The third window from the corner, a window she absolutely believed would get her inside Eddie’s apartment, was wide open. Well, not wide open, but wide enough that the security system couldn’t possibly be working. An utter amateur could waltz right in. Selina plotted Catwoman’s route: up the backside of the building to the roof, over the wall, then down to the open window. She curbed her excitement. No good thinking about midnight when the way back to the rig was across a wall of treacherous glass.
She kept a tight rein on her emotions even after she was on the sidewalk, heading home.
It had been a long time—too long a time—since she wanted something as much as she wanted Eddie Lobb. She was invigorated by desire, and not completely certain she liked the feeling.
Selina spent an hour examining the Catwoman costume, from the flexible, shock-absorbing soles of the built-in boots to the razor-claw tips and the tiny slits that allowed her to free her fingertips if she needed to. It was in perfect condition. She dressed and loaded the lockpicks into the concealed thigh pocket—not that she expected to need them—and headed for the Keystone.
The rain had ended; the skies were clear. The East End was quieter than usual, but beyond the slum, people were out for a stroll. Catwoman used roofs and alleys as much as possible, but eventually she had to emerge and dash across a street.
“Lookit, Mommy—a big cat!”
There were strict rules governing this universe. One stated that a human adult didn’t notice anything until it happened for the second time. This rule enabled another adult to cross a street in an all-concealing catsuit without being noticed. Unfortunately, the fine print of all the universal rules noted that they were not valid for children. Catwoman couldn’t have heard the little boy better if he’d yelled directly into her ear. She turned and nailed the toddler with a killer scowl, then made a run for the nearest alley.