Imperfect Chemistry

by Mary Frame

After dinner, we raid Freya’s closet. We dress warm and all in black including gloves, to avoid leaving fingerprints behind. Then, Chloe drives us over to Sam’s and I run in and grab a few things. He’s not home, but I have a key that he gave me for emergencies.

  After Sam’s, I have Chloe take me to an ATM and then we head downtown. I tell Chloe to park down the street from the gallery, and have them both stay in the car while I do a quick walk by. There are cameras above the front and back entrances.

  Checking the angle of the camera as I walk by across the street from the gallery, I stop in the blind spot and pull out the paint gun I brought with me, borrowed from Sam. The streets are fairly empty this late. When there’s no one around, I pull out my weapon and shoot at the lens. It takes two shots, but I finally hit it. I feel sort of guilty, but the paint will wash off and the camera will be good as new.

  Once we’re in the clear, I use the walkie-talkie—also borrowed from Sam—to let the girls know I’m ready. A few minutes later, they come slinking down the street. We head through a narrow alley on the side of the building and find a window. It’s up higher than a normal window, and I’m glad. Most property owners won’t arm a window that sits higher because it’s more difficult to enter and they assume thieves will go for an easy entrance. We aren’t thieves, but we are on a mission.

  Chloe’s the smallest one and I’m the tallest, so I boost her up to the window.

  “You’re totally grabbing her ass,” Freya whispers loudly. “Is that weird? Groping your ex’s ex?”

  Chloe starts laughing and nearly loses her hold on the window sill.

  “Freya! Not now!” I tell her.

  Freya sticks her tongue out at me, and I turn away from her to check on Chloe’s progress. She’s trying to pull the window open.

  “It’s locked,” she whispers loudly.

  “Here,” I hand her up the spark plug I took from Sam’s garage. “Hit one of the panes with the porcelain side.”

  She complies and the small section of the window shatters. “Why was that so easy?”

  “Simple physics. Now reach in, unlock it, and slide it open.”

  She’s holding herself up slightly with one hand, so she has to open the large window one handed, but eventually she gets it done. Before she goes inside I hand her the magnet from Freya’s fridge.

  “We’ll meet you at the front door,” I tell her before hoisting her up and watching her shimmy inside.

  A few minutes later we’re in. The magnet was placed against the motion sensor on the door to trick the alarm and make it think the door’s still closed.

  Once inside, I lead them to the office, behind the door marked private.

  I boot up the computer and Chloe and Freya start going through the files.

  “Maybe she has a file on Jensen and someone else saw it and spilled,” Freya says, pulling open a drawer and rifling through the paperwork.

  The computer warms up and I head straight for the e-mails and personal files.

  I find one from Jensen last week, letting her know he’s headed out of town for the long weekend, but other than that…nothing.

  “Did you guys find anything?” I ask.

  “Nope,” Chloe says.

  “Not a goddamn thing,” Freya says, shutting the drawer to the cabinet.

  I shut down the computer. After digging in my pocket for the cash I retrieved from the ATM earlier, I leave it in a small pile on the window sill.

  “That’s why you needed cash?” Chloe asks.

  “It’s not right to break a window and not pay for it,” I say.

  “You’re like Mother Theresa,” Freya says.

  “I don’t think Mother Theresa ever broke into an art gallery in a misguided attempt to win back her boyfriend, whom she lied to and ruined his life,” I say.

  Chloe laughs and Freya grins at me.

  I sigh. “Let’s get out of here.”

  ***