Photo by p2722754 edited with Canva
I parked my minivan some kilometres away from Adam's penthouse. Pulling my hair into a ponytail with a rubber band, I glanced in the rearview mirror and everything looked okay. A young lady, probably a cleaner, was the image I wanted to maintain.
I slung my bead handbag around my neck and strolled to Alex's house.
There were luxury cars parked around the tall building. I circled them and walked in nonchalantly, chewing gum. The front desk guy arched a brow at me. I grinned and catwalked towards him.
"Penthouse. Cleaning services." I pointed to the badge on my overall.
"Huh. Mr Enfield didn't say anything before he left for work this morning." He gave me a once-over, his eyes stopping briefly at my cleavage where I had left a few buttons undone.
"Do you want to give him a call then? I'm on a timer here." I tapped my naked wrist.
He waved his hand towards the elevator. "Fine. Go on!"
I walked away, swaying my hips for his viewing pleasure. Once the elevator doors closed, I punched the button for the penthouse. The elevator began to move as a small screen appeared asking for a six-digit password.
Beads of sweat dotted my forehead and I pulled out my Hashcat password cracker. If this failed, the elevator would jam, the alarm bells would ring and I would probably suffocate there before help arrived.
I placed the cracker beside the screen, punched a button and watched as a series of numbers ran for a minute before a match was found.
Phew. I cracked the password on the last floor before the elevator got to the penthouse. That was a close one. The elevator doors swung open and I stepped quietly into Adam's luxurious apartment.
The rooms were tidy and cool. The vibration of my mobile phone in my pocket startled me for a moment. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
It was Adam.
He called six times while I found my way to the secret doorway in his library.
He left me a voice message:
"Baby. I'm worried. You didn't show up for work and you are not picking up my calls. If by the end of today I don't hear from you, I'll come by your apartment."
Oh no! No way would l let him around my place.
Putting on black leather gloves, I searched for the hardcover with the bald eagle logo embossed on it. Adam had moved it to another shelf. That could only mean he already had his suspicions.
What was he hiding?
I pulled out the book and the shelf creaked, slowly opening backwards. I gingerly stepped into a dark room with more shelves and lots of books.
I pulled out a small flashlight from my handbag and flicked it on.
There were big boxes stacked against the wall. I debated where to start my search. I opened the top box. It contained framed portraits of black and white photographs.
The first photograph was of twelve men standing in a single row, dressed in black suits, and their expressions stern. It was an old picture and blurry, so identifying the faces was a little difficult.
I looked through the rest and one photograph stood out—my grandfather in his younger days, his hands curved around a man's shoulder. They both had wide smiles and seemed to be good friends.
At the bottom of the photograph was written: Matt Graham and Zachary Enfield.
I froze for a long moment, my gaze focused on the smiling faces of the two men. My grandfather and Adam's grandfather were good friends!
The rustling sound and the whir of the elevator alerted me that someone was on his way to the penthouse.
It was time to get out.
To be continued….
Read other parts 👉 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
