Dark Choices - I. T. Lucas Page 0,94

pants. If needed, it could be done in seconds while hiding under the shade of a tree.

Her hair was gathered in two braids that she could secure with pins to her head in moments. The pants, a work vest, a baseball hat, and a different pair of sunglasses would transform her into a guy.

At least from afar.

She hadn’t had time to go searching for proper costumes or real uniforms, and all the items had come from Target, but they would do. No one would be checking out her outfits too closely.

Passing a corner house with a for lease sign, she decided to take a small risk and pushed the pedestrian gate. If anyone asked what she was doing there, she could pretend to be a confused maid who had wandered into the wrong address.

The back of the property was on the same street as the mansion, so perhaps it could be a good spot to watch it without being noticed.

Looking through the windows, she saw that the place was furnished, but it didn’t look inhabited. The owner had probably furnished it to make it more attractive to potential lessors.

As she rounded the corner, a smile bloomed on Eleanor’s face. An exterior staircase led to the second-floor balcony, from where she would have an unobstructed view of the mansion’s driveway gate.

Just in case someone looked up and noticed her there, she pulled a rag out of her tote and held it in her hand. She could pretend to be wiping down the balusters or cleaning the windows.

For an hour or so, nothing interesting happened at the mansion. The gate hadn’t opened even once, and Eleanor decided that spying was not exciting at all. It was damn boring.

But then a restaurant delivery van arrived and stopped at the gate. The driver got out and pressed the buzzer, and a moment later, it opened. He got back behind the wheel and drove inside.

So, they were ordering food.

If she could stop the driver on his way out, she could ask him about the size of the order, and that way, figure out how many people resided in the mansion.

Racing down the stairs, she ran out into the street and waited for the van to round the corner. It took much longer than she’d expected.

When twenty minutes later it finally did, she jumped into the middle of the street and waved her arms. “Stop, please! I need help!”

With screeching tires, the van stopped a few feet away from her, and the driver jumped out. “Are you crazy? What the hell were you thinking jumping into the middle of the street like that? Do you have a death wish?”

“Get back behind the wheel.” She imbued her tone with compulsion.

Confused, he did as she asked while she hopped into the passenger seat. “Drive away at a normal speed.”

His eyes glazing over, he nodded.

She needed to ease up on the compulsion, or his brain would freeze.

“How many people did you deliver food for?” She used a gentler push this time.

“There were forty main courses in the order and ten side dishes.”

“Were there forty people inside?”

“I don’t know.”

That was the problem with compulsion. The answers matched the question precisely, while she needed the guy to elaborate.

“Tell me exactly what you saw inside the house and what you were told.”

“There were two security guards at the gate, but they didn’t move from their station. Three guys came out of the house and helped me carry the food inside. When everything was placed on the kitchen counter, one of the men complained that the portions were small and that there wasn’t enough food. I asked him if they were having a party, and he said that they were just a bunch of hungry men. He said that given the prices, he expected the portions to be bigger. Then the other guy said that servings in fancy restaurants were always small and that he would have ordered from their usual place. Then the first guy said that he was sick of eating the same food every day and called the restaurant to order more stuff.”

“Is someone else delivering the second order, or is it you?”

“I’m the only delivery guy they have. I’m going back.”

Eleanor smiled. “What’s your name?”

“Jesse.”

“I’m Gina, and I’m coming with you. If anyone asks you who I am, tell them that I’m your cousin from Illinois.”

70

Rufsur

“Do you want to come with us to the café?” Jacki asked. “Kalugal and I are meeting Kian, Syssi, Amanda, and Dalhu for lunch.”

Atzil