Sink or Swim

Author's Note: This was written for the second round of the 2024 NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge. My assignment included the following: Genre - Crime Caper, Subject - A sure thing, Character - A best friend

“Wake up, Viv!” cried Justine as she wrangled half a dozen shopping bags through the penthouse door. “I’ve got us another job!”

Vivian propped herself up “Yeah? What is it?”

Justine’s eyes lit up like they always did when she was scheming. Even back in their prep school days Justine lived for thrills.

“So, you remember Cynthia Wen?”

A scene from ten years ago flashed in Vivan’s mind of a girl with dark bangs and tear filled eyes. “Yeah, she was my lab partner in chemistry our sophomore year.”

Well her dad came in to meet with my dad this afternoon. They’re in the middle of some big business deal, but that’s really beside the point. Anyways, you know that big fish tank my dad has in his office?”

“Yeah, hard to miss it. It takes up half the room.”

“True. Well, turns out Mr. Wen is a big time aquarist. And he invited my dad and the rest of our family over to his house to see some rare fish he’s got, Platinum Asian Arowanas.”

“I don’t think I like where this is going.”

Justine scoffed, “Let me finish. I’ve got it all worked out. These rare fish just bred successfully. And I reached out to a couple contacts. Guess how much one of these Arowanas will go for?”

“A fish? I don’t know. Ten thousand?”

“Try three hundred thousand! Maybe more. You can’t even legally buy or sell them in the states, but there’s definitely a market.” She flashed a picture on her phone of a sleek fish with shiny metallic scales and an unfortunate jaw line. “In Asian culture they’re supposedly bringers of luck and prosperity.”

“Of course they are,” Vivian muttered. “Alright, what’s the plan?”

Justine grinned wide. “My family is going to Mr. Wen’s tomorrow night. I’ll scope out the logistics. Then two weeks from now the Wens are hosting a charity event that I’ll get us an invite to. What do you think?”

Vivian sighed. “Well it’s crazy, as usual. But I’ve got to earn my keep somehow and I don’t exactly have anything else going on.” That was certainly true. Aside from putting her skills to use for hacking or heist purposes, she’d been unemployed for five years. After she had dropped out of MIT, her parents had basically disowned her. Thankfully her best friend and now partner in crime had taken her in.

“Excellent!” Justine exclaimed. Then she gestured to the sea of shopping bags at their feet. “Aren’t you going to ask what I bought?”

“More shoes?”

Justine shook her head. “Supplies. Take a look.”

Vivian opened up the nearest bag, which contained a large designer tote. Then she moved to the next bag.

“What the -” Vivian looked at Justine with confusion. “You’re joking.”

Justine laughed. “Like I said, I’ve got it all worked out.”

***

“Stop squirming,” Justine hissed as they walked up the stairs to the Wen mansion.

“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one with a fish net strapped to your thigh,” Vivian retorted as she tugged at the slit in her evening gown.

A security guard stopped them at the door. “Bag check, ladies.”

Justine wrenched her clutch purse open and the guard barely peeked inside.

Vivan resigned herself to the awkward exchange she knew was coming as she opened the tote bag. She watched the guard’s eyebrows lurch as he peered at the bag’s contents.

“I’m pumping,” Vivian said through gritted teeth.

The guard nodded curtly. “Congratulations.”

Vivian did her best to smile proudly. “Thank you.”

The guard waved them both through into the foyer.

“Remind me again, why I have to be the one toting a breast pump around,” Vivian whispered.

“Because you’ve got the skills to get the job done,” Justine replied. “I’m just the mastermind and the distraction.”

“Right. Got it,” Vivian said quickly. “So in one hour we take our positions.”

“Yes, and in the meantime try and have some fun. Celebrate. In a few hours we’ll have made a million dollars. It’s a sure thing.”

Vivian nodded to assure herself. Then she caught sight of someone that caused her to pale. “Things may have just gotten a lot less sure.”

“Why?” Justine asked with concern.

“Look over there by the bar. It’s him.”

“Who?” Justine pressed as she craned her neck.

Vivan hit her arm. “Don’t be so obvious! It’s that blasted Detective Hunter who almost caught us in that coin collection heist.”

“You’re right!” Justine said with wide eyes. “What’s he doing here?”

“I don’t know! But maybe we should reconsider.”

“No. He couldn’t pin anything on us last time and he’s not going to now. Stick to the plan. Just avoid him at all costs. Let’s split up and keep a low profile.”

“I’ll do my best, but it won’t be easy with this billboard sized bag on my shoulder!”

Justine grabbed two champagne glasses off a waiter’s tray as he passed them. “You’ll be fine!” She clinked the glasses and then held one out to Vivian. “Cheers.”

Vivian shook her head. “I’m supposedly breastfeeding, remember?”

“Two for me then,” Justine said nonchalantly, then she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Vivian did her best to keep a good distance from the detective, but at one point she had to dart behind a column and in doing so she collided with a woman who was already occupying the space, causing the woman’s drink to slosh out on her dress.

“I’m so sorry,” Vivian whispered. “I’m terribly clumsy!”

“It’s fine,” the other woman huffed as she swept droplets off her dress. Then she looked up with fierce dark eyes. “Vivian. Vivian Larson.”

“Cynthia,” Vivian exclaimed with a hint of panic in her voice. “So good to see you. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I suppose this is your party.”

