The Royal House | Chapter 3 | The Truth

I parked my car outside the complex and walked in. Pulling out my phone, I dialed 911.

“Hello? I’d like to leave an anonymous tip about a robbery. Three thieves are at 318 North Grove Avenue with the stolen Bordighera in their possession.” I hung up the phone and threw it on the ground, using my heel to crush it. I walked up to the house and knocked on the door. A shorter woman with raven black hair and deadly green eyes opened it.

“Welcome home.” She kissed me as I stepped into the house and shut the door.

“It’s good to be back. Gather everyone in the meeting room. I think they’ll want to see what I have.”

***

Mr. Corsair walked into his vault with a panicked expression, unlocking it as quickly as his shaky hands could punch in the code. In the vault, where the Bordighera should have been, was a large portrait of a Jack of Spades. His assistant came up to him.

“Sir, the police have apprehended three thieves with the Bordighera in their possession. They say there was a fourth member whose name they don’t know. They only referred to him as ‘Jack’.”

***

I looked around at the fifteen other people in the room. I spread my arms in greeting. “Ladies and gentlemen, I have returned with the greatest prize we’ve taken to this day.” I paused for dramatic effect. “I give to you--” I pulled the silk cloth off of the painting. “-- Monet’s Bordighera!” There was respectful applause around the room. “Thank you, thank you. The Royal House syndicate will forever rule the underground!”

After the presentation of the Bordighera was complete, the rest of the Spades met me in our planning room. King, a tall Irishman with red hair and a bad temper laughed and slapped me on the back. “So, how did the three rookies hold up for the mission?”

“They did exactly what they were told. The woman might have a real future, once she’s released. Her abilities are extraordinary.”

Queen stroked my cheek. “But not nearly as good as mine, my love.”

“Nobody can match your skills, Queenie. Ace, next time we decide to do this, tell me about the job before you give me a team.”

The tall kid with dyed blue hair, only 18 years old, smirked at me from the chair he was in. “That takes the fun out of everything, boss.”

King sat on the couch. “So tell us, Jack, how did you pull it off?”

***

King made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of peanut oil and dripping some on each of the salad plates. “That should do the trick…” He stripped off his jacket and walked out of the kitchen in a tuxedo, making his way towards the exit, wait staff holding salads passed him as he left the museum. He got into the van and changed into his paramedic uniform, looking at his watch. Right on cue, he heard sirens pull up to the museum and he entered with them, holding a medical bag. Approaching Mr. Corsair, he took a cotton swab and ran it around his mouth, sticking it in a vial and walking back to the museum exit, passing Queen the vial on the way.

***

Ace plugged his laptop into the power station server room. He began to talk to himself. “All right then… Let’s initiate a full reboot and… voila.” He shut his laptop and unplugged it. As he left the power station, he looked towards the art museum. “Three. Two. One.” Ten blocks in each direction of the art museum turned dark, the only light provided by the occasional car on the road. A minute later, the lights turned back on and Ace was gone.

***

Queen and I swapped outfits with the security guards and put them in the vault. We removed the painting as soon as the lights went out and worked quickly to replace it. I put the real painting beneath my vest, careful not to crease it, pulling a small vial of clear liquid out of my pocket. I poured a drop on the bottom corner of the painting just as the lights came back on. The paint slowly began to disintegrate, only noticeable to me. I'm not just an artist. I'm a chemist, as well. Queen and I stepped out of the vault, and pressed the alarm button. The alarms sounded and I drew my newly acquired gun, pointing it at the guards trapped in the vault. A few moments later, the elevator doors opened and three more guards took our places. Queen and I made our way out of the museum and got into the car with King, driving to our rendezvous.

***

"Then, I drove my car here and tied up the loose ends by having them arrested. I stood up and walked over to our liquor cabinet." I poured four glasses of single malt whiskey and handed one to each of my companions, holding Queen at my side. “A toast, to the most accomplished suit of the Royal House syndicate. To the Spades!”

The other three clinked glasses with me. “To the Spades!”

Queen sipped her whiskey and raised her glass again. “And to the most brilliant and charming of us all. The Jack of Spades!”