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“You’re taking the money, aren’t you?”
“For the Morelli? Yes.”
“Consider the clothes part of the payment for your job.”
There’s a chance he’ll just toss the flowers and clothes if I don’t take them with me, so I accept.
What a strange experience I’ve been through, I think to myself as I change into the new shirt and sweatpants. It’ll be good for me to get out, not just because hanging out with gangsters is dangerous, but I need to clear my head of Rafe.
“So I take it you’ll be going to the upcoming exhibit at the Asian Pacific Art Museum?” I ask while I tie my hair up in a ponytail.
Leaning against the back of the sofa, he scrolls through his phone. “I might. The best pieces won’t be on display, though.”
“Are you planning to steal the heirlooms from Matsudo or the museum? Or en route to the museum?”
“All options are on the table. What would you choose?”
“Sounds like it’s hard to get the figurine from Matsudo if he sleeps with it. I haven’t cased the museum, but there’s usually a way.”
“Such as?”
“I’ve never done a museum heist, but, given my line of work, I can’t help but think of how it can be done when I’m walking through one. The Gardner Museum thieves passed themselves off as law enforcement. Vjeran Tomic got into the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris by meticulously disassembling a window. The brazen robbers who stole Munch’sThe Screamheld tourists and museum employees by gunpoint.”
“So if you had to break into the museum, how would you do it?” Rafe asks as we head to the room with the Degas over the fireplace.
I outline how I would case the museum first, its entry and exit points, how accessible it would be by vehicle for the getaway. I’d observe the surroundings during the day and at night. Then there’s the security of the museum itself, such as how many guards are employed during open hours, where they’re stationed, what are their walking routes. The same for when the museum is closed. What kind of sensors does the museum use? Where are the video cameras? I would also look at who else has access to the museum, such as the cleaning staff or volunteers.
Rafe listens attentively till we arrive at the room where Alessandro is already waiting for us. Chung and Baldy are there, too.
“Got the beauty laid out for you,” Alessandro beams when we enter. “Even remembered to wear gloves before I took it out.”
I look down at the painting upon the floor and notice the curled edges. I take in the poster tube lying next to the painting—and my heart plummets.
This isn’t the Morelli.
*****
QUESTIONS INUNDATEmy mind. Does Alessandro know that this is a fake? It’s an incredible likeness. It would have fooled me if I hadn’t lifted the actual Morelli. But where’s the real one?
Rafe walks over and looks at the painting.
“Magnificent, isn’t she?” Alessandro asks as if he’s a proud father.
“So what went wrong?” Rafe asks him. “Why didn’t you get this to me earlier?”
“Peter and I missed each other. I was running late and couldn’t make it back to our shop at the appointed time. Peter had a plane to catch with his girlfriend so he left it with a friend, who was supposed to contact me.”
“Why didn’t Peter leave it with his sister?”
Alessandro glances at me briefly. “She was in Reno with her mom.”
“Who’s this friend?”
“Some guy named Matthew.”
Rafe turns to me. “You know Matthew?”
My heartbeat quickens. Peter wouldn’t have left a painting worth millions with a friend, let alone one that doesn’t exist.
