Page 115 of Gave Proof Through the Night

“Right on schedule.” Zoe says.

The whole confrontation with Ginger is escalating. “She actually fainted,” Ivy says.

The perfect distraction. That’s Rue’s cue.

Meanwhile, the Argentinians are twenty feet from the front desk and closing. I catch up to them just short of it.

“There you are!” I say, breathless. “I’ve been looking everywhere.”

The man gives me a look that says he has no idea who I am. “Excuse me?”

“You can’t leave.”

“Why not?”

Think. Think, think, think.

“Because… you won! The door prize. They just announced it. A private yacht tour. You have to come collect it, they’re waiting.”

The woman’s eyebrows lift. For one endless second I think she’s going to walk straight past me. Then she says something clipped to the man in German, no pretense of Spanish left in it at all.

Then Suri’s voice comes through the comms. “Vault door is breached. I’m in.”

“I could kiss you right now, Suri,” I say.

“What?” The blonde woman looks completely scandalized.

“I said… you could miss it right now. Hurry.”

“Oh.” Her lips press together in a wrinkly line.

“Roger that, Suri. Tanya, heading to the rendezvous.”

“Your turndown will be waiting.”

I hear the laptop close and the van door slide. Zoe is on the move.

The German-Argentinian man gives me a hard look.

“We will go,” he says.

I point them toward the red carpet. “Right that way. Ask for Brenda.”

There’s always a Brenda.

“Locked and loaded,” Rue says in a hurried voice. "Over and out."

“She made the switch,” I say. “Baguette, stage two.”

Whatever kind of fainting spell Ginger fabricated is over, followed by lots of French swearing at the poor soul trying to help her.

“I will take my complaint to the front desk,” she says.

I see Hobbs coming around the corner where the German-Argentinians just disappeared. I gotta go.

“Houston, we’ve got a problem.” Suri’s voice cracks through, and it isn’t a joke. “Copy me, Zoe. Do not leave the van.”

“I’ve got Hobbs on my tail.” I’m already moving. “Suri, what’s wrong?”