“But her cut is coming out of your share, Edie,” Irene was quick to add.
Edie could only stare at them. She was not okay with this. But as they began to report back on their respective day, she could feel herself loosening. She watched Marcy—she was taking notes (even when Irene told her she had to eat the paper later) and was listening attentively. At one point, she even remarked how she couldn’t believe all they’d managed to do in the short time they’d been here.
“We have to,” Joan said. “You may have noticed we’re not getting any younger.”
Irene said that not only did she get the part-time job, she’d already clocked Mark Wachtel’s movements.
“How?” Edie asked. She’d forgotten how incredibly resourceful Irene could be.
“For one, he ambles around a lot. And two, takes frequent smoke breaks in his car. I’ve already got a tracker on it. He’s not married, has no kids. He eats at McDonald’s a lot.”
Everyone was staring at Irene in awe.
She rolled her eyes. “Could you please stop looking at me like a bunch of Boomers? It’s just not that hard to find information about anyone now. Most people are careless and put it all out on the web. Which reminds me.” She reached into a tote bag and withdrew plastic bags and handed them around to everyone, including Marcy.
“What’s this?” Frances asked.
“Burner phones, Wires and earpieces. So we can talk to each other. The app is already downloaded on your burners. Also? No texts. Nothing that could be used against us.” She pulled out her phone and the same equipment. She put the wire on her collar and the small flesh-colored earpiece in her ear. In fifteen minutes, they’d learned how to use the communication equipment and app.
Frances went next. “I secured a vehicle and the necessary parts to alter it.”
“What is it?” Joan asked.
“A van. A very beat-up old van that will require some modification to the back. But I’ve got a chop shop lined up and materials to do the work.”
“You can still do that sort of heavy lifting?” Edie asked, eyeing Frances’s thin frame.
“I guess I’ll find out. I should mention that it’s Skinner’s van. He was willing to let it go for a used pickup truck.”
Edie’s heart skipped—they did not work with others. “Is that wise?”
Frances laughed. “Hope so.”
“I have a sense about people,” Irene offered. “That kid is in it for a buck. He’s cool.”
“What about you, Edie?” Frances asked.
“Well, I met up with a security guy I dated the summer we were here and learned everything there is to know about the Pelican vault.”
“Grant? That guy?” Irene asked, perking up.
“That’s him. Also, Joan and I went to a repair shop across town and picked up some materials for me to practice. We also found an old-style wall safe. It’s the same brand as the Pelican safe, same sort of lock with all the necessary parts, but much smaller, obviously. It was too big for us to bring back, so we’ll need to arrange a pick-up.” She was aware that Marcy was listening, wide-eyed with surprise. “Joan? Your turn.”
“The staff wear walkie-talkies. I picked up some toy walkie-talkies for you to wear if you’re ever in a work uniform. And then I made security badges for everyone.” She passed them out. “Except Marcy, who I did not know would be joining us. But I don’t think you’ll need one. I also spent some time at the slots observing shift changes. I’ve got the time of shift changes and the exits most used,” she said, pushing a paper across the table. “Oh, and I won two hundred bucks with Lucky Sevens.”
“Woot!” Irene said. “Drinks on Joan.”
“So, here’s an idea,” Edie said. “Grant told me that there is a lot of chatter around town about how much power is necessary to house the crypto exchange at the Pelican. He said the requirements are insane and folks are worried about power surges or outages. People are saying the city doesn’t have the capacity for the casino to go all crypto. Maybe we could use that?”
“A well-timed power outage?” Irene said. “I’d have to get into the power grid. I’ll need to consult one of my contacts.”
“That won’t work,” Joan said. “Everything shuts down when the power goes off. It’s locked up tight as a drum so people don’t make off with chips or what have you.”
“Unless you have a badge,” Irene said. “It’s part of their backup. They have a sub-generator that operates the entry systems so that first responders can enter if necessary and staff can move around. It takes about twenty minutes before it fully kicks into gear.”
“Who else knows this?” Frances asked.
“I don’t know, but if I had to guess, I’d say Mark Wachtel for sure. And Rocco. Probably the maintenance crew. Emergency services, for sure.”
