Finder's Fee by Alton Gansky

Author:Alton Gansky [Gansky, Alton L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-310-57017-2
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2007-08-23T04:00:00+00:00

twenty-seven

Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Luke followed the lad as he moved quickly along the wall at the north property line and toward the cliffs at the rear of the lot.

“Of course, I know. They let me wander the grounds but I can’t go out to the street.”

“I’m surprised they let you out of the house.”

The boy pointed to the pool house. “I stayed there and not in the house. It’s got like guest quarters and stuff. They put in a big television and lots of video games — Xbox and everything. I think they just wanted to keep me quiet for a couple of days.”

Abel moved through the darkness like a cat; Luke struggled to see but managed to keep up with the boy. Both moved hunched over, like special forces soldiers in the movies.

“Abel!” The voice rolled across the grounds, loud but without alarm.

“Uh-oh. It’s him.”

“Who?”

“The man. The evil man. He calls himself Mr. Pennington, but I think he’s lying about his name. Maybe I should distract him — ”

“Not a chance, kid. If I return without you, your mother will fry my liver for lunch.”

“Eww.”

“Just stop talking and lead on. I’m trusting you.”

Abel nodded and continued forward until they reached the cliff’s edge. The sound of waves pummeling the beach rose from the sand below. The darkness prevented Luke from seeing how long a drop it was to the beach below but he felt sure that a fall would not turn out good. He hoped that Abel wasn’t entertaining the idea of climbing down.

“Be careful,” he whispered.

“Abel! Time for dinner.” This time the voice carried an edge.

Luke knew dinner had nothing to do with it. With the police gone, they had figured out that Abel wasn’t where he was supposed to be. Seconds became crucial.

In an effort to maintain privacy and the separation of estates, the builder had erected a wall that ran from the front of the property to the very edge of the cliff. A simple three-foot high wrought-iron fence that matched the front gate, except for the metal screen meant to keep prying eyes from prying, ran the back of the property — a barrier to prevent someone from slipping over the edge. Abel climbed it in a second. Before Luke could speak, the boy stood on the other side, holding onto the fence with one hand. Luke’s heart shuddered.

“Come on,” Abel whispered.

Then he disappeared.

Luke sprinted to the fence and looked over, hoping Abel had been able to grab onto something to prevent his fall.

“Over here.”

Luke turned his head and saw Abel scampering over the neighbor’s back fence; a fence made of anodized metal posts and clear plastic panels. One didn’t pay twenty million for a house overlooking the Pacific just to block the view with some opaque structure.

Now Luke understood. He slipped over the metal fence, shinnied to the neighbor’s side of the wall and joined Abel in his trespass. In the dim light shed by the neighbor’s house, Luke saw Abel smile and wiggle his eyebrows.

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