The family that preys together…- 53

The driveway leading to Crispin’s home was blocked at the entrance by a large gate, meaning Kent couldn’t drive straight up the front of the mansion. So he parked his car a few hundred yards away, past the ‘No Parking’ signs that lined half the street. Rich and powerful he thought as he did, to be able to get those signs up to keep people’s cars from marring the view.

Getting to the mansion on foot was no easier than trying to drive up he discovered. Behind the tall, decorative shrubbery that lined the edge of the property was an equally tall fence, well hidden from view. The only visible way to get past it was the pedestrian gate next to the driveway and it was locked and, Kent had a feeling, probably alarmed as well. But he was nothing if not resourceful and he had a quest to fulfill. 

Walking to the back of the property he found it less well-lit and searched for a spot in the shrubbery that he could get through without too much problem. When he found it and was facing the fence he touched it gingerly, hoping it wasn’t electrified. With a sigh of relief when he discovered it wasn’t, he scaled it, landing lightly on his feet on the other side.

Then he waited, timing himself. If the fence had been alarmed he figured it wouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes at most for the police to arrive. When nothing happened he moved through the shadows to the side of the wide back yard, getting as close to the large garage as possible then with a dash racing across the lawn to stand next to it, again deep in the shadows.

Feeling safe from discovery for the moment, and just a bit like a cat-burglar on a job, Kent studied the rear of the mansion. Lights showed from several of the windows. He found, when he inched forward enough to see the side of the mansion, that windows there were also lit behind the closed curtains.

Now he was betwixt and between. He was a trespasser with no rights at the moment. If he just went around to the front of the house and knocked on the door there were two possible scenarios. One, he could just say he was there to see Crispin and hope that whoever answered accepted that without question. Two, he could be summarily thrown out on his ass and even end up in jail.

There was a third choice he suddenly realized. If he could see into the garage he might at least be able to find out if Crispin’s car was there and know whether he should continue to the house or wait it out until the man returned. He started to move around the garage, looking for a window, when he heard sounds from the rear of the mansion.

The back door opened and two people came into view. Huddling in the shadows again he listened and soon learned from the servants’ talking that Crispin and his brother had left together for the evening, going out to dinner from the sound of it. As the servants disappeared from view around the far side of the mansion Kent wondered if it was worth sticking around or if he should just leave and try again some other time. But he’d come this far, so after a moment’s hesitation he went back behind the garage and settled down to wait it out.