Chapter 14: The Binder Heist

Dot parked the minivan across from the dental office at five to nine on Sunday night and turned off the headlights.

She had brought binoculars, a thermos and a tray of egg salad sandwiches.

"A stakeout is eighty percent egg salad," she said. "Everybody knows that."

Milo sat in the back seat with a walkie-talkie in each fist.

They were the last two in the store. Dot had written them off as inventory.

"I'm Eagle Two," Milo said. "Grandma is Eagle One. Mom is Eagle Three."

"What am I?" Gus asked.

"Dad."

"I can be an eagle."

"You're too big to be an eagle," Milo said, with great kindness, and handed him the second radio.

I wrote in my notebook: Dot: 1 minivan, 1 sandwich. Milo: 2 radios. Gus: 0.

Gus read it over my shoulder.

"I'm not a zero," he said.

"You're a different column."

Selena's gold sedan wasn't in the lot. The lights in the office were off.

Dot checked the empty lot twice with the binoculars and told us it was clear in the voice of a woman who wanted to be asked again.

Gus and I crossed the street in the dark.

I had a plastic card on a lanyard in my jacket pocket. It said VIKSTROM, Hygienist, with a photo of a woman I didn't know.

The card opened the side door. A keypad beside it began to beep.

I had never seen that keypad. My fingers went up and typed four numbers before I told them to.

The light turned green.

"What was the code?" Gus whispered.

"I don't know. I'd have to do it again."

"Do it again."

"It's green now. Don't make me think."

Selena's office was at the back, behind the supply closet and the X-ray room.

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