Page 29 of The Twilight Theft

Drew

Jayceheldoutherhands. “Where’s my water?”

“How’d you get in?” My words were more abrupt than they should have been.

She pointed vaguely upward. “Through the door in the roof.”

“You did not.” There was no way she’d gotten up over the fifth floor. Maybe she had more lies in her than I thought.

“Needed the lockpicks I keep in my underwire, but the lock was pretty simple. The view was amazing from up there.” She fished her phone out of the small bag she’d secured around her waist. Without bothering to introduce herself or acknowledge the other parties in the room, she played her video for me. Sure enough, it was a survey of the roof, including the view of the river, and the service door. “We should tell the security team about it. That door leads to the emergency stairwell, which provides easy access to every floor of the building. There was only one camera on the whole route. It also lets out onto the street. Huge risk.”

“I’ll send the details to Wyatt.” I texted him the information, and he acknowledged the message immediately. “He’s with the security team now and will fill them in.”

Liana came closer to Jayce. “Are you from the heist crew Giddy told me about?”

“Recovery crew.” Jayce took one of her shoes from me and balanced on one leg to put the shoe on. “We recover things for people after they were stolen—not after the people were stolen. After the things were stolen. Although we do get people back after they were stolen sometimes. Or kidnapped, I suppose.”

She was rambling. Nervous? Or too much sugar?

“So you’re, what?” continued Liana. “The security expert?”

Jayce snorted as she took her other shoe. “Our security expert is about eight feet tall and five hundred pounds. I’m the grease man.”

Liana’s eyes widened. “A thief?”

Gideon stepped closer, holding out a hand to shake. Before their hands touched, he said, “Do I know you?”

Maybe Jayce was right. Maybe I hadn’t gotten Gideon’s attention off her fast enough on Monday.

“Doubt it,” she said, vigorously shaking his hand. “Pretty sure I’d remember meeting a billionaire.”

She had no tact either.

“I’m certain. Your face is so familiar.”

I should have prepared for this. “It’s part of what makes her good at her job; she has a common appearance—average height, ordinary features.”

Jayce’s broad smile faded, and she pulled her hand back from Gideon. Everything about her seemed to collapse all at once.

“I know!” Gideon snapped his fingers and pointed at her. “I used to sponsor a gymnastics event here in DC. You’re a gymnast, aren’t you?”

Somehow, the light inside Jayce dimmed even further. “That would probably be it. I stopped competing about twelve years ago.”

“I remember now.” Gideon nodded slowly, his face softening. “I’m sorry.”

He remembered? He must’ve meant her accident. It had happened in Washington the evening before the gold medal day.

Jayce straightened and smiled a fake, plastic smile. She needed to learn how to mask things better. “Why don’t you tell me how you’re setting everything up?”

Liana threaded her arm through Jayce’s and steered her toward the center of the room. Green tape had been stuck to the floor, making four Xs in a diamond pattern, fifteen feet apart from each other. “The display items will be here. Everything must be just right when we unveil the chip.”

“And what’s the deal with the unveiling? How does the chip fit in with the sculpture?”

“It’s going to be a masterpiece.” Liana swept her hand through the air. “Steel and fire meet ingenuity and eternity.”

Jayce shriveled her nose. “That didn’t answer my question.”

“I hear your team’s the best, so I’m sure you can work with me on this.” Liana patted Jayce’s arm. “Now, my sculpture will be over here, on the green X closest to the patio doors.”

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