Chapter 11
Las Vegas: Late night dinner party and soiree at the Falconi residence.
Parker knew the instant that Falconi entered the room, wearing an Armani suit two times smaller than his stout figure. He looked like a fat stuffed sausage. She giggled and then shook her head at the image that suddenly popped up before her. What was with these jerks anyway? Didn't they know or even care what other people were so obviously thinking about them?
"Parker, is there a problem?" Sophie asked.
Realizing her little outburst, Parker smoothly covered her tracks. "Just saw something a little peculiar, is all."
Sophie really didn't want to go there. Parker was really strange sometimes, well a lot of times actually. But that was another story.
"We're coming up on the eleventh hour. Is everything in order?"
"Oh, yeah. When the party's in full swing, I'll sneak upstairs and crack open the safe. Parker noticed that the security seemed tighter than usual. "Any idea what this little shindig is for?"
Sophie smiled and then murmured a greeting at a couple of guests before she answered. "Rumor has it that Falconi is naming Hendricks as his second in command. It should be interesting to see the fallout from that."
"You mean all the snipping and backstabbing?"
"Exactly."
"I wish Hardison was here so we could download it and then watch it on replay."
"You have some strange viewing habits, Parker."
"Not any more than Hardison. You should ask him to let you watch the video he has on our last job."
"The one we did in Omaha, with the slaughterhouses?"
"Yeah," said Parker gleefully. "Nothing like a good horror movie. Be sure to bring some popcorn."
Sophie was stunned. "Parker," real people, innocent people, lost their lives. It wasn't make-believe!"
"Duh, I know that. That's why it's so horrible. Do you really think I'd be that cold blooded?"
"Sometimes I wonder," Sophie muttered under her breath.
"Did you say something?"
"What? No, I was just ordering a drink. And, Parker, try mingling a little. People are starting to get a little curious."
"Fine," said the blond thief. "I'll just head over to the buffet table."
"And if someone engages you in polite conversation…"
"I know, no stabbing," she huffed. "Sophie you sure take all the fun out of everything."
"Glad to be of service. But I feel like a bloody babysitter sometimes."
Parker was on her second slice of cake when she noticed Sophie heading her way. Turning her back to the grifter, she pretended a sudden interest in the man standing next to her. Sophie asked for a glass of wine and accidentally bumped into Parker, dropping her purse on the floor beside Parker's feet. She apologized profusely for her clumsiness as Parker bent to retrieve her purse, which now lay open. With sleight of hand, the thief grabbed the note Sophie had left for her and handed the clutch back to Sophie.
'Time table has changed', read the note.' Need you upstairs now!'
Parker frowned at Sophie's retreating back. Why the frak didn't the grifter just tell her over the comms? Well, no matter. Parker was starting to get a little bored anyway. She'd just slip into the crowd unnoticed and make her way to the balcony where her equipment had been stashed earlier.
Parked checked for rotating guards while slipping into her blackout clothes, and then stuffed the bag back behind the giant flower pot. Grabbing hold of an overhang, she lifted herself up with the ease of a seasoned pro to the third floor study. Next, she disabled the alarm, and raising the window, she catapulted from the ledge and effortlessly snagged onto the chandelier. Swinging like Tarzan through the air, the blond thief felt her blood sing and she smiled to herself. She dropped down on all fours next to the wall safe and went about her business of prying open the safe.
Parker cracked the safe in less than two minutes. A feeling of smug superiority rippled through her for beating her old record by thirty-three seconds. Grabbing the files she needed she then stuffed them into the canvas bag by her feet.
A small square box caught her eye. Hello, what's this? Reaching back into the safe to grab its smooth velvet surface, Parker felt her pulse quicken. Five to one odds it was a diamond. She opened the box slowly and grinned.
Bingo.
Sizing it up she figured it had to be at least 1.80-carat. The round gem was a vivid green of natural color, VS2 clarity. In an auction it would probably bring well over one million dollars.
