“Not to worry, they only come out during the day,” Ryan said.
“More movie-set wisdom?” Aster spat, feeling jumpy, on edge, as Ryan laughed and reached for her hand, entwining his fingers with hers.
“Either way, I’m choosing to believe it,” Layla said.
They stopped beside an old metal mailbox set on a rusted steel post, and Tommy tugged on the latch and checked out the contents.
“Mostly all mailers and junk.” He quickly sifted through it.
“Mostly or all?” Aster asked.
“You interested in paying his electricity bill?”
“Maybe.” Aster plucked the envelope from his fingers and plunged it into her purse. “Who knows? It might contain some info we can use later.”
“Like what—his gross wattage usage?”
“Like the name he used, his account number, which Javen might be able to use to hack into and find something useful. Or not. Either way, I’m in no position not to take whatever I can successfully walk away with.”
Tommy flashed his palms in mock surrender and followed them up the dirt path to the single-story cottage with the covered concrete porch. “Now what?” Tommy stopped before the weather-beaten front door.
Aster nudged him out of the way and tapped her knuckles hard against the wood a few times. “Hello?” she called softly. “Anyone home?”
“Seriously?” Ryan whispered. “You think that’s a good idea? Announcing us like that?”
“What—you thought we’d kick the door down instead?”
Tommy and Ryan seemed disappointed, Layla looked worried.
When the knock went unanswered, Aster tried her luck turning the knob, but of course it was locked. “Guess we’ll have to work a little harder at this clue, since we weren’t exactly led here.” She glanced between the door and the window. “Looks like we’ll have to break it,” she said.
“But won’t that set off an alarm?” Layla asked.
“Providing there is one.” Tommy looked doubtful.
“I’m not sure he’d bother with an alarm.” Ryan frowned. “It’s pretty much a desert shack, so what would be the point? If he uses this place as a getaway, then I doubt he stores any sensitive information in there.”
“No sensitive information, just an A-list celebrity.” Layla smirked.
Tired of the bickering, Aster grabbed a rusted metal table from the porch and said, “Everybody—stand back!” Then, before anyone could stop her, she thrust it right through the window, grinning in triumph when the glass shattered into a million satisfying bits.
She moved to climb inside, when Ryan stepped in to stop her.
“Let me,” he said. “Like you said, we have no idea what we might find in there.”
Aster hesitated a moment, but eventually backed off and watched as Ryan cleared the sill of broken glass before hoisting himself over and inside in one swift, graceful move.
“Anything?” she asked. Hearing the thud of his feet hitting the floor, Aster rose onto her toes and tried to peer inside, but it was as dark in there as it was on the porch where she stood.
After what seemed like an agonizingly long moment, Ryan opened the door and stood wide-eyed before them. “Hurry,” he said. Shooting a suspicious look beyond the porch, he quickly ushered them in. “You are not going to believe this.”
FORTY-ONE
HOTEL CALIFORNIA
The first thing Madison noticed when she woke was the heat.
The unbearable, stifling, relentless heat.