13 Mink Street

Under the dim streetlight, Jeff threw a cigarette butt that had burned almost to the filter.

Then...

His gaze quickly glanced from side to side while he habitually stepped on the cigarette butt with the sole of his leather shoe, rubbing it back and forth.

"Hiss... D*mn..."

Jeff kicked forcefully, forgetting that the soles of his shoes had long since worn thin, and the heat nearly seared the bottom of his foot.

The night wind blew back and forth in the street, carrying a chill. There were few pedestrians, and the few far away were bundled up in hats and scarves, heads down, hurrying along their way.

Jeff turned up his collar, which shone with a greasy sheen due to the stains. But at this moment, it could give him a sense of security that he was being hidden and protected.

Up ahead was 128 Mink Street. Numbers 50 to 200 were row buildings. Those who lived here, whether they rented or owned, may not be millionaires, but at least they belonged to the middle class.

The house in front was home to a family of three: a man, a doctor; a woman, a teacher; and their 7-year-old son.

A maid would come during the day to clean and tidy the house. But she wouldn't stay overnight and always left after preparing dinner.

Moreover, the family had a habit of going out to the theater for a show every Saturday night.

The door was opened. The man in a black suit, stepped out first, starting the car parked at the entrance.

Then, the woman in a red dress led the child out of the door. After closing the door, she got into her husband's car with her child, talking and laughing.

Afterward,

the car drove away.

Jeff licked his lips, approached quickly, and jumped over a low wooden fence that even couldn't stop a small dog. After landing in the flower garden, he stepped quickly up the steps, taking out a key from his pocket and inserting it.

"Click..."

The crisp sound indicated the successful opening of the door.

Three months ago, when Jeff, a still moving company worker, provided moving services for this family, the woman trustingly handed over the key to their new house. Jeff took this opportunity to make a copy of the key secretly.

At that time, he hesitated whether or not to steal, as he had lost almost everything. 

Now, there was no need for hesitation, because not only did he have nothing, but also he was in debt.

After opening the door, Jeff quickly slipped in and shut the door as fast as he could.

"After tonight, you'll understand that you should change the locks after moving in."

The first floor was an open-plan kitchen and dining room, with a small northwest corner for the maid.

Jeff went straight up to the second floor without turning on the light, instead using a flashlight he had brought, though its light was unstable.

"D*mn..."

Jeff cursed under his breath, aware that the batteries were running low. But it was because he had used up the money intended for replacement batteries on a 5-ruble pack of "Morv" cigarettes instead.

After a few hard taps on the flashlight, the light was a little brighter than before.

The second floor featured the master bedroom for the married couple as well as a small study and a bathroom.

As for the third floor, it was an attic and served as the child's bedroom.

Jeff pushed open the door to the master bedroom, which revealed a large bed and an assortment of antique cabinets. He knew that the valuables in the house were likely to be in this bedroom. Of course, before leaving, he would also check the study.

"Hiss... Hiss..."

The sound of electrical friction combined with static noise came through.

"Welcome to the Roja Storytelling Club. I'm your old friend... Alfred. The moon is beautiful tonight. Under such a beautiful moonlight, everything seems to be accompanied by a taste of happiness..."

Jeff was startled by the sudden sound, looking down to discover it was coming from an old-fashioned peanut tube radio.

"D*mn it, don't you know how to save on electricity when everyone's gone?"

Jeff reached out to turn off the radio.

Then, he began rummaging through the dresser drawers in the room. Typically, the woman would have some frequently worn jewelry and household cash in such places. Of course, finding a jewelry box would also be ideal.

"Click..."

The sound of someone opening the entrance door came from the first floor.

Jeff was almost startled to his feet.

Then it was followed by the sound of high heels going up the stairs, clearly heading to the bedroom.

Jeff quickly closed the drawer and turned off the flashlight.

He was a thief, not a robber. Stealing and robbery were two completely different concepts, even in court sentencing.

Most importantly, he simply didn't dare to be a robber.

The sound of high heels approached quickly, full of urgency.

Without much time to think, Jeff could only lie down, roll over, and slip under the bed.

"Creak..."

Meanwhile, the bedroom door was pushed open.

"Click!"

The light was turned on.

Jeff, who was lying under the bed, saw a pair of red high heels walk towards the dresser. After a frantic search, the woman seemingly found a small pill container, with the crunching sound of pouring out the pills, and finally the sound of swallowing.

Then,

a series of relieved sighs followed.

Jeff saw the woman's high heels linger by the dresser for a long time before she stood up and began moving.

"Ring-ring-ring... Ring-ring-ring..."

The ringing of the phone sounded.

She left the bed and moved towards the tea table under the window, where the phone was placed.