“Hardly,” Cynthia replied dismissively. “This is all my stepmother aka the Wicked Witch.”

“Right,” Vivian remembered her earlier flashback of Cynthia. The crying. Her mother had passed away the fall of sophomore year and her father remarried by spring with his secretary.

“Well, it’s good to see you, Viv. I’d love to chat, but I need to find the Wicked Witch.”

“Of course,” Vivian said. She glanced at her phone. It was almost time. “Good to see you too, Cynthia. Enjoy the rest of your- I mean, the party.”

Cynthia shot her a strained smile and hastily departed.

Vivian waited a moment and then did the same. She found a security guard stationed at the entrance to a hallway that according to Justine led to Mr. Wen’s study, the location of the incubator for the fish eggs.

“Excuse me, sir. I was wondering if you could help me?” Vivian opened her tote back so he could see inside. “I really need to pump and don’t want to occupy the bathroom for too long. Is there a private guest room that I could use?”

The guard looked uncertain.

“Please! I’m getting a little desperate.”

“Alright, ma’am. Just this way.” He led her down two doors into a guest suite.

“Thank you!”

As soon as the door closed, Vivian went to work. She retrieved her laptop out of a hidden compartment in the tote bag. She typed frantically, hacking into the security camera feed.

Suddenly she heard screams coming from down the hall. She glanced at the time. Justine was early. Vivian sighed. Too much champagne was probably the cause. Another minute and she had frozen the camera footage.

Hauling the tote, she crept to the door and cracked it. The guard was gone. She made her way to the end of the hall and slipped into the study. Reaching under her skirt she pulled the net free and then unloaded six water filled baby bottles.

The incubator was full of about thirty wiggling little fish forms attached to bright orange egg-like orbs. Swiftly and carefully she scooped up six baby fish, not a greedy amount, depositing them one at a time into each of the bottles.

After securing all the bottles she crept back to the guest room. She stowed the computer back in the tote and arranged the breast pump over the baby bottles. She flung open a window and tossed the fish net into the shrubs below. Then she paused and peered down. She could’ve sworn she heard an “ouch”, but there was no one in sight. But was that metallic glimmer in the dirt? She shook her head, there wasn’t time for this.

With baby fish in tow she exited the guest room and strode down the hallway.

Something was wrong. There were people crying and a large crowd gathered in the backyard. Justine was supposed to have created a scene out front and nothing that would cause the distressed expressions Vivian was seeing. She crept up behind the crowd straining to see what everyone else was looking at.

She gasped. There was someone floating in the pool. Blood blossoming all around the prone form. Detective Hunter was in the water, holding his fingers to the body’s throat. It was Mrs. Wen, Cynthia’s stepmother. She’d been stabbed. Mr. Wen was at the edge of the pool sobbing into his hands.

Suddenly Detective Hunter looked up and stared straight at Vivian.

Vivian ducked down. This was bad!

“There you are!” Justine said as she hurried over to Vivian.

“Quick! Take the bag!” Vivian ordered.

Justine’s brow furled.

“Do it! Now! Detective Hunter just spotted me, but he hasn’t seen you. Get out while everyone is distracted.”

Justine hesitated.

“Go! I’ll be fine. I promise. It’s a sure thing.”

Justine smiled weakly, took the bag, and slinked away.

Moments later the security guards started ushering people back into the house.

“Make sure no one leaves,” Detective Hunter shouted.

Vivian desperately hoped Justine had made it out. She heard sloshing footsteps approaching. She knew this was coming, but it didn’t stop her heart from hammering.

“Vivian Larson,” Detective Hunter said. “At another gathering of aristocrats, I see. And coincidentally another one where a crime has been committed. Unless, it’s no coincidence at all.”

Vivian met the detective’s gaze. “I had nothing to do with this. Why would I kill Mrs. Wen?”

“Well, her very expensive necklace is missing and you have quite the affinity for nice things, don’t you?”

Sirens wailed in the distance.

“I don’t know what you mean, detective. But it sounds like the police are on their way, so at least someone will do some actual investigating instead of just spewing wild accusations.”

Just then Vivian noticed someone sneaking around the edge of the house. It was Cynthia. There were dirt marks on her dress, leaves in her hair, and a dark stain on her dress that was definitely not champagne.

Detective Hunter eyed Vivian critically, “You’re a sly one, I’ll give you that. But if you're guilty, there’ll be no escape for you this time.”

Detective Hunter was about to turn around and catch sight of Cynthia.

Vivian grabbed his arm. “Maybe you’re right, detective. Maybe it is no coincidence we keep meeting like this.” She tried to produce an alluring smile, but feared it was more of a grimace.

Cynthia smiled at Vivian and managed to sneak inside with a final group of guests.

Detective Hunter pulled his arm free and strode away.

He was becoming a problem. These jobs were not the sure things they had once been. But maybe they just needed a missing piece. She thought of Cynthia’s fierce eyes. Maybe their duo needed to expand to a trio. The work might be risky but having each other's backs was something they could count on.

Vivian glanced toward the pool where Mrs. Wen’s body floated, eyes staring vacantly at the sky. Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Justine.

Made it out. Good work. None of them have gone belly-up.

Vivian glanced back at the pool. The same couldn’t be said for the Wens.