“Really, Matthew. I could have persuaded Parker to open this for us, or I could easily break the lock.”
The locksmithing videos always made the job look so easily, especially that one guy who could open just about anything in under three minutes. I didn’t have nearly his skill, especially at holding the padlock and turning tool with the same hand. I also hadn’t developed the feel with the pick that he had. I would have preferred the easy way of using padlock shims, but they had sprun for high quality padlocks.
“The point—” I said tightly, my concentration still on the lock. “The point is to not leave a trail. We don’t want anyone knowing we were in here.”
“Parker showed us everything.”
“Yeah, but that’s just information. We don’t want any proof that we were in here. You snapping the padlock is clear proof of tampering, as is his opening it for us.”
I felt a click from the pick. It felt set. I moved back to the beginning.
“I could easily have made him forget.”
I paused.
“How do you do that?”
“Merely by asking, Matthew. Really, it shouldn’t surprise you. Hypnotists have long done it as a parlor trick. A relaxed state, suggestibility. It’s far easier to get people to forget than to remember.”
“Hmm.”
“Is that concern in your voice? Perhaps I have made you forget some things?”
I didn’t want to answer her. She’d almost certainly here it in my voice. I knew she could make people do what she wanted, but making people forget hadn’t crossed my mind. In fact, it opened up a whole new set of possibilities that I needed to look into.
But not right now.
I picked the next pin, and the tension bar moved.
“I got it. Just needed a subtle touch.”
“Quite so,” Nikki smirked.
Yeah, I could hear the smirk. It sent a shiver down my spine.