The Sweetest Heist in History

by Octavia Spencer

  “Excuse me,” she told the group. “I’m just going to step outside and call my dad. He’ll want to know that we got here okay.”

  “Are you sure going outside is a good idea?” Colonel Taylor asked. “It’s getting pretty dark out there, and this isn’t Deer Creek.”

  “Just stay close to the entrance,” Gigi said. “And if anyone bugs you, you have my permission to give him a good solid roundhouse kick in the rump.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Outside, a cold wind was blowing down the avenue. Randi turned the collar of her jacket up, pulled out her phone, and dialed her dad’s number.

  He answered immediately. “Randi! I just had my phone out to call you!”

  “Great minds think alike,” Randi said. “Where are you?”

  “In a cab to my hotel in rainy Seattle,” said Herb Rhodes. “Where it happens to be a beautiful sunny day. How ’bout you?”

  “We’re at Gigi’s favorite Ethiopian restaurant on Fourth Avenue.”

  Herb groaned with jealousy. “I love that place. How was the ride?”

  “Interesting. Pudge’s dad is really strict. But I did hear a good story.” Randi started off cautiously. She was suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

  “I’m all ears,” said her dad.

  “We were talking about a new Fabergé egg exhibit that’s coming to the Brooklyn Museum, and Colonel Taylor said he once caught a woman who’d snuck past security at a similar exhibit at the Frick museum. The lady told him her name was Glenn Street. Two years before you started writing the Glenn Street books.”

  Herb Rhodes cleared his throat, the way he did whenever he was feeling uncomfortable. Randi knew in an instant she was onto something. “Yes, he told me the same story. It has to be a coincidence.”

  “I don’t think it was a coincidence, Dad. I showed him a picture of Mom. He ID’d her as the lady at the Frick.”

  The statement met with utter silence on the other end of the line.

  “Dad?” Randi asked.

  He cleared his throat once more. “Yes?”

  “Do you think it was Mom? You guys were living in the city back then and you’d been married for a year.”

  “I don’t know,” Herb Rhodes said. “I suppose anything is possible. Listen, Randi, my cab just got to the hotel. I need to check in and get ready for an event tonight. Can I call you in the morning?”

  “Sure,” Randi said. She couldn’t figure out what had just happened. For some reason, her dad sounded determined to get off the phone. She knew she’d just uncovered a mystery, and she couldn’t wait to find out what Gigi knew.

  “Thanks. And, Randi, I know Gigi has had a hard time getting over your mom’s death. Don’t go asking a lot of questions that will make her go through it again.”

  “Okay, Dad,” Randi said. Great minds really did think alike.

  “Good night, sweetheart,” he said. And the line went dead.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Randi was stunned. As she made her way back into the restaurant, it felt as if her body was moving on its own. When D.C. saw her approaching the table, which was now filled with food, he jumped up to greet her.

  “Guess what? Guess what?” he asked twice with excitement.

  “What?” Randi replied robotically.

  “Pudge’s dad says he can stay! Gigi talked him into it. Didn’t she, Pudge?”

  Pudge looked like he’d just gotten the shock of his life. “Yeah,” he confirmed, his face breaking into a wide smile. “I don’t know how she did it, but yeah!”

  Randi glanced over at the two adults who were seated side by side. Gigi, in her victory, seemed absolutely thrilled. Colonel Taylor wore a more complex expression. He looked to Randi like a man who was on the verge of conducting a dangerous experiment.

  * * *

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  * * *

  THE WATCHER

  Someone was shaking Randi awake. When she opened her eyes, she could see that the sun had just started to rise.

  “What time is it?” she mumbled. Pudge, reveling in his newfound freedom, had tried his best to keep his friends up all night. D.C. had passed out sometime around eleven. Randi hadn’t lasted much longer.

  “It’s seven a.m.” Gigi was whispering in Randi’s ear. “Put on a couple layers of warm clothes that you can move in. Then meet me in the living room.”

  Randi was groggy when she emerged from the bedroom. “This warm enough?” she asked. She was wearing sweatpants over a pair of jeans—and two hoodies on top of each other.

