3 Chapter 3

“I bet you are. See you in fifteen.”

When the front door buzzer sounded in three minutes, Bond started toward it, his feet still shoeless. Since it was too soon for Marshall, he used the peephole before opening. An unfamiliar woman paced in front of the steps to his storm door. If it hadn’t been locked, he got the feeling she and the man behind her with the camera and big light might have barged in uninvited.

Parked on the street was a blue van with a dish antenna on top and the name of a Los Angeles news channel stenciled on the side.

Crap. Double, double crap. All the way to Black Bear for this? They must be hard up for news, he thought.

He crept backward step-by-step, grateful the only light on in the house was a small one at the back in the bathroom upstairs. Making his way down to the basement, he texted Marshall. News crew in front. Park next street down. Man behind me not home. Come through his yard, creep to basement door.