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Chapter 8
We found refuge on some beautiful outdoor couches nestled in a secluded corner by a crazy-enormous pool. This area had a massive outdoor stone fireplace with a giant TV hung over it.
We had not discovered a way into the home.
Kelly had responded to one of Yasmine’s texts, reiterating that the lockbox was at the service entrance. Yasmine had gone to recheck.
Poppy was sprawled on one couch, her elbow draped over her eyes. “So close, yet so far.”
“If Yasmine doesn’t find the lockbox,” I said, “we can just sleep out here. It’s plenty warm enough, and there’s tons of room on all these couches.”
“Sorry, sis,” Annabel said. “You might not get to caress those cabinets after all.”
Something unintelligible came out of Poppy’s mouth, followed by a moan.
Yasmine came back a few minutes later, shaking her head. “I don’t see any of what Kelly’s describing. She said the door is black, and it’s near the southeast corner of the house.”
“Maybe we are indeed at the wrong house?” Annabel suggested.
“Impossible.” Poppy struggled up on her elbows. “I put the address Kelly sent to Yasmine in my maps app after we got coffee this morning.” That felt like a hundred million years ago. It’d been a very long day. “This is the house that came up. Plus, Marley, Yasmine’s friend, told her that this house was literally right next door to Meghan and Harry.” She collapsed back down. “Google Earth says we’re in the right place.”
“Google Earth is not infallible,” Annabel reminded her. “But I agree with Eve. We can sleep out here on these couches. They’re hella comfortable and probably cost three times what a regular indoor couch costs. Then we can figure it out in the morning and hightail it out of here if we’re in the wrong place.”
“What do you want to do?” I asked Yasmine.
This was her mission after all.
She sat on one of the massive cushions. There were two U-shaped couches back-to-back. It was a huge, cozy space. “I’m so close to achieving my goal. If I give up now, and we can’t get back here, I could definitely miss my opportunity. But I don’t want to get any of us in trouble if we’re in the wrong place.”
“What if we try to pass the bodyguards the letter and the knife tonight?” I suggested. “If we do that, we have a chance to sneak out before anyone is the wiser.”
“You want to do it now?” Yasmine asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Sure, why not?” I replied. “Maybe the night-shift bodyguard rotation is a little more laid-back? They might only have one or two people on duty. We don’t even know if Meghan or Harry are in town. After we deliver the stuff, we can decide if we want to leave, and then you won’t miss your opportunity.”
Annabel stood. “I like it. Adrenaline is still pumping through my veins.” She shook her arms out. “If anything, we can do reconnaissance and get the lay of the land and be ready for an early-morning mission.”
“It’s pitch-black out here.” Poppy flung an arm over her head to point at the bushes. “We’re going to be bumbling around out there with only our phones to guide us.”
“Honestly,” I told her, “that’s better than us being in the wrong place, and staff coming tomorrow to witness us creeping across the yard like characters in a Scooby-Doo cartoon. No one is on the premises right now. No lights are on in the house. There doesn’t seem to be a caretaker, or I’m pretty sure they would’ve noticed us already. I say we take our opportunity and run with it.”
Yasmine stood. “I’m all for that. I’m also sending Kelly our location so she can verify. I should’ve done that earlier. But she hasn’t been very responsive.”
Poppy rolled off the couch. “Okay. Let’s do this thing. I’m taking a selfie at the property line, just so everyone knows. With a flash.”
“I think we’re pretty close to the border,” Annabel said, checking her phone. She motioned at the trees and hedges to the right of where we were sitting. “I say we go straight through there and take a look around.”
We left all of our things on the couches and followed Annabel across the short expanse. There was no way to penetrate the wall of hedges once we arrived. We saw no nooks or crannies to slide through. It was too dense.
“Let’s head this way.” Yasmine motioned. “I think I saw a gap up by the parking area near the house.”
We continued walking.
“Where’s Poppy?” I asked, suddenly realizing she wasn’t with us.
We all stopped.
“I’m in here,” a muffled voice called. “I found a hole.” Snapping and crackling followed. “Dang, it’s thick in here.”
