Page 44 of The San Marco Heist

I cupped my ear and lowered my voice. “Didn’t you see it on the video stream?”

“I was watching where Jayce went.”

Will whispered, the excitement as clear in his voice as in Declan’s, “Did you know Velatti monitors every one of them and has an electronic feed they can—”

“Would you three gearheads stop already?” Scarlett clenched the steering wheel, obviously fighting with her desire to hit me. And probably them, vicariously.

“Is there somewhere we can stop for a bite to eat?” asked Jayce. “I’m starving.”

“Focus, people. I know this is a hectic schedule, but Emmett’s life depends on us getting that ring.” Scarlett pulled the car out of the small community where the Albrechts lived and onto a busier road. She drove as calm as if she were out for a leisurely drive through the countryside. “Jayce, you vanished on us. Where did you go?”

Sure, I shut my earpiece off for a couple of minutes at the architect’s office and Scarlett was ready to confine me to quarters. But Jayce? No criticism, just curiosity.

One more reason I worked alone. Teams took time and commitment to build. Too much effort.

“Bethany stopped me in the pantry, but I figured the lounge between the pool and the car gallery was right underneath. She said second kitchen, which means hidden staff kitchen. I figured the stairs off the lounge went up there, because they always have stairs for the staff.” She leaned forward, meeting Scarlett’s furtive glances in the rear-view mirror. “They go up into the kitchen, but there’s also a mud room, laundry, bathroom, and access to the main floor garage. I sent some video feed to HQ from my phone, then ran up another couple of flights to see where the stairwell went.”

“Anything interesting?” asked Scarlett.

“Not really. I think we already had everything above that kitchen on video, since the stairwell itself has windows.”

Will said over comms, “But it helps build the full picture. The extra video takes care of a big blind spot in my measurements, so Brie and I can make a few tweaks to the digital model, then I’ll get the 3D printer going this afternoon.”

“How long will it take?” Scarlett asked.

“We’ve already got the model printed of the roof. I’ll keep it running through the night, so we should have a full tabletop model of the bottom two floors ready by noon. The top two floors will be paper only, since they’re less complex.”

“Declan, they’ll need your help with that.”

“I’ll head over there now,” said Declan. “Signing off.”

“Signing off here, too,” said Will.

Scarlett held back a yawn. How much sleep had she gotten since the Maguire party last weekend? Emmett was taken the next day, and the circles under her eyes had grown progressively darker each time I saw her. “Rav’s out for most of the day, so that leaves the three of us.”

“What comes next?” I said.

Scarlett’s gaze flicked toward me, then back to the road. “I don’t suppose you brought a black suit?”

“Shopping?” Energy always bounced off Jayce, but with that word, it increased. I wouldn’t have pegged her for the shopping type.

“I have the clothes I wore to your place and what we picked up on Monday morning.” The kidnappers hadn’t exactly given me time to return to my room and grab my suitcase.

“Contingencies.” Scarlett turned onto the A3 highway. “Rav and I will pose as the guests, but you’ll be driving. If they expect the driver to let us off in front of the house, we’ll need you in something more chauffeur-appropriate.”

“And food?” asked Jayce.

“Eat one of the granola bars in the bag.” Scarlett gestured over her shoulder. “We’re going to Harrods, woman. Focus on the Chocolate Hall.”

Jayce grabbed Scarlett’s shoulder. “Seriously?”

Scarlett smiled, one of the few times I’d seen her do that genuinely. It was almost enough to forget why we were all there and the pressure we were under. She was truly a beautiful woman, even with the crazy mass of red curls.

“Does that mean I can take these damn contacts out?”

“I don’t know.” Scarlett pulled her wig off and tossed it back to Jayce, who had the gear bag in the back. “The brown eyes seemed to work on Bethany.”

The Reynolds team was going to forever remember me as the eyelash flutterer. Great.

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