“You’re a grifter!”

“What?” Sam tilted her head and squinted her eye a bit. “A grifter?”

“Oh don’t con a con. I can spot a grifter a mile away. And that pouty look when you asked for bus fair?” Tina smiled. “Masterful. Who could deny you bus fair? Or maybe more?”

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh. Okay.” Tina winked. “You see a grifter is a con artist. Somebody who plays others for fools. Man, woman, child. It doesn’t matter. The grifter gets what she wants when she wants it. Okay. Maybe not always when she wants it, but if she sets her sights high enough, she can con the whole world.”

Sam’s eyes went wide. “You’re a con artist?”

Tina laughed. She tilted her head back and really let it out. “Honey, you’re the best.” She stopped laughing and looked Sam up and down. “Hmm.”

“What?”

“Huh?” Tina’s eyes focused on Sam. “Oh never mind. You said you’re not a grifter. You wouldn’t be interested in what I’ve got going.”

Tina turned to go. The sidewalk was not crowded, but Tina blended in and was gone.

Sam blinked. She ran to the corner and turned. She almost ran into Tina, who was smiling ear to ear.

“How did you…”

Tina continued to smile. “Like I said. I can spot ‘em a mile away.”

A man came up behind Tina. He was not smiling. Not one bit of his body showed any sort of amusement at all. Tina turned. Her smile faded.

“What’s wrong Rex?”

“We can’t go back. The cops raided our place.”

Tina frowned. “Let’s go.”

The three walked two blocks to a warehouse. There were police vehicles surrounding the place. But there was nobody in handcuffs or in the back of cruisers. People were going in and out of the building. They were carrying boxes and computers and loading them in vans.

Tina crossed her arms. Then, she tilted her face forward into her hand. She could have been crying. She lifted her head and her hand slid down like she was wiping away all the worry from her face.

Rex asked, “What do we do now?”

“We need a new base of operations.”

Tina started to walk away. Rex paused for a moment before following. Sam sighed. She called out, “Wait.” Then, she started to jog after the two con artists.

She caught up to Rex and Tina. “Listen, I have a place. You can set up your operation from there.” She paused. “If you cut me in on your plan.”

Tina and Rex smiled at their savior.

***

Sam was excited when she heard the plan. So simple. So much money. Oh so much money. And when it was all over, Sam would get all the shares. Tina and Rex would just get caught holding the bag. A small bag, but a bag that would get rid of them. She smiled.

The plan went off without a hitch. Money was moved and transferred and moved again. Sam saw her bank accounts swell with her ill-gotten gains. New and old mixed together. She laughed. Then, she made a phone call.

“Officer Bates, please.”

“This is officer Bates. How may I help you, miss.”

“I’d like to report two shady figures who have been hanging around my house. I think they’re getting ready to rob me.” Sam gave the officer a detailed description of her two accomplices. She smiled as she hung up.

Sam logged onto her computer again. She wanted to look at all those zeroes in her account. What was her take now? Twelve with six beautiful trailing zeroes? Something like that. She never got tired of looking at her balance.

“What!? Twelve thousand dollars!? What!? How!? Where!?”

Sam ran down the stairs. She opened the door to the garage. The Bentley was still there. As was the Lamborghini. Only the sedan was gone. At least they left her the cars. And some money.

Sam smiled. Grifted by fellow grifters. She laughed. Honor among thieves. Honor among thieves, indeed.