Reluctant thief Baz Barret is tasked with stealing from the formidable archaeologist Rei Collingwood--who happens to also be his college crush and rival--but when Rei goes missing after the burglary, Baz must find her before he's blamed for her disa...
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For the first time in a long time, Rei chose to take an interest in Sundial Security.
Since she was twenty-one, she'd had too much stake in the company to warrant how little she cared about it. It had always been Cheng's to control and all Rei did was express her vote in major decisions every once in a while.
If she was to inherit Angelo's share, if she was to own more than Cheng, she supposed she should know what she was getting into.
There was also the matter that Rei was running out of things to do in the apartment. Her curiosity was as much about fending off boredom as it was considering taking responsibility in what was meant to be a business Rei and Cheng shared.
Her eyes glazed over reading through the marketplace data and earnings for the last few quarters. She received the reports constantly, but never investigated when they appeared in her inbox. Cheng took to business. He liked keeping his hands and his suits clean. Rei was restless without something to do with her hands. As far as Sundial was concerned, Rei's hands were only good for counting on her fingers.
The numbers looked fine. They didn't spike low out of the blue. They were actually climbing. Great. Good to know. That's all Rei was interested in.
She typed in a quick Google search, hoping for the layman's version of what her brother had been up to. Plenty of news media featured smiling, suave Cheng. Up-and-comer to watch, rising businessman. Temperance Top 30 under 30.
Well, Rei knew about the Top 30 thing. It was a point of contention between Rei and Cheng that Rei ranked higher in the magazine's list, the issue having been published shortly after her dig in Belize. Cheng simply couldn't compete against the rather exaggerated story of Rei's snake bite.
Rei skimmed a new article about the rash of local robberies. Collectibles going missing from family showcases. Security a dilemma for the rich. Sundial swoops in to save the day, recovering a few lost items before they fall into the black market.
Rei's brow furrowed. She hadn't been paying close attention to the story. On the periphery of her attention, she'd been aware of a burglary every once in a while. Always objects Rei scoffed at. A historic piece locked away in a private collection? Served them right. Cultural heritage guidelines made the exportation of antiquities illegal in most cases.
It was wrong of her to dismiss the thread. Rei scrolled, picking through the instances. Homes broken into, antiques stolen. Nothing else touched. The residence always had a security system, but never one installed by Sundial. No, in every single case, Cheng swooped in to ensure safety once again. Sundial to the rescue.
It explained the climbing numbers in the business reports. The news kept hammering down a certain narrative. A security system other than Sundial's failed. Cheng was there waiting in the wings to make things right.
One piece posed the question: who was this mysterious art thief and what was their motivation? Well, clearly it wasn't money because in the million-dollar neighborhoods listed, they had things that were much more valuable and much easier to turn over. What the hell were they going to do? Drop it off at their local pawn shop for a quick buck? Swing over to the local auction house?