  “Perfect,” said Gigi. “Let’s go.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  It was the day before Thanksgiving, and the city was quiet. Randi followed her aunt across Eastern Parkway, past a single car that was stopped at the streetlight. On the other side of the avenue, a high gate blocked the entrance to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. A wrought-iron fence circled the rest of the park. Gigi stepped off the sidewalk and followed the fence as it scaled a small hill. Halfway up, she hopped on top of a boulder that sat next to iron bars, and then she reached up and grabbed a tree branch above her head. From there, she pulled herself up until she could put one sneaker on top of the fence. Then she dropped silently to the other side.

  Randi matched her aunt’s every move, and soon they were both inside the deserted botanical garden.

  “For the record, I’m a lifetime member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden,” Gigi stated. “I just prefer to use my own entrance.”

  “How did you figure out how to get in like that?” Randi whispered as they set off across the grass.

  “Your mom taught me,” Gigi said.

  “My mom knew how to break into the Brooklyn Botanic Garden?”

  “Sure. We lived across the street, remember? She and I used to come here when we were kids. Want to see our favorite spot?”

  “Yeah!” Randi said.

  “Good, ’cause we’re almost there.”

  They’d come to a small Japanese-style building that sat beside an emerald-green lake. Across from it, rising out of the water, was a large wooden structure painted a bright reddish orange. It looked like a gate to another world.

  “It’s called a torii,” Gigi said. “The Japanese believe that torii are gateways to sacred spaces.”

  “It does feel sacred here,” Randi whispered. A cold morning breeze rustled the garden’s remaining leaves and set the trees swaying. There was no sound of traffic—nothing to remind you that you were in the middle of New York City.

  “Your mom and I always thought so, too. This way,” Gigi said, leading her to a path that wound around the lake. Giant koi swam over to greet them. They glittered orange, gold, blue, and silver beneath the surface of the water.

  “Wow. It’s almost like they recognize you,” Randi said.

  “I’m sure they do. Koi are highly intelligent creatures, and I’ve known some of them since I was your age.”

  “Whoa. Those fish were around in the 1990s?”

  “Yep. Quite a few of them are even older than I am. Koi can live to be fifty years old.” Gigi reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a handful of brown nuggets. She gave half to Randi and tossed the rest into the lake. “Fish food. You’re not really supposed to feed the little buggers,” she admitted. “But to me they’re not fish. They’re more like old friends.”

  After a short walk around the water, Randi and Gigi arrived at the waterfall that fed the lake. A stream of clear water cascaded over two sets of rocks, surrounded by trees and bushes. It had to be the most beautiful spot in Brooklyn.

  Gigi took a seat on a rock beside the waterfall and motioned for Randi to sit beside her. Then she pulled a thermos and two paper cups out of her knapsack. The air filled with the fragrance of cocoa as she poured a stream of steaming liquid into the cups. Randi took a sip. It was as rich and delicious as a chocolate bar.

  Randi had so many questions she wanted to ask. But she couldn’t get her father’s warning out of her head. There might be things her aunt didn’t want to discuss. O
livia-Kay Rhodes’s death had been hard on everyone.

  Gigi was the one who finally broke the silence. “You know, you remind me so much of your mother.”

  “Everyone says that,” Randi said. “It’s because we have the same crazy red hair.”

  “Your hair is red?” Gigi joked, flicking one of Randi’s ringlets with her finger. Then her smile turned sad. “No, it’s not just the hair. You have the same spirit.”

  It was nice of her to say, but Randi just didn’t buy it. She couldn’t quite believe that she shared the same spirit as her sweet, artistic mother. “What was she like when you guys were kids?” Randi asked.

  Gigi smiled. “Olivia-Kay was what people used to call a tomboy, which is an old-fashioned word for a girl who likes to climb trees and go on adventures.”

  “Don’t a lot of girls like to do stuff like that?” Randi asked.

  “Exactly,” Gigi said. “But I have to admit, your mom was more daring than most girls—or boys for that matter.”

  “She was?” Randi asked.

