The Other Side of Never

Part 1: The Crime

The woman approached Josef from the darkest corner of the room, light falling across only her scarlet lips and pale décolletage. Smiling at him seductively, she took his hand and led him out through the large French doors and away from the crowded ballroom. Music and laughter and the tinkling of crystal glassware against drink trays faded behind them. Moonlight bathed the terrace in a romantic silver-blue sheen. Josef opened his mouth to speak and she rested her forefinger against his lips. She looked up, his gaze following hers. Overhead a balcony surrounded by rounded pilasters led into the second floor of the mansion. It was a long way up.

The woman stepped closer to Josef and threw her arms around his neck, her body trembled and she pressed it firmly along his length. She looked up at him expectantly, her face radiant in the moonlight.

"Are you making me an offer I can't refuse Ms Turner?" He teased. "What? Are you blushing?"

She tapped him across the shoulder in feigned annoyance and looked up at him pointedly, then across to the balcony. He looked down at her; then at the balcony above.

"Oh no Blondie, you can't be serious."

"Come on Josef, no one saw us come in. Now is our best chance."

"I am not jumping up onto that balcony with you." He swivelled his head to allow the full impact of his russet irises to take effect and smiled winningly. "Couldn't we just bribe the guards and walk up the stairs like civilized cat burglars?"

Beth was unamused. "Getting up there will be a piece of cake for you Josef. You practically have superhero powers."

"They wear tights for a reason Buzzwire. If you haven't noticed, I'm in Armani."

"Stop being such a fussy pants," she said clinging to him even more tightly. "We're wasting time. Jump already."

He regarded her for a moment, the traces of moonlight on her eyelids and cheekbones giving her an appearance of delicacy, making her seem fey and otherworldly, a woman to risk nations for. He rolled his eyes.

"Buckle up Blondie."

He wrapped his arms tightly about her waist, allowing his hands to slide along the slick satin of her gown for an instant, and leapt upward with a strength that startled her. For a moment she felt a thrill of fear, a high tight shallowness in her throat, then she was standing safely against the rough stone pilasters, heart fluttering wildly, in the circle of Josef's arms. She gasped, smiling broadly.

"Wheeee!" She said in a delighted whisper. "Lets do that again Daddy!"

He lowered his chin and gazed out at her from beneath his brows. "Don't ever call me Daddy unless you want to be sent to my room with a spanking Beth."

Her eyes widened, the pupils dilating momentarily. She wasn't entirely sure he was joking. They held each other's gaze - then broke apart hastily; Beth brushing non-existent particles of plaster from her midnight blue gown, Josef straightening his immaculate jacket.

He cleared his throat. "So where did you say the safe was?" He said, careful not to catch her eye.

"Unbelievably, its behind the portrait on the far wall," she said briskly, staring pointedly at the gold handle on the glass door in front of her.

"Hmmph… he always did lack imagination."

"That's what you think." She muttered to herself and pushed the gold handle downward.

Josef and Beth crept into the room through the French windows, leaving the door open behind them. A bright column of moonlight entered through the open doorway like a silver path and led them across the floor to a bulky antique desk, like a drawbridge guarding an enormous gold-framed portrait on the wall behind.

Even in the shadowy half-light of the study the portrait held an undeniable power. The artist who had captured the woman was a genius. Her waifishly slender form was draped in a skintight red velvet gown, a blood red that seemed to shimmer with an inner fire. One strap fell from her shoulder, exposing the top of a creamy breast, and one bare foot peeked out from beneath a hem held up with her left hand. Although her dark hair was swept up, several tendrils fell softly about her face. Her lips were caught between her teeth in a half smile and her dark almond shaped eyes looked dreamy and seductive, as if she'd been caught after a moment of illicit lovemaking, or in the process of inviting one. She was breathtakingly beautiful and she looked alive, not like the living undead, but alive and vital and breathing.

"She looks fat in that." Beth whispered.

"Now, now, Wilhemina, holster your weapon. Lets just get on with this and get out of here." Josef swung the portrait back to reveal a gunmetal grey safe with a small keypad. He raised one eyebrow. "I hope you don't expect me to rip that open."

She stepped in to look a little more closely and brushed against Josef's shoulder, telling herself the frisson of excitement she felt was from fear of being caught.

"Allow me," she said smugly. She opened her purse and pulled out a tiny black device, placed it over the keypad and pushed a miniscule button. Josef looked at her questioningly.

"Logan," she mouthed.

"Is there anybody you can't charm Buzzwire?"

His warm brown eyes held hers and for a dizzying second her breath caught in her throat. The question hung in the air like the sort of clumsy paper plane a pre-schooler might make, and she opened her mouth to reply. The safe door clicked open with a faint hiss.

"There should only be one thing in this safe," Beth said, reaching in with her right hand, "and here it is." She held up a small glass vial triumphantly. It was filled with clear liquid and capped with a white rubber stopper.

Suddenly the room blazed with light. Wood panelling on the opposite wall split into two sections and rolled back with a faint whirr. A slow handclap came from the shadows beyond.

This wasn't going to be pretty.