shout.
“He’s what?” Tony yelled. “He’s been arrested?”