  Gigi’s smile widened, as if she was recalling a whole lifetime of fond memories. “Oh yes,” she said. “Olivia-Kay was always convincing me to do the craziest things. It’s amazing either of us survived to see adulthood.”

  It felt like Gigi was talking about someone Randi had never met. “What sort of stuff did she convince you to do?”

  “Well, once she had us hide in the Museum of Natural History until it closed. She wanted see what it was like to have the place to ourselves.”

  “That sounds awfully familiar,” Randi said, remembering Colonel Taylor’s story about the Frick museum. “I bet it was a lot of fun.”

  “It was—while it lasted. But the only thing we had to eat was a package of Pop Rocks, and a guard passing by heard us having our dinner.” Gigi laughed. “Then another time, she convinced me to spend two weeks spying on one of our neighbors downstairs. My sister was convinced that the woman was on the run from the law. And you know what? It turned out Olivia-Kay was right! The lady had embezzled almost a million dollars from some business in Detroit. We both got a reward for calling the cops.”

  Randi frowned. Gigi had to be pulling her leg. “You’re making this stuff up, aren’t you?”

  “Absolutely not,” Gigi said. “Just ask your dad.”

  “But Mom wasn’t like that when I knew her!” Randi argued. “We had a lot of fun, but I always thought she was the sort of person who liked to play it safe.”

  “Oh yeah?” Gigi asked. “Wasn’t your mom the one who convinced you to take Tae Kwon Do? And didn’t she take you to all the cool hidden spots in Prospect Park? And I distinctly remember the day she dared you to eat barbequed crickets. Think about it, Randi. Wasn’t she the one who taught you how to be the awesome kid that you are?”

  Randi realized just how much she had taken for granted. She’d always known she had the best mother in the world. But she’d never even suspected how fabulous Olivia-Kay Rhodes had really been.

  “I wish I’d figured it out a bit earlier,” Randi said softly.

  “You were young when she died. You’re figuring it out now,” Gigi said. Then she paused. “You know, Olivia-Kay and I came here together once when she was sick. She asked me to look after you. Not in a make sure Randi eats well and gets good grades sort of way. She wanted you to have the kind of childhood we had. An adventure every week, she told me. I swore I would do whatever I could. But then you moved away.” She paused and her face grew dark. “I was very angry when your father called me in Cambodia and told me he was going to take you down South. It meant I couldn’t keep my promise to my sister when I got back home.”

  “If it’s any consolation, I was pretty mad, too,” Randi said.

  Gigi nodded. “I bet. What’s it like down there, anyway? Things still as exciting as they were last summer?”

  “Hardly,” Randi scoffed. “I’m starting to think I might die of boredom before I turn thirteen.”

  “Not if I have anything to do with it,” Gigi said. “I have big plans for this weekend. I was talking to your friend D.C. He told me there’s a martial arts tournament in town. Isn’t that right up your alley?”

  “Yeah!” Randi said. Why hadn’t she thought of it?

  “And how ’bout we forget having turkey on Thanksgiving and go somewhere amazing instead?”

  “Yeah!” Randi cried. It was going to be the best weekend ever.

  “And, Randi?” Suddenly Gigi wasn’t kidding around anymore. “If you ever want to come back to Brooklyn, I have a bedroom with your name on it.”

  “Really?” Randi asked.

  “Yes,” Gigi told her. “Anytime.” Then she drained the last of her cocoa, stood up, and offered Randi a hand. “Now, let’s get home. It’s time to introduce your friends to the wonders of New York City bagels.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  They stepped through the front door to hear a yelp come from one of the bedrooms. They hurried to investigate. Pudge was sitting upright in his bed, staring at the clock on his cell phone.

  “It’s nine fifteen!”

  “And?” Gigi asked.

  “Why did you let me sleep so late?”

  “Because you were tired,” Randi said.

  Pudge couldn’t seem to think of a response. “My dad wakes us up at six thirty sharp,” he explained. “I’ve never been asleep at nine fifteen before.”

  “Well, you should try sleeping till ten,” Gigi told him. “I swear, it’s even better.”

