“Yes.”
“The street is clear,” he offers.
“Thanks.”
I power off the security cameras, grab a flashlight and leave my place.
Silence greets us outside.
It has snowed all these days, a thick blanket covering the ground.
Thick wisps of billowing steam flow from our lips.
“Two pairs of eyes are better than one,” he says while we walk to Raven’s house.
The snow crunches under our boots.
I take the lead and show him to the back entrance. He picks the lock easily and pushes the door open.
“Here,” I say, handing him a cloth to wipe his boots clean.
I’m doing the same before disposing of the two rags into a small bag I tuck into my jeans’ pocket.
The floors creak under our weight.
Her place is cozy and nice even after so many days of absence.
My eyes hover over the table, the kitchen counter, the oven, and the cupboards. Glimpses of the past parade in front of my eyes.
The two of us sitting at the table, her eyes bright with a smile, her lips a tease. Her hair always doing its magic, grabbing my attention, and making me aware of her beauty.
The moon’s child.
We walk across the kitchen and enter the living room. The street is visible through the windows, and also my home across the road.
I imagine her sitting on the couch, peering at my place.
“This way,” I say, taking the lead again.
We enter the second floor a few moments later.
I climb the ladder to the attic first before helping Grayson to pull up.
He insisted on coming and seeing for himself. I wanted the same thing. No matter how many times we’ve had her house checked by our people, we’ve never done it ourselves.
And no one has entered her house since she moved here except for that man.
We turn our flashlights on and look around the space.
“I’m a little old for this,” Grayson says, pushing his eyeglasses up the ridge of his nose. “But it’s just as fascinating as I remember it.”
He takes off his jacket, sets it on an old piece of furniture, and walks around, checking the space.
The wooden floor groans as he moves around.
“This is it,” he says, dragging his stare over the stuff stored in Raven’s attic.
I check the wooden beams in particular, although I’m sure I won’t find the missing piece. The thing that man was after.