In spite of his fear of being discovered, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. The first thing he saw was her flat stomach and her beautiful innie bellybutton. The rest of her was just as spectacular. Then he ducked his head below the level of the window. He didn’t dare jump to the ground because the window was open, and she might hear him.

He balanced there for an eternity of seconds, his bent legs starting to shake from holding his body in a cramped position. Finally, not hearing any sounds from her room and afraid he would collapse, he took a chance and dropped to the ground. He froze there, listening. Silence surrounded him, except for the distant hum of automobiles, ubiquitous in Los Angeles. He hid the palette, being careful not to make any noise, and returned to his car.

Now, Alfred shone the flashlight around the room. It flashed across the top of the dresser, which was bare. In a panic, he moved the beam to the open closet door. The closet was empty. Penny’s clothes were gone. Penny was gone.

CHAPTER 2

Alfred came back to Penny’s apartment building about nine o’clock on Thursday morning. Not too early to arouse suspicion. His instinct that had told him something was about to happen had been right. It was a good thing he had quit his job, so that he could devote full time to this. He had saved some money. He never spent a dime, except for gas, rent, and food. His instinct had failed him in one respect. He hadn’t guessed that the bird would fly the coop.

He would prove to Penny that he was up to the challenge. He would prove that he was worthy of her. Alfred knocked on the door of the apartment manager. The door was opened by a small man with a small head, topped by thinning gray hair. He squinted up at Alfred, inquiringly, through his wire-rim glasses, with his head cocked. Alfred had been very careful about his prowling and was sure the man had never seen him before.