  “Hey!” D.C. called out from behind them, his voice a loud whisper. Randi turned to see him already dressed, a pair of binoculars hanging around his neck. “Come here! Come here! You’re not going to believe this!”

  “Why are you whispering?” Randi asked.

  “You’ll see,” D.C. said.

  “This better be good,” Pudge grumbled, slipping out of bed. “I was about to find out what it feels like to sleep until ten a.m.”

  D.C. led them back to his room and headed for the window where the venetian blinds were still down. He pulled them apart a few inches. “Look down there!” he ordered.

  Randi peeked through the blinds. Aside from a lady with a green Mohawk who was walking six pit bulls at once, there wasn’t anything to see. “This isn’t Tennessee,” Randi told D.C. “We have stores that sell things besides camouflage and baseball hats. You’re gonna see people wearing all kinds of crazy stuff while you’re here. Might as well get used to it.”

  “What?” D.C.’s forehead wrinkled with confusion. He pushed Randi aside and had another look at the street. “I guess he’s gone,” he muttered to himself. Then he yanked up the blinds and let the light into the room. “You thought I was talking about that woman with the dogs? My mom’s got a million tattoos. You think I’m impressed by a Mohawk? And just for the record, there are a lot of people in Tennessee who don’t wear camo or baseball hats. I know you two Yankees don’t understand—”

  “Okay, okay,” Pudge interrupted, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to the bright sunlight. “If you weren’t talking about the Mohawk, then what were you talking about?”

  “Randi and Gigi woke me up when they left this morning. I got out of bed and looked out the window to see where they were going. That’s when I spotted him.”

  “Who?” Randi asked impatiently.

  “I’m getting to it!” D.C. stomped his foot with frustration. “There was a man in a car parked right across from the museum. He had a pair of superpowerful binoculars, and he had them trained on the museum’s entrance.”

  Randi felt a spark of excitement. “Could you tell what he was watching?”

  “No,” D.C. said. “But he was sitting there pretty much the whole time you guys were gone. Whatever he was looking at must have been pretty interesting.”

  Randi looked up at Gigi. “We had to have walked right past him!” Randi said. “I can’t believe neither of us noticed anything.”

  “Hold on, guys. I think I might be able to solve the mystery,” Gigi
said. “Earlier this year, a pair of red-tailed hawks built a nest in one of the windows on the front of the building. This whole neighborhood was lousy with bird-watchers for months. I gotta say, it was a little creepy to walk outside and find two dozen people standing in the middle of the sidewalk with their binoculars focused across the street.”

  “But this is November,” D.C. replied, sounding skeptical. “Don’t birds lay their eggs in the spring? The hawk babies must have hatched and flown away by now.”

  “The nest is still there.” Gigi pointed out the window. “Look at the second window from the right on the second floor. See those twigs sticking out?”

  D.C. squinted into the sunshine. “Yeah,” he said, his face falling. “I see it. But I swear, the guy didn’t look anything like a bird-watcher. He was wearing a black leather coat. He seemed like some kind of gangster to me.”

  “Welcome to Brooklyn,” Randi said. “Half the people here look like gangsters.”

  “That’s not true.” Gigi put a hand on D.C.’s shoulder. “You know what, D.C.? It’s awfully early for bird-watchers. Maybe the guy was some kind of criminal.”

  “You think?” D.C. asked, sounding hopeful.

  “It’s possible,” Gigi said, though Randi could tell she was only humoring the boy. “I’ll tell you what. I’m pretty good friends with the superintendent here. He has security cameras watching the front of the building. I bet if I ask nicely, he’ll let us take a look at the footage from the last few days. Who knows? Maybe we’ll catch our gangster doing something more exciting.”

  “That sounds awesome!” D.C. said. “Can we go now?”

  “Absolutely not, young man,” Gigi said, doing an impressive impersonation of Colonel Taylor. “Breakfast comes first. Then we must discuss our schedule for the rest of the day. A little bird told me there’s a martial arts tournament in town.”

  * * *

  CHAPTER EIGHT