The Edge of Illusion Art Gallery, Bethesa, Tuesday evening

[magdaofslovenia]

The opening of Chess(ter) Grimes' art exhibit was nicely catered with hors' doevres, light wine, and a string quartet. Just a little too pretentious for the venue, even though pleasant. Sophie was having an enjoyable time circulating, but a less enjoyable time noticing the prices on some of the paintings.

Really, had they no shame?

[for a

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[screwyoumarvel]

Steve was remembering why he didn't spend a lot of time around the art scene these days. Granted, not all of it was as bad as this, but. The string quartet was a little much.

If he looked slightly uncomfortable, it was mostly because he'd already been hit on five times, and he wasn't even famous here. Only four of them had been women, and he was pretty sure the last one hadn't actually been old enough for the glass of wine in her hand.

[magdaofslovenia]

Sophie wandered by to be Steve's wingman and rescue him from what looked like another determined assault.

"Have you encountered our illustrious target?" She smiled over her glass of champagne without sipping it. She nodded to a bored-looking young man who was clearly enjoying the fawning of a rather intense young woman making notes in her Blackberry about what he was saying. "I had the displeasure for all of ten minutes, and now I feel the need for a shower."

[screwyoumarvel]

"I think that would be a bad idea," Steve said. "I'm not good at talking to people like that." Even when they weren't horrible plagiarists.

[magdaofslovenia]

"Mmmm. I occasionally find it lowering that I am," Sophie said dryly, then tilted her head to the nearest security camera, keeping her face at an angle from it. "Cameras at the corners, nowhere else. One main door, one back door. Rather against fire regulations, but lucky for us. I just need the code for the back door, and only the security personnel and the owner will have that." She smiled and raised her champagne glass at someone across the room. "How would you be at explaining your own art and keeping the attention of the owner, Tess Gallantrae?"

[screwyoumarvel]

Later that night, when the string quartet and the canapes and the pretentious twits were gone, Steve and Sophie returned to The Edge of Illusion (Steve didn't even know what that was supposed to mean). Their purpose was, shall we say, not exactly honest, but come on. Plagiarist.

[magdaofslovenia]

Dark clothes, dark van, and parking out in the alley. The codes that Sophie had downloaded from the owner's Blackberry were incredibly helpful in letting them in through the loading bay.

A small spray can aimed at the junction box helpfully took out the camera system and lights.

"Quickly. There might be a silent alarm, but we should still have at least seven minutes to get most of them loaded up," Sophie whispered under her breath, pushing a dolly in front of her.

[screwyoumarvel]

Most? Who did Sophie think she was dealing with here? Steve started taking paintings down and loading them on the dolly--which he didn't see the need for, except for that some of them were rather awkwardly large--with a quickness. "He's not even that good technically," he hissed, sounding downright offended.

[magdaofslovenia]

Sophie blinked at Steve's speed, and whispered back, "Well, that was the first tip-off, for me," before going back to the van to retrieve the large poster board that read:

The work of plagiarists doesn't stand the test of time.
Sometimes not even overnight.

Feel free to see the ORIGINAL WORK
at the Charm City street fair tomorrow
Courtesy of the real artist
ANNA GILROY

And placed it prominently in the window, just as she heard footsteps.