To Catch a Thief

Chapter 3 - All-Knowing is not All-Telling

"Where the hell is he?" Alex taps their foot, looking down at the time on their phone again. "Why is he always late?"

"Why are you always surprised when he's late?"

At the woman's voice, Alex turns and straightens up to their full height, running one hand through their hair in a reflexive grooming movement. They're not trying to impress. They're not. It's business, just business. Who are they trying to convince? "Sam, glad you made it. How was your flight?"

"The peanuts were better than the movie," the tall brunette replies as she stops by Alex and pushes down the handle on her wheeled, carryon bag. Sam carries the stress from a long plane trip with a ridiculous level of grace. Truth be told, she manages everything with a ridiculous level of grace. It's one of the characteristics that makes her so damn attractive. "Your sister told me this one was wild, but she wouldn't give me any more details on the ride over. She sure knows how to keep a girl on the edge."

Alex clears their throat and looks away from Sam's smirk as they try to ignore the heat growing in their center. That's a normal reaction, a completely normal one, when an objectively attractive coworker is in your presence. Feelings aren't being caught. They're being swatted away like balls in a tennis match... anything to avoid a score of love. Getting back to business, they gesture over their shoulder with their head. "Come see for yourself."

The police have cleared out, leaving the crime site for museum security and other specialists. One uniformed police officer remains near the taped-off area, and he nods in acknowledgement as Sam and Alex approach. He lifts the tape so they can more easily sneak underneath.

Just inside the tape, Sam pauses. "Is that a garden gnome?"

"You're not going to start laughing like a hyena, are you? I had to take Kara outside when she saw it."

"Ladies do not laugh like hyenas."

"Obviously." Hands on their hips, Alex rocks back and forth as they observe the scene now free of police. It gives a better view, better in that it's easier to see but not in the results. This still looks like a senior prank successfully played against millions of dollars worth of security. It's the kind of thing that would make Ferris Bueller proud. "The statue that was here was stolen in broad daylight. The alarms didn't even go off. A school field trip found the gnome and alerted staff. So, what do you think?"

Sam circles the gnome, her red dress swishing as she moves. She crouches and brushes a few strands of her long hair behind one ear as she examines the scene. She's elegant standing still but even more so when she moves... not that Alex has ever noticed personally. It's just that museums and galleries appreciate someone with Sam's expertise paired with the way she presents herself. It's the complete package and Alex respects Sam's package. It's a package Alex is admiring when Sam sighs and says, "I'd say it runs around $18.99 on Amazon."

"I'm not asking you to appraise the piece of crap, Sam. What do you make of the MO? Have you ever seen anything like this?"

"Maybe." Sam finishes her circle around the pillar to stand by Alex again. "Exactly what was taken?"

"The Seated Buddha."

"Late Han Dynasty?"

"And that's why you're here," Alex grins because as good as Sam looks and as much as there could be something here if circumstances were different, when it comes to this period of art, Alex doesn't know anyone better. "Someone took a priceless work of art, replaced it with a cheap trinket, and no one noticed. How?"

"That I can't tell you, but I've heard of a similar MO."

"Locally?"

Sam shakes her head. "In Persia. Are you familiar with the Noor-ul Ain?"