Milt dropped me off three blocks from the Mercotti place and I hoofed it. The afternoon sun was starting to hide behind clouds, getting ready to run away from the oncoming full moon.

And yes, I did pay some attention during those poetry classes. Mostly to impress Jodi Harper, the girl I was sort of with before I met Carol way back when, but we all have our motivations, right?

There were two cars in the drive - the Lambo and a big black thing I was not close enough to identify. I circled around the place, watching for any activity. And for guard dogs or drones or other obvious security. All I saw was that the place had three levels in the main building and two wings with two stories each. It was unlikely, given a high water table in the area, but possible that there was also a cellar.

I did see a light go on in the attic, and then shut off.

I took out my cell phone. Yeah, it’s a so-called smart phone. Probably smarter than me. Has crap for audio but some amazing features on the camera and a bunch of useful apps. Also, a stupid Sudoku game that I like to tick myself off trying to solve every once in a while.

But I digress.

Anyway, the coolest - or am I too old to be using that word these days? - feature is this telephoto thing that lets me zoom in at incredible detail. I began scanning the house, looking in each window, starting at the top and moving to the side and down. Found some movement in one study or library or whatever rich people call rooms with lots of books on the walls. Saw a woman leaving a kitchen with a covered tray and wondered why they needed three kitchens.

Then I heard a sound behind me and almost jumped out of my skin.

“Whatcha doin’ Mister?” A young-sounding voice came from behind. I whirled around and saw a kid, maybe ten probably younger, who had snuck up on me.

“Hi kiddo. I am playing at being a spook. Since you caught me, I guess I am not doing too well,” I replied.

“Looking for the pretty lady?” He asked innocently.

“Among others, yeah,” I admitted.

“A big ape thing brought her here about an hour ago, when I first came out to play. Kind of creepy but cool,” he told me.

“Ape thing?” I asked, surprised. “Did it have bat ears, wings and a shark’s fin?”

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“Didn’t see wings. Had lumps on its back that might have been folded wings. Didn’t see much more than that. Wait - you believe me?”

“Yeah, kid, I believe you. Something really strange is going on there,” I told him.

“Yeah - saw a man flying above his wheelchair last Saturday,” he added.

“What’s your name kid?”

“Duggan. Patrick Duggan. Yours?”

Patrick Duggan… must be the younger son of Seamus Duggan, current head of Duggan Brothers Construction. Not quite millionaires but close enough. “Detective Jack Diamond.”

“Jack Diamond?” My new little friend asked, “Like a playing card?”

“Yeah, exactly like a playing card.”

“Cool!” Wow, someone actually likes my name? Never saw that coming!

“Say, did you see where the ape thing took the pretty lady?” I asked.

“Yeah - that big window on the second floor was open, and it just jumped up there with her, from the ground.”

I followed his pointing finger to a bay window.

“Thanks, Patrick. You are a good kid. Now, you might want to get out of here as it might get rough. Plus, your momma, Janey Duggan, right? - is probably worried sick about you.”

“Nah, mommy was sipping the bottle and is probably asleep. But the housekeeper probably has dinner ready. Nice meeting you Jack the Spook!”

“Nice meeting you, Patty the Observant,” I replied and watched him trudge off into the sparsely wooded area between houses.

Well, if nothing else positive comes out of the day, at least it looks like I made a friend.

I turned my attention back to the house. My gut was telling me that, unless there was a cellar, Carol was being held in the attic - and if there was a cellar, then the odds were fifty-fifty. I was not capable of a thirty-foot vertical jump so had to get in another way. There appeared to be an open window on the second floor above the garage, and a tree located conveniently enough to get to the garage roof, so, as stealthily as I could manage, I made my way over there.

The goings were pretty easy, and my youth spent climbing everything I could, coupled with my body being in as good a shape as a borderline alcoholic can get, getting up on the garage roof was simplicity itself.

Sadly, it was a tile roof - why people do that instead of good old-fashioned shingles I will never understand - so I had to be very careful not to make a loud racket crossing it. Hmm - maybe that was why people used that stuff, to dissuade robbers?

Anyway, by the time I crossed to the main building, the sun was starting to set. The window was higher than it had looked from the ground, but large enough that I should be able to slip through.

I leapt up and tried to grab the sill. Barely missed the first time but, after waiting to make sure nobody came to investigate the noise my failed attempt made, on a second try I leapt up and grabbed the windowsill with both hands, and then slipped my right hand up to push the screen open. It popped out of the frame and clattered to the ground. I cursed silently and held my breath, but this noise did not seem to bring anything, either, so I pulled myself up and eased through the opening. It was a tight squeeze, but I managed and slid to the floor. I took a minute to catch my breath and then I began creeping through the mini mansion, looking for a way upstairs.