It Takes a Thief--A Heist Romance

by Sloane Steele

  “Not so easy,” Ms. Green continued. “The motion sensors on the main floor extend into the den. And we’re not sure if there is a trigger on the painting itself.”

  Jay pointed at Nikki and Ms. Green. “Why don’t you two start looking at the prints and decide best point of entry? I’ll work with Data on the specs we do have, and see what we can figure out about the system.”

  Ms. Green showed Nikki what looked like a blueprint. Audrey scooted her chair toward the desk. She did her best to tune out the conversation across the room as well as the scent of Jay’s cologne. Time to work.

  “If you give me the specs you have, I’ll see what I can come up with. I also need the address. I might be able to do a work-around in case you can’t get the information I want.”

  He slid his chair away so she could move in front of the keyboard. He left a sheet of paper beside the computer with the security company’s name. Below it, he scribbled the address. She started with a basic search of the address and the owner.

  “Holy shit. Randall Scott? That’s who we’re stealing from?” He was a well-known builder in the Chicago area.

  Nikki spun from where she pored over the print. “The douchebag developer?” She snickered. “This just got way better.”

  Randall Scott had a reputation for being a sexist pig. He’d been sued by a number of female employees for sexual harassment and discrimination. Of course, nothing ever happened to the man. Audrey’s opinion of the Greens went up a few notches.

  “The owner of the painting doesn’t matter,” Jay said.

  “Maybe to some of us it does,” Audrey shot back.

  “Why should it?”

  “Because if he was some poor schmuck and this was literally his only possession worth anything? I’d want to know why him. Why not any of the tons of pompous, rich assholes in the city.” She tried not to look at Ms. Green when she said it.

  “Well, then. I’m glad you approve of our mark.”

  “But it’s not up to you to approve or ask for explanations,” Ms. Green added. “We’re paying you for a job. The rest doesn’t matter.”

  Audrey withheld a growl and returned her attention to the simplest of tasks—a Google search of both Scott and Frontier Security. It never ceased to amaze her how many people allowed their names and quotes to be used as testimonials on websites. Then she looked to see what the latest upgrades were being offered.

  She was working slower than usual, but she couldn’t figure out why. Maybe it was the distraction of having other people around. Maybe it was Jay watching her every move.

  “This isn’t going to work,” she announced and shot out of her chair.

  “What are you talking about?” Jay asked.

  Without answering, she left the room, Nikki and Ms. Green staring. Audrey went to her bag that she’d left in the bedroom again, away from prying eyes, to grab her noise-canceling headphones. Then she returned to the desk without bothering to explain herself to anyone. They wanted her to work; she needed to do it her way. Talking her way through it wasn’t her method.

  Plugging the headphones into the computer, she opened a music streaming app and blasted her favorite playlist. Caught up in her own head, she could finally focus. She spent time copying down information on the specs of the security system and notes on possible bypasses. She had ideas, but that was all they were. She needed specifics on what the Scott house had.

  When she finally pushed away from the desk and looked around, she was alone. Removing her headphones, she stood and stretched. In the kitchen, she grabbed a couple bottles of water and considered if anyone would notice if she took leftovers from lunch.

  The front door behind her opened. “Data?” Nikki called.

  She straightened and closed the fridge.

  Holding up a bag, Nikki said, “I got dinner. Hope you like Chinese.”

  “You brought me dinner?”

  “Everyone’s gotta eat. I figure you’re starving since you were working all afternoon without a break.”

  “I didn’t even realize everyone had left.”

  Nikki set the bag on the counter and pulled out containers. “Did you figure it out?”

  “How to get you in? Hell, no. I don’t have enough information. But I have ideas.” Audrey took a container of rice and dumped it on a paper plate. She added some beef and broccoli—mostly beef. “Do you trust them?”

  Nikki didn’t ask for clarification. “Of course not.”

  She didn’t know why, but it made Audrey feel a little better. “But you trust me enough to get you in and out?”

  “Not yet.” She shoved a forkful of food in her mouth. “But we’re alike. We work alone and do what we have to do. The Greens? This isn’t their world.”

  Audrey had the same feeling.

  “One more question before we plop down and watch TV. What’s your real name?” Nikki asked.

  “Why?”

  “Because I can’t look at you and keep calling you the robot from Star Trek.”

  Audrey laughed. “Actually, the name comes from The Goonies. The kid with the booby traps.” Gram bought a VHS tape of the movie when Audrey was little and she’d fallen in love with the kids on a treasure hunt. She set her plate down and weighed her options. She’d never given her real name to a client before. But Nikki wasn’t a client; she was more like a colleague. After this job, they probably wouldn’t see each other again, so did it matter? “Audrey.”

  Nikki winked at her. “Cool beans.”

  “Cool beans? Really?” She paused and then said, “Tell me about the Dali.”

