Okay, obviously I wasn’t going to get that lucky.

I slipped my hand into my pocket, rummaging for anything that I could use to pick a lock. Gum, movie stub, ballpoint pen. Sigh.

I looked at the glass panes on the door. They were small, but large enough to slip a hand through. If I could smash the one near the handle…

I bent down and picked up one of Katie’s decorative rocks and lifted it over my head.

But someone grabbed it away before I could use it.

“Jesus, Bender!”

I spun around to find Cal glaring down at me. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I was gonna smash the windowpane.”

Cal dropped the rock back on the ground. “I can’t take you anywhere.” Then he proceeded to pull a long, thin thing that looked a dentist tool from his pocket. He inserted it into the keyhole and jiggled it.

“What’s that?”

“Lockpick.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “How is it a guy that ‘doesn’t feel good’ about breaking and entering owns a lockpick?”

He shrugged. “I don’t always have to feel good.”

I grinned.

My cell buzzed in my pocket. Cam again.

Cal’s coming in after you.

Gee, thanks for the heads-up.

“There.” I heard a click, then Cal turned the handle, pushing the door open. “We’re in.”

I shoved my phone back in my pocket and brushed past him into the guest room.

It was on the small side, expensively furnished, but in an understated way. A queen bed, dresser, and matching set of nightstands. A large oil painting hung above the bed depicting the Tuscan countryside, and a vase of fresh flowers sat on the dresser.

“Guest bedroom,” Cal said, voicing my thoughts.

“Let’s go find hers, then.”

I opened the bedroom door, peering out. Two more doors, then the hallway opened up to the large living room I’d seen through the first set of French doors. Quickly I tried the other two rooms, only to find similarly furnished guest rooms. Beyond the living room was a tall, winding staircase, leading to another hallway. I motioned for Cal to follow and jogged up, hoping like hell that my shoes didn’t muck up Katie’s bright white carpets.

At the top of the stairs were three more doors. The first two contained a home gym and a study. The third, a master bedroom bigger than the entire offices of the Informer. Large canopied bed, two walk-in closets, and a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

“So, this is how the other half lives,” Cal whispered beside me.

No kidding.

I spied a Victorian writing desk in the corner. And on top of it? A laptop.

Gotcha.

“No technology my ass…” I mumbled as I crossed the room, flipping the top open and powering the sucker up.