From Afar

Roxanne knew Katie was coming the moment she started entering the code into the key box outside. She’d rigged it with an alarm that had been linked to her phone.

Right now, Roxanne was inside what she affectionally called her war room. It was in one of the many hidden rooms throughout the mansion. This one was hidden behind a bookcase in her room. It was a little cliché, but even a nonconformist could enjoy a little conformity sometimes. However, did secret rooms count as conformity? She didn’t know.

Anyway, Roxanne had an entire bank of screens sitting in front of her, each linked to the various hidden cameras around the home. So far, Roxanne hadn’t left her sight once.

She grabbed the microphone sitting next to her keyboard. “Hey Katie, how’s it going?”

Katie almost jumped out of her skin in the reception area. “Holy shit!”

“Roxanne? Where are you?”

“I’ll be down soon. Just make yourself at home.”

She could see Katie’s expression crystal clear. Her eyes scanned for the speakers hidden in the dark recesses of the mansion. The interaction had clearly spooked her.

Roxy leaned back in her chair and threw one leg over the other.

Bingo. Nervous girl. Doesn’t know what she’s doing. This one will be fun. Now, just to see where she goes first, and then the fun can begin. Maybe she’s never heard of me? WHY has she never heard of me?

Roxanne watched as she moved with trepidation away from the hallway and to the right. The TV room. She reached over her shoulder toward the shelf and picked up a remote control with an aerial attached.