The economy sucks and that's been good news for me. It's not that I'm a cold-hearted bastard, but I don't mind making a buck off other people's misfortune and business has been good.
It's simple. I just check the papers and see where the foreclosures and evictions are happening. Then I drive through, scoping out the neighborhoods to come back later, at night, do a little B&E on the deserted places and take what I want. Sometimes it's a dry hole, more often I have first pickings before the moving van comes. As you can expect, in this kind of work a guy has to take think quick a take advantage of fleeting opportunities.
One late night, just after I had eased the truck to the curb and shut down, I was startled to see a nearby garage light flick on.
Stay cool
I reminded myself as the roll-up door started to slide upward. The worst thing to do would be to attract attention by driving off in a hurry so I slid down in the seat and pulled my ball cap down a little lower. With luck I won't be noticed and if I am, maybe whoever it is will think I'm just a kid dozing.
I watched a nice, but not extravagant, car being driven by a man back out and pull away. As it did, the garage door started to slide shut and just as the car drove past me, making the turn onto the main road, a cat darted into the garage. That broke the little electric eye and the safety kicked in, reversing the door motion. Bingo, I had a brand new invitation and I wouldn't even have to bust a lock getting in. Luck favors the prepared, right?
I gave it a few minutes, about twenty, for the garage door light to go out and just to be sure Mr Man didn't drive down to the 7-11 at the corner for a pack of smokes. Just like I've done a hundred times already, I stepped out of the darkened truck, grabbed my tools, softly clicked the door closed and headed in.
One of the reasons I liked newly abandoned homes is not only can I count on the people being gone, but no pets as well. I knew I was taking a chance with this house, but since I saw a cat go in I was banking that the owners were cat people and that mean no dogs. Still, I checked the garage for doggie sign. You know: hanging leashes, bags of dog food, a water bowl - whatever.
Man, luck was going all my way, there was no sign. Tentatively I tried the knob on the connecting door. Just as I hoped, it turned easily and just like that I was inside.
Once inside I usually move fast once my eyes adjust to the darkness. There's not much sense in trying to pad around in an empty house and I found myself acting the same way even though this one had not gone under. I quickly sized up the stereo equipment. Not bad, not top of the line, but bulky. Skip the kitchen, find the bedrooms. I know what you're thinking - bedrooms mean people. Yeah, but bedrooms also mean prized possessions and those are usually small and easy to grab. I had been in for less than five so far.
I found a bedroom converted to some kind of office. A laptop went in the bag. I grinned. With any luck it would have something personal to gloat over later. Ohhh, upscale digital camera - in the bag. Add two to the five minutes.
I cracked another door and even before it was fully open I glimpsed kiddy décor. Nope, not this one. I eased the door closed and headed down the hall to a closed door. This had all the feel of "master bedroom." Again, I turned the knob and opened the door just enough to take a peek. I took a deep breath through my nose. Yup, this was the master. The scents alone were enough to confirm. People don't realize all the layers of smells they pile up in the places they live, but they are very obvious to strangers with noses unaccustomed to those smells.
My heart was pounding. Like I said, normally I work empty places. I had seen a kid's room, I knew the man - presumably the dad - had driven off so that left mommy still in bed. For some reason I began to get a sexual thrill and felt my pants tent up. This was new, taking me by surprise. I tucked a "note to self" away in my mind to ponder this a little later, right now I had some work to do and get the hell out of there.
I stepped in, closing the door behind me. Scanning the room I located all the major pieces of furniture. Sure enough, one side of the bed had the linens thrown back and the other had the long slightly S shape of someone sleeping. Of course that person was on the bedside closest to my main goal: the jewelry box. Oh, well, he who dares - wins. With a few steps I was beside the dresser. My cock took notice and got harder. I frowned, wondering if I had been a closet voyeur all these years.
Dammit. The jewelry box was too big to put into my sack, I'd have to open it. I picked it up and ran my fingers over it, feeling for a winding key which would mean it would play a tune when opened. My smile said it all: no key. I backed up a couple of silent steps to get away from the other clutter on the dresser and set my sack on the floor with its throat open. I positioned the box over that and then almost jumped through the ceiling when a woman's sleepy voice spoke from the bed.
"Everything okay at work, baby?"
ShitFuckDammitMotherfucker!
