Beautiful Heist

10. Family, The Other F-Word

Ten

Family, The Other F-Word

I turned around as quickly as I could, speeding past John. I needed to get as far away from him as I could before he caught up and made a scene.

We were in one of the galleries of Greek and Roman Art – the Archaic Art of Cyprus. I was practically speed walking toward the glass case which held the Amathus sarcophagus, a huge coffin-like box made of limestone with carvings of chariots and soldiers along the sides.

"What's wrong?" John asked when he rounded the corner of the case and stepped beside me.

"My dad," I hissed, looking through the glass as I crouched behind it.

Dad had appeared in the entranceway, looking around with wide eyes. When he glanced toward the case we were hiding behind, I pulled John down behind it so quickly I probably pulled his arm out of socket. He grunted at the sudden movement, but complied. Talk about our roles reversing. I was the one manhandling him now.

"He saw me," I whispered, looking over at John. "He recognized me. I know he did. I saw it in his eyes."

"Do you think he'll try to come find you? Did he see us come in here?"

I nodded. "He saw us come in here. He saw you. That's why I pulled out of sight," I explained. "But as for him trying to come find me...I don't know. Maybe he'll think he just saw someone who reminded him of me. I'm hoping he doesn't come in here to see..."

John looked away, like he was thinking about something. "You know, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea if we went to him," he pointed out a moment later.

My eyes widened when he looked back at me. He was completely serious.

"You're crazy!"

He shook his head, rolling his eyes. "No, just think about it. If we somehow got to your dad's office, which is probably where he'll go next, we can at least find out which preservation room the painting's being kept it. We'll be able to plan out everything better rather than go into it blind."

I started laughing. It was borderline hysterical. "You're serious, aren't you?"

John raised an eyebrow at my laughing outburst. "Yeah, I am, actually, though you seem to think I'm joking."

I laughed again, mostly because I was starting to see where he was going with this. I was crazy for believing it just might work.

"I can't believe I'm going to say it...but it is a kind of good idea," I admitted, shaking my head. "But you've got to remember I know everyone who works here, so you'll have to do most of the talking while I hide out behind you."

John nodded as one side of his mouth curled up. "Let's go then."

He slowly crept upward and I followed suit, moving just enough so we'd be able to see through the glass case. My dad wasn't anywhere in sight. Maybe he had thought he was just seeing things, which worked to our advantage.

As we walked toward the stairs to the first floor, John pulled something out of his back pocket – his phone. Pausing at the top of the stairs, he leaned us both against the wall.

"Does your dad have a secretary or someone I can call? We'll have to get them to give us a pass to go to the offices."

I nodded and gave him the number, watching as he dialed and put the phone to his ear. It took a moment, but the faint voice of my dad's secretary, Mrs. Fields, finally answered.