He’s really going to break in, Larry thought. Good Christ.

Barbara waited until he was closer, then called, “We’ve been having some second thoughts about this, Pete.”

“Hey, what’s life if you don’t take a little chance now and then. Right, Lar?”

“Right,” he answered, trying to sound game.

“You’re a lot of help,” Jean muttered.

Pete bounded onto the sidewalk, grinning and brandishing his tire iron. “Got my skeleton key right here,” he announced. “Fits any lock.”

“Anybody want to wait in the van?” Barbara asked.

“Ah, pussy.”

“Well, I guess I’d like to have a look around,” Larry said.

“Good man.”

Pete gave the flashlight to Larry. Then he rammed the wedge end of the bar behind the metal strap of the hasp. He yanked with both hands, throwing his weight backward. Wood groaned and split. With a sound like a small explosion the staple burst out of the door, bolts and all. “Well, that was a cinch.”

He shoved the bar under his belt, turned the knob on the right and pulled the door open.

“I suppose we could always say we found it like this,” Barbara muttered.

“You won’t have to sayanything. Half an hour or so, we’ll be long gone.”

“If we don’t get shot for trespassing.”

Ignoring her remark, Pete leaned into the doorway and called, “Yoo-hoo. Anybody home?”

Larry winced.

“Here we come, ready or not!”

“Cut it out,” Barbara whispered, slapping the back of his shoulder.

“Nobody home but us ghosts,” he said in a low, scratchy voice, and turned around grinning.

“Real cute.”

“So who’s coming in?”

“I think we should all go in or none of us,” Larry said, hoping Pete wouldn’t figure him for a pussy. “I don’t think we should split up. I’d be worried the whole time that something might happen to the gals while we’re in there looking around.”