The Artie Crimes by Jan Christensen

Author:Jan Christensen [Christensen, Jan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Published: 2016-12-14T05:00:00+00:00

Artie and the Green-Eyed Woman

Artie Applegate stepped into the dark alley and closed the jewelry store door behind him, his hands still gloved. As he turned to sneak away, he bumped into a soft something. For a moment he just stared at the woman in front of him. She stood at least an inch above his six feet. A swift up and down glance confirmed that her body could grace any James Bond film. But the most striking thing about her were her eyes. Green as emeralds. Cool as ice. Absolute gems.

Artie’s burglar heart thumped in his chest. She couldn’t be a cop, could she? He almost lost his grip on his athletic bag, full of recently acquired fine jewelry and expensive watches.

The impression of cop intensified as he watched her draw a gun from beneath her short, black leather jacket and calmly point it at his chest. Said chest seemed to shrivel, and a slight moan escaped Artie’s frozen lips. His grip on the bag loosened. It bounced nosily on the pavement.

“Do not worry,” she said in a throaty voice. “I will not shoot as long as you do as I say.”

“Uh huh,” Artie managed. He couldn’t take his eyes away from hers.

“Pick up your bag. See that door over there?” She pointed with her other hand to a blue door across the alley. “I need you to open it.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Let’s go.”

Artie picked up his bag in a daze and started walking toward the other door. He could sense her behind him. And the gun.

Artie didn’t like guns. He never carried one. They tended to go off at inconvenient times, as often killing or maiming the person who owned one as it did anyone else. Guns were trouble, with a capital T.

A trickle of sweat made its way down his back as they arrived at the blue door. Someone had obviously attempted to pick the lock—it was badly scratched. The green-eyed woman? He doubted it. She looked too confident to ever fail at anything she attempted.

“Get it open,” the woman demanded, “and be quick.” He glanced at her over his shoulder and saw the gun, steady in her hand, pointed at his back. He set his bag down and unzipped it. His hand automatically found the black case with his tools inside.

He studied the lock a moment, chose a tool, and worked it carefully inside. The lock was one of the newest on the market and considered by the trade to be the hardest of all to pick.

“Hurry,” the woman said. She sounded a bit short of breath.

“I’m going as fast as I can,” Artie said, wondering if he should be fast and get the hell out, or slow, trying to thwart her.

He decided on fast. He leaned near the lock, listening closely. His latex-gloved hand was steady as he slowly turned the door handle. He heard a click, removed the pick, and chose another one from his kit.

Glad the woman knew enough to be quiet, he tried the second pick and finally heard another click.

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