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2 Years Later...
I took a sip of my drink, looking down at the city from our penthouse. We'd be entertaining our latest mark in a matter of minutes, but until then, I wanted to enjoy the view. On top of the world was how I felt, and what I was right now.
"Have you seen the papers today?" Samuel asked.
"No?" I turned away from the windows and walked towards him. He looked good in the tux he had on, just as I did in the evening gown I was already wearing. We'd found it was better to wear things like this in advance so we could get into character.
"Dean sent this one up." He handed it to me.
I swapped the paper for my drink, wishing Dean and Carl could be with us, but knowing they couldn't be seen as knowing us for this part of the job. It would be too easy to tell how they felt about me for one thing.
I unfolded the paper, then barked a laugh as I saw the headline. I covered my mouth with my gloved hand, a move I'd perfected while portraying several upper-class women.
Earl Andrew Wellesley Embarrassed Over Fake Monet, the headline screamed.
I scanned the article, even though I knew what it was going to say. We'd been expecting this after a few high profile sales of impressionist artwork. He'd tried to sell the one we'd sold him, only for it to be revealed as a fake. I had to wonder if he'd tried to pass it off as the real thing after that, but I supposed it wouldn't matter. He'd already been embarrassed in the art world, as well as having his money taken.
"I take it there's nothing linking us to that painting?" I double-checked, even though I knew the answer already. Most of the time, we aimed to con people without them even noticing they had been. Everything was tied up in a neat little bow at the end. More often than not, it was done as a business deal gone wrong.
"Nothing. We're in the clear, and he's lost money and face," Samuel assured me.
"Perfect." I placed the paper on the table, knowing it wouldn't seem too out of place for our guests.
"Now, let's bring on the next ones," I joked.
Samuel grinned broadly. "They'll be here any second."
"It'll be a pleasure to take their money." It always was. Our own personal form of karma, only much more effective.
***
Thank you for reading Con With Me, I hope you enjoyed Katie's story. The next ME story, Race Against Me will be coming late 2020-early 2021. If you want to keep up to date with it, you can join my mailing list (https://www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk/p/mailing-list-sign-up.html;) or if you want to find out more about the Earl trying to usurp the Queen, then you can in Kneel For Me: http://books2read.com/kneelforme