CH 115 — Skrenkak

They relayed the plan to their clients, who were reasonably upset. Julie wanted to storm into the attic and tear it apart, citing stolen property and potential valuables she overlooked. Meike was relieved when Gloria talked her down, though not without terse words and vulgarities.

Once Julie was calmed down and sent off on errands, Gloria prepared a meal for Meike and Pickles. “You're going to be up there for quite awhile,” she said, giving them an apologetic smile. “I wish there was another way…”

“This is the best shot we've got,” Pickles said.

And thus they waited, long into the night, long after the Galloways retired to bed.

Meike kept shivering, not entirely from the cold, but how invasive their current standing was. The floor beneath them was relatively thin, so they could hear more than they should. If they shifted closer to the main bedroom, they could hear whispers and more…intimate chatter that made them blush. And yet they couldn’t say anything, to Pickles, and most definitely not their clients, for fear of causing further distress.