To Have and to Heist(34)
“You do. He doesn’t. If not for the baked goods, he would have left when you all arrived. You’re lucky he even showed up to check on you.”
“He can take the damn muffins and shove them up his—”
The boat lurched, throwing me off balance and saving me from an uncharacteristic burst of temper. I’d learned to hide my feelings long ago, to bury my anger and frustration. Six hours standing in the rain on the soccer pitch being elbowed in the head by overexcited parents while the twins played yet another game? Fine. A ten-hour car drive to Nikhil’s hockey tournament with nothing to do because someone had forgotten to load my Barbie backpack? Fine. Family movie night watching superheroes, gunfights, car chases, and endless violence because no one wanted to watch cartoons or Disney films with me? Fine. But for some reason, I couldn’t handle the thought of being abandoned by the muffin man.
“Take a seat,” Emma called out. “And get ready to ride. I feel a need for speed.”
* * *
◆ ◆ ◆
?We put Cristian in the inner tube behind the boat when we finally dropped anchor because he was the only person in swimwear.
“Try to look like you’re having fun,” I called out. We were about five hundred yards offshore from the Angelinis’ beach. Gage was on the back deck with a fishing pole in one hand and a pair of binoculars in the other. Anil was in the bow getting the drone ready.
“Just don’t drive too fast,” Cristian shouted. “Bouncing is bad for my IBS.”
“Go fast,” I told Emma. “He likes the speed.”
“Honey is ready to go,” Anil said, patting his drone. “Clear skies. Light breeze. It should be a good flight.”
“You named your drone Honey?” Emma snorted a laugh. “It looks more like a spider or one of those spaceships from that show with the aliens.”
“Shows that take place in space almost always have aliens.” Anil gave an indignant sniff. “They make the perfect antagonists—”
“Bo-ring.” Emma held up a dismissive hand. “I like real things that take place in real places with real people who aren’t green or puce or have tentacles for mouths or fifteen ears.”
“There are no space shows that have creatures with fifteen ears,” Anil said, starting up his drone. “I’ve seen them all.”
“And that’s why we’ll never be friends,” she told him.
I watched the drone lift straight up in the air. It was small but sturdy, holding steady when the wind picked up over the water.
“We can see everything on the screen.” Anil held up his controller. “We’re in their airspace now and officially breaking the law. We’re criminals.”
“Real property trespass isn’t a criminal offense unless we enter after being warned not to, or if we don’t leave after being asked,” I said. “Then it’s a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail or a $1,500 fine. My lawyer explained it to me when I was at the police station after trying to rescue Chloe.”
“When you slit a man’s throat, stab him in the heart, or shoot him in the head, that’s a real criminal offense,” Gage offered. “You want to be a criminal, go big or go home.”
“Thanks for the advice.” I grabbed another muffin because having non-carb-eaters on the boat just meant more for me. “I’ll file that one away for when I need it, which will be never.”
We crowded around the screen when the Angelinis’ mansion came into view. The two-story limestone-clad home resembled an Italian villa, with a clay tile roof, numerous balconies and shutters, and a broad front terrace. A ten-foot fountain dominated the front courtyard, and ornate stone vases bursting with colorful flowers lined the tiered concrete stairway leading to the front door.
Anil flew the drone higher, giving us a full aerial view. The property was surrounded by a ten-foot metal perimeter fence and secured with an electric gate. Acres of thick, lush forest gave way to ornamental gardens and a vast manicured lawn. The shoreline was accessed with steps leading down to a private dock, which was partially hidden by a row of tall trees.
“What’s going on out front?” I pointed to a cluster of people standing beside three white vans parked in the circular driveway. “Can you zoom in?”
Anil dropped the drone a few feet. “I can’t get closer without breaking the law or drawing attention.”
“Keep an eye on those two.” Gage pointed to two men in suits standing near the stairs. “They’re security.”
Two women in dresses and heels emerged from the house. One of them looked to be about my age. She was tall and slim with long, dark hair and supersize sunglasses that hid most of her face. The other woman was older, but shared similar facial features. Likely her mom.
“That guy looks familiar.” I stared at a man in coveralls exiting the back of one of the vans. Anil increased the zoom. We gasped as one.
“What is Jack doing there?” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “He’s going to compromise the whole heist.”
Jack looked up and waved his hand in the air before disappearing into the bushes beside the house. Was it a friendly hello or a warning wave? Before I could decide, a red light flashed on the screen and the audio picked up a sound like the buzzing of bees.
I didn’t know anything about drones, but I did know that red lights meant bad news. “What’s going on?”