stand – but it’s gone again now. It always gets flaky when I’m stressed.’
‘I know, babe,’ I said. ‘But it’ll come back – I’ve got faith.’
Ketty smiled at me. My spirits soared. Everything was looking up: Ketty wasn’t mad any more, Avery had put Cal in his place – and I was in charge of this mission.
The other four stared at me expectantly as we entered the art gallery. We were all wearing caps pulled low over our foreheads, except Cal who was in a supersize hoodie. None of the cameras could possibly pick up our faces.
I checked the watch Avery had lent me. ‘It’s 11.03,’ I said quietly. ‘Ketty and I will distract the guards in two minutes. You guys ready?’
Ed and Dylan nodded. Cal offered me a scowl.
‘Let’s go.’ Keeping my head down, I took Ketty’s hand again and we wandered into the main room of the gallery. As Avery had described the night before – and Ketty had just prefigured – it was an atrium, with a high glass roof two floors above our heads. Stairs led up to a balcony that overlooked the ground floor where we were standing.
The room was bright with sunshine and full of people – several twenty- and thirty-somethings wandering around in pairs, plus a school party at the far end. I checked the time again as we wandered past the colourful paintings that covered all the walls. Ketty tucked a few stray hairs under her cap, and pulled the shapeless grey sweat top she was wearing closer round her.
My heart beat fast as I surveyed the room, looking for a suitable picture. Nothing too large or cumbersome.
My eyes lit on a small painting in the corner – abstract blue stripes against a russet-coloured background. It was conveniently positioned above a radiator. I glanced around again. No one was directly watching either the picture or me.
Making as small a movement with my hands as I could, I twisted my right wrist. The picture jumped off the wall. I lowered it carefully – but very quickly – behind the radiator below. As I did so, an alarm sounded.
Everyone in the room looked up. A security guard on the ground floor spun round, quickly spotting the missing picture.
‘It’s been taken!’ he yelled. ‘Look.’ He pointed at the gap in the wall where the painting had hung.
The atrium erupted with yells. I looked down, hiding the smile that was spreading across my face.
So far so good.
11: The Gallery
Voices rose over the alarm as two security guards came running past us. I shrank back against the wall, making sure I kept my face well out of sight.
‘My turn,’ Ketty whispered. She followed the two guards to the scene of the crime. People were crowding round the place on the wall where the painting had hung though so far no one had spotted it tucked deep behind the radiator. Ketty thrust herself into the crowd.
The noise was deafening, the gallery acoustics managing to magnify everyone’s shouts. I could just make out Ketty’s shriek above the other voices.
‘There were three of them,’ she yelled, pointing towards the fire exit. ‘They took the painting and ran off through there.’
More shrieks and yells. I waited, adrenalin surging through me.
A few moments later and Ketty appeared at my side. ‘Let’s get to the meeting point,’ she said.
We raced outside. Police sirens were now sounding in the distance. Ketty and I took a left, towards Avery’s car which was still parked at the end of the street. He was leaning on the bonnet, waiting for us.
He leaped up as we approached, relief all over his face.
‘You’re okay?’ he said.
‘Course.’ I looked back at the art gallery. A police car had just pulled up and someone was putting crime-scene tape around the area outside the front door.
‘That’s overkill, isn’t it?’ Avery murmured.
I shrugged. ‘They probably haven’t found the painting behind the radiator yet. Ketty threw them off the scent, but they’ll see it as soon as all the fuss dies down.’
Avery
‘I know, babe,’ I said. ‘But it’ll come back – I’ve got faith.’
Ketty smiled at me. My spirits soared. Everything was looking up: Ketty wasn’t mad any more, Avery had put Cal in his place – and I was in charge of this mission.
The other four stared at me expectantly as we entered the art gallery. We were all wearing caps pulled low over our foreheads, except Cal who was in a supersize hoodie. None of the cameras could possibly pick up our faces.
I checked the watch Avery had lent me. ‘It’s 11.03,’ I said quietly. ‘Ketty and I will distract the guards in two minutes. You guys ready?’
Ed and Dylan nodded. Cal offered me a scowl.
‘Let’s go.’ Keeping my head down, I took Ketty’s hand again and we wandered into the main room of the gallery. As Avery had described the night before – and Ketty had just prefigured – it was an atrium, with a high glass roof two floors above our heads. Stairs led up to a balcony that overlooked the ground floor where we were standing.
The room was bright with sunshine and full of people – several twenty- and thirty-somethings wandering around in pairs, plus a school party at the far end. I checked the time again as we wandered past the colourful paintings that covered all the walls. Ketty tucked a few stray hairs under her cap, and pulled the shapeless grey sweat top she was wearing closer round her.
My heart beat fast as I surveyed the room, looking for a suitable picture. Nothing too large or cumbersome.
My eyes lit on a small painting in the corner – abstract blue stripes against a russet-coloured background. It was conveniently positioned above a radiator. I glanced around again. No one was directly watching either the picture or me.
Making as small a movement with my hands as I could, I twisted my right wrist. The picture jumped off the wall. I lowered it carefully – but very quickly – behind the radiator below. As I did so, an alarm sounded.
Everyone in the room looked up. A security guard on the ground floor spun round, quickly spotting the missing picture.
‘It’s been taken!’ he yelled. ‘Look.’ He pointed at the gap in the wall where the painting had hung.
The atrium erupted with yells. I looked down, hiding the smile that was spreading across my face.
So far so good.
11: The Gallery
Voices rose over the alarm as two security guards came running past us. I shrank back against the wall, making sure I kept my face well out of sight.
‘My turn,’ Ketty whispered. She followed the two guards to the scene of the crime. People were crowding round the place on the wall where the painting had hung though so far no one had spotted it tucked deep behind the radiator. Ketty thrust herself into the crowd.
The noise was deafening, the gallery acoustics managing to magnify everyone’s shouts. I could just make out Ketty’s shriek above the other voices.
‘There were three of them,’ she yelled, pointing towards the fire exit. ‘They took the painting and ran off through there.’
More shrieks and yells. I waited, adrenalin surging through me.
A few moments later and Ketty appeared at my side. ‘Let’s get to the meeting point,’ she said.
We raced outside. Police sirens were now sounding in the distance. Ketty and I took a left, towards Avery’s car which was still parked at the end of the street. He was leaning on the bonnet, waiting for us.
He leaped up as we approached, relief all over his face.
‘You’re okay?’ he said.
‘Course.’ I looked back at the art gallery. A police car had just pulled up and someone was putting crime-scene tape around the area outside the front door.
‘That’s overkill, isn’t it?’ Avery murmured.
I shrugged. ‘They probably haven’t found the painting behind the radiator yet. Ketty threw them off the scent, but they’ll see it as soon as all the fuss dies down.’
Avery
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