  A smirk broke across Nikki’s face. “The first time I took it, it was on a dare. Jay is right—you can’t fence a masterpiece. I stole it and couldn’t do anything with it. I was young and stupid. I didn’t want to keep it. I didn’t even have my own place to hang it on a wall. So I called the owner and ransomed it. They slapped that cash down like it was nothing. It had been so easy that in those early years of being on my own, I did it two other times when I was strapped for cash.”

  “Didn’t they figure it out? Beef up security? Something?”

  “After the first time, they did add an alarm, but nothing complicated. Plus, desperation makes people do stupid shit. I wouldn’t have cared what they had.”

  “But they still just paid?” Audrey couldn’t wrap her head around it.

  “Sure. It was easier than something happening to their precious art. Way easier than convincing the insurance company they didn’t screw up. The third time, they paid triple what I asked for and just said, ‘Don’t ever come back.’ So I didn’t.”

  Audrey burst into laughter at Nikki’s brazenness. She would never have the guts to pull that off once, let alone three times. Again, Audrey wondered at the lack of secrecy. She never spoke to anyone about the jobs she did. She’d never consider doling out details to anyone who asked. It was like attorney-client privilege or doctor-patient confidentiality. She might not be bound by law, but she was by her own code.

  As they fell into silence, instead of going to the couch to watch TV, Nikki returned to the table where the drawings of Scott’s house sat. For all her flippancy, the woman continued to study them. Audrey joined her and they discussed their options. Nikki was right. They were in this together.

  Chapter Five

  Jared followed Mia to her condo. He hadn’t seen her this riled up since the day she realized their fathers were guilty of running a massive Ponzi scheme. That day—the same one their dear old dads left the country—changed her. She swore revenge for what they’d done to the family.

  They both parked and as soon as they got inside, Mia collapsed on her couch. At least as much as she ever collapsed. He doubted his cousin knew how to collapse. Or flop. Or do anything that wasn’t elegant and graceful.

  “What did you need to talk about that you couldn’t say at the apartment?”
he asked.

  “I’m starting to have doubts.”

  “About?”

  “The hacker. She doesn’t seem all that committed. Really, what we’re paying her, and she’s still working at some coffee shop?”

  “You’re still working at the Art Institute—even after getting your inheritance, which would allow you to quit and just be a socialite. And I’m still taking on clients.”

  “Something’s not right about her situation.”

  “Do you think she knows who we are? Or that she’s one of dad’s lackeys?” He couldn’t imagine it. Their fathers were excellent con men, but to have a hacker he’d been working with be part of a long con? He didn’t see it.

  “I don’t think she has anything to do with our fathers. But she is a hacker. If she’s as good as we expect her to be, how hard would it be for her to figure out who we are?”

  “We haven’t given her anything to go on. I suppose if she wanted to know, she’d dig. But to what end? As you said, we’re already paying her plenty. She has no real reason to care who we are.” He unbuttoned his jacket and sat on the other end of the couch. “Mostly, I think she’s a brilliant hacker who needs money for something. Otherwise, why keep the coffee job?”

  “Are you sure the thing she needs money for isn’t drugs?”

  “What is your fixation on drugs? Every interaction I’ve had with her, she’s been clear-headed. I doubt someone who spends a good amount of time high would be able to find the information she does. It takes a certain level of focus to do such things.”

  “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it. Every time I see her, she’s shifty.”

  He thought about how tired she looked the two times he’d seen her. Something was weighing on her. “I’ll keep a close eye on both her and Nikki. Will that make you feel better?”

  “As long as you aren’t watching from her bed.” Mia always saw through him.

  He laughed. “I like her.”

  “You said you didn’t know her.”

  “I said we had a business relationship.”

  “There is no flirting in business.”

  “You’re not participating in the right kind of business then.”

  She rolled her eyes and stood. Sliding her hand behind the painting on the wall above the pristine white marble fireplace, she pulled out a file folder. He didn’t need to ask what was in it. It was the scaled-down version of her list.

  After pouring a tumbler of scotch for each of them, she laid the folder open on the table. “I would give almost anything to see his face when he realizes he has a forged painting.”

  “We could always take Nikki’s route.”

  “No. Insurance would pay him if it was stolen. The plan is good.” She tapped the picture of Randall Scott. “He needs to suffer public embarrassment. They all do. And with any luck, they can apply enough pressure to get our fathers back in the States.”

  Jared seriously doubted that hopeful part of her plan. Their fathers were too selfish to worry about their friends.

  “You don’t have to give me that look,” she continued. “I know they probably won’t come back. I’m thinking about letting them know it was us. After the fact. When the painting has been sold and there’s no trace of us.”

  “You mean you’d tip them off to tell Scott? That will ruin your whole public embarrassment.”

  She sipped her scotch with a slight shake of her head. “I mean after they try to sell.”

  “That could be years.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  “I don’t remember you being quite this vindictive when you were younger.”

  “I had no reason. They broke the law and left our mothers looking like fools. Outcasts in what was rightfully our mothers’ world. A world they fought to be a part of. They destroyed lives of so many hardworking people who believed their lies. I wish I could find a way to reach out and destroy them.”

