Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7) by Kaylie Hunter (great books for teens txt) 📗

down their alarm system remotely,” Tech said, starting up his laptop. “It’s a locally monitored system.”

“The police are everywhere,” Trigger said. “I counted eight cops at the front and side entrances.”

Wild Card sighed. “They’ve got cops stationed at the back doors and loading docks, too.”

I studied the museum down the street. “We can distract most of the cops,” I said, biting my lower lip. “Dallas, go ahead and change into one of your costumes.”

Tech pointed at her with his serious face. “Make sure you pick a costume that covers everything. The law is clear that all of your private bits have to be covered.”

“We can call in a fake 911 call,” Katie suggested.

“Not allowed,” I said. “Whoever wrote the list put a notation that they’ll arrest everyone at Aces if a false alarm is called in during the scavenger hunt.”

“I don’t blame them,” Wild Card said, grinning.

“Is this like the chicken?” Anne asked. “Can’t we just walk in there and take a picture? It’s open to the public, right?”

“They’re normally open on Saturdays by eleven, but they don’t open today until two o’clock for some reason,” I answered. “We need to get in there now if we’re going to win this thing.”

“Then we need to know why they’re opening late,” Bridget said.

“They have some fancy party this afternoon,” Nicholas said, reading from his phone. “It’s a fund raiser.”

“Which means they’ll have party decorators and caterers,” Bridget said. “We can enter as staff.”

“Most of the cops know us,” Anne said. “A chef’s coat or a pair of coveralls won’t get us past the doors.”

“There’s no time to plan an operation like that anyway,” I said, rolling my head around on my neck, trying to work the kinks out from Bridget’s driving. “We need something quick and easy.”

“Hello, my name is Nicholas Harrison,” Nicholas said into his phone. “I understand you are having a fundraiser tonight?”

We all watched Nicholas as he talked on his cellphone.

“Yeah, we know it starts at two. Problem is, we need a picture of one of your paintings, now, not later. How big of a donation will it take to make that happen?”

He looked up at me. “Five hundred per person?”

I gave him a thumbs up.

“We accept,” he said, smiling broadly. “We’ll meet you at the side entrance. I assume you can order the police to let us in?” he nodded a few times. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. The FBI?” Nicholas listened for a few minutes and then giggled. “It’s okay. She’s part of the scavenger hunt, too.”

He disconnected the call and tucked his phone into his pocket.

“You are your mother’s son,” Wild Card said, shaking his head as he mussed Nicholas’ hair. “Good job, buddy.”

“What was that about the FBI?” Anne asked.

“Maggie used her badge to get inside,” Nicholas said. “She told the woman she was investigating a stolen art ring. She’s still there.”

“So, we can walk right through the door?” Anne asked. “Hand them the money and take a picture with the painting?”

Nicholas nodded. “Yup.”

“Dave and Steve were definitely involved in the making of this list,” I said as I dug into my bag for a cash envelope. “They planned on us donating to the museum to gain access. They know how much the guys at Aces make and knew everyone could afford it.”

“Dave’s on the community fundraiser committee,” Dallas said, walking over wearing a bright blue sequined bikini set.

It was mid-morning, and we were standing next to a park. Katie peeled off her coat and draped it around Dallas. It didn’t cover everything, but it helped.

Dallas shrugged. “They were talking last night that donations were down at all the local events, but they were hoping things would change this weekend.”

Tech looked at Dallas and then looked at me. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

I smiled as I grabbed the boombox. “That we no longer need Dallas as a distraction, but it would be a fun way to get back at Dave, anyway?”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Our official time was clocked at fifty-seven minutes. We sat in folding chairs at Headquarters drinking coffee when Dave and Steve arrived.

“Really?” Dave said, dragging Dallas by her elbows into the room. “Every cop in the district now has a video of my mother, in a stripper outfit, dancing to AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long”!”

“You’re the one who planned a thousand-dollar entry fee to the museum,” Tech said, not looking up from his laptop.

“It was for a good cause!”

Wild Card laughed. “What? More sidewalk art?”

“They’re raising money for the public schools. The art programs suffered from the last round of budget cuts, so the museum is raising money earmarked for art education.”

We all looked at each other, feeling guilty, before we pulled our purses and wallets. Dave was less angry when they left with a pile of cash, but he said he was leaving Dallas behind as punishment.

“Who’s the hussy?” Dallas asked, her hands on her bare hips and her sequined boobs jiggling as she nodded across the room.

Sebrina was standing beside Jerry, near the offices, smiling up at him as she rested a hand on his arm. Jerry smiled shyly back at her, his cheeks turning pink from embarrassment.

“That’s Grady’s ex-wife. Why is she a hussy?”

“She’s working Jerry like a pro. She’s after something.”

“Jerry’s in charge of the scavenger hunt,” Anne said. “Maybe it has something to do with that.”

“Why didn’t she go on the hunt?” I asked. “Friends and family were invited to participate. That’s why we rented the large passenger vans.”

“I heard her tell everyone this morning that she was too hungover to go,” Trigger said, watching Sebrina in his peripheral vision. “Grady offered to stay behind, but she said she’d be sleeping, so there was no point.”

“Who else