Chapter 25

The back porch stretched across the entire side of the house. He moved along the edge, testing each board before putting his full weight on it, wary of the lightest creak. A careful inspection at each window revealed the first floor was as empty as it was dark. His luck didn’t hold out, though. A quick test revealed that the backdoor was locked. He dropped to one knee with his lock-picking kit, a small flashlight clenched between his teeth. The porch roof would protect him from sight, but he still needed to work fast. He had done the same thing thousands of times before, and the simple lock released after only seconds.