  “Remind me to never get on your bad side.” Pointing at the list, he said, “You should tuck those back in your hiding place. Thanks for the drink. Don’t worry about the team. I think we have the right people. Find a forger yet?”

  “Working on it.”

  “Will they have enough time to produce it before we need it?”

  She rolled her eyes. “If they’re good. Do you have a buyer?”

  Jared set his empty glass on the table and rose. “I’m waiting until we have it in hand. If things go sideways, there would be people in the world who could connect it back to me.”

  As he walked past on his way out, he kissed the top of her head. Mia had a long history of rubbing people the wrong way. She had a hard time connecting. She’d barely had contact with Data, and the two women were at odds. In their few brief meetings, they’d managed to figure out how to bring out the worst in each other.

  Keeping a closer eye on Data wouldn’t be a hardship. Her humor, wit and intelligence created quite a pleasant package.

  * * *

  The following morning Audrey went into the coffee shop to talk to her boss. Part of her felt bad for lying when she asked for a leave of absence. Diane knew some of what Audrey had been dealing with, with her grandma, so the lie rolled off easily enough when she said she needed a few weeks to handle Gram’s care.

  While the Greens were, in fact, paying her plenty of money to allow her to be able to quit the minimum wage job, she didn’t trust them. Even with the nice advance Mr. Green sent her way.

  This job was also her cover as a normal person. She’d set up a trust for Gram and all of her hacking money went there. The job at the coffee shop gave her a way to pay taxes and bills like a regular person. And it wasn’t tied to anything tech related. She was good, but she was sure that like most hackers, her voice or style would show in all her work. She preferred to keep all that work underground instead of risking a tech job that would trace to her.

  If she could keep the job at the Grind, it would give her peace of mind. Of course, she told Diane she totally understood if her position couldn’t be saved, but to keep her in mind. Diane said she could juggle the schedule for a couple of weeks at most.

  She allowed Diane to hug her tightly, even though she would prefer not to engage. When Diane told her to keep in touch, she nodded solemnly.

  Walking away from the Grind was weird because that had been her only source of human interaction for years. Other than working here, Audrey didn’t like people. Not in real life anyway.

  And now look at me. I’m heading off to meet Nikki again. Another person.

  She just hoped the Greens weren’t going to be around. She preferred to work without someone watching her every move. She rang the bell at the apartment. She couldn’t believe their base of operations was in a high-end downtown building. Whatever the Greens were paying in rent here for a month would cover the cost of her room for a year. Nikki finally buzzed her in.

  Audrey briefly wondered what she would have to do to be “forced” to live here like Nikki. It didn’t seem like much of a punishment. Nikki opened the door, bleary eyed. Her black hair stuck out all over and she wore a skimpy T-shirt and underwear. The woman had no boundaries.

  “Hey,” she mumbled. “Shower.”

  Then she disappeared into the bathroom. Audrey made a pot of coffee and looked at the blueprints. Ms. Green had the cameras marked on the property as well as where the entry keypads were. Part of the problem was with the new upgrades. If Scott had opted for being able to use the cameras and system remotely, he could tap an app on his phone and look in his house.

  Audrey began running down ideas: clone his phone to block the app, hack the security company, cut the power. All of it seemed far too risky.

  She pulled up a satellite view of the neighborhood and then checked to see what internet and cable service providers were in the area.

  When Nikki finally emerged from the bathr
oom, Audrey asked, “Do you have access to a car?”

  “I can get one. Why?”

  “I’m thinking a field trip. Go to Scott’s house and try to get them to switch cable companies. Those dudes are hard selling all the time. It would get me in the door and get a quick peek around.”

  “My dad always said to watch out for the quiet ones.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You sat here for hours yesterday not saying a word to anyone. Today you’re in here talking about doing exactly what Ms. Green doesn’t want.” She gave Audrey a wicked grin. “I’m in.”

  She hadn’t thought about what Ms. Green did or didn’t want. This made the most sense. Audrey could go in, look around, and know what her options were.

  “Okay. Let’s go. What do we need?”

  They compiled a list of what they’d need: clothes for Audrey, a nametag, a business card, order forms for the cable company and a portfolio to hold them. Audrey began printing what she’d need while Nikki went to get a car.

  “Now I just need a uniform,” Audrey said when Nikki got back.

  “I think I might have one. Come on.”

  Nikki drove to a storage facility. At the gate, she punched in a code and drove to a unit.

  “Please tell me you’re not going to randomly choose a unit to break into.”

  “Of course not. This is mine.” She got out of the car and led her inside one of the temperature-controlled units. She unlocked the rolling door.

  Inside was wall to wall stuff. While Nikki went straight to a rack of clothes, Audrey took a minute to be nosy. Propped on a shelf on the far wall was a painting. A very famous-looking painting. “Oh my God. Is that a Banksy?”

  Without a glace back, Nikki answered, “Yep.”

  “You have a Banksy—genuine Banksy—just sitting in a storage unit?”

  Nikki lifted a shoulder. “Like Jay said, masterpieces are hard to fence.”