Her mind raced a mile a minute. She wanted it so bad her teeth ached. She hesitated, drumming her fingers over the blue velvet box. Why not, she argued. No one would be the wiser. And she knew just the place to keep it; right next to her Hancock Red diamond. They would be side by side, just like sisters. She couldn't resist the diamond's pull. It was calling to her, saying 'take me home, please'.
"Parker," whispered Sophie in her ear. Grab the files and get out now!"
That wasn't an option. Parker could hear the muffled voices in the hallway. Thinking quickly, she grabbed the canvas bag and flung it behind an oversized chair by the window. She raced back over to the safe, closed it, spun the dials and then ducked under the desk. Barely a heart beat later the door swung open and in walked the sultan of swine himself.
From Parker's vantage point she saw two other people that entered the room as well. One of them was a woman and judging by the expensive Jimmy Choo's, she knew it had to be Sophie.
Falconi turned and spoke to Sophie in a threatening tone. "I thought you said she would be here!"
Sophie remained unfazed by his demeanor. "You don't believe me, check your safe?"
Falconi checked the contents and cursed. "It's gone!"
"Why are you surprised?" asked the grifter. "I told you she was a thief."
"Sophie," whispered Parker. "You're evil."
Sophie was unfazed by Parker's outburst and kept a serene face.
"Hendricks," bellowed Falconi.
"Yes sir."
So the other pair of shoes belonged to Falconi's new Lieutenant.
"Close this place up. I want it tighter than Fort Knox."
Parker watched as Hendricks left to do the mob man's bidding. Only two bad guys left. Well one, technically, because Sophie wasn't a bad guy anymore.
Parker held back a yawn. She was fast becoming bored with the whole thing and if Sophie didn't get the man out of this room and soon, she just might start yelling at the top of her lungs. Better yet, there was a letter opener on the desk. She bet she could find a better use for it than opening the mail.
"She's probably on the first flight to Switzerland by now. I doubt if you'll catch her. "But, if I were you," suggested Sophie, in her best cultured voice. "I'd put out some feelers for that little gem of yours. If it's less than two carats, it'll be real easy to fence."
"Not giving it up, Sophie," retaliated Parker.
"Good idea, my dear," said Falconi, oblivious to the other conversation taking place between the two women.
"It's a shame I wasn't able to view your latest acquisition. I've been thinking of investing some of my inheritance in diamonds myself. Yours would have been the perfect starter piece for my collection."
Falconi took Sophie by the arm and led her to the door. "Who says I would have sold it?" His fake charm was nauseating, but Sophie was a trooper.
"Oh, come now, Mr. Falconi. Surely you wouldn't have denied me my fondest desire?"
"Unless I find my diamond, we might never know."
"I'm just sorry I wasn't able to stop it. When I saw that blond thief lurking around downstairs, I knew she was only here for one reason."
"You never did quite explain how you recognized her. Care to fill me in?"
They reached the top of the stairs and Falconi paused dramatically and tightened his grip on Sophie's arm.
Sophie gave a small gasp at the pressure. Falconi released his grip on her arm and Sophie rubbed it slightly.
"Really, Mr. Falconi," she replied in a steady voice. "I would have been more than happy to fill you in had you asked more politely. As it is, I'm sorely tempted to leave you in the lurch."
"A thousand pardons," said Falconi. But in my business it pays to be careful."
Sophie pretended to mull over his apology. "Tell you what," she pasted on a false smile. "For a glass of Chianti, I might be a bit more agreeable."
Falconi nodded his head in agreement and they headed back downstairs. Sophie had no doubt that Parker was already on her way back to the hotel. Tight security or not, there was no way in hell anyone could be able to catch her.
Note: Blue and green diamonds are very rare, especially naturally colored stones. In 1988, Sotheby's Auction House sold a round, 0.90-carat VS2 clarity, vivid green of natural color for $663,000 to an American collector. The per-carat price was over $736,000. I used this information I found online and then doubled the carat weight.
In 1987 Sotheby's Auction House sold a Hancock Red diamond, 0.95-carat for